A Survivor Against All Odds -By Ike Willie-Nwobu

Nigeria is in its season of loss—loss of national values and national heroes. But, without a doubt, the loss that will prove the costliest is the loss of its national heroes.

Nigerians recently received the news of the death of Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark, two stalwarts of the Nigerian project, and exceptionally unwavering believers in the Nigerian dream. Nigeria mourns indeed.

Shortly before Pa Adebanjo and Chief Clark joined their ancestors, former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Timbut Useni quietly slept for one last time, slipping away on 23rd January 2025, many years after he was minister during which time the pressures of the hour were unable to silence the applause he received as FCT Minister.

Fits of conniption comes seamlessly to many Nigerians who were around when the military scuttled Nigeria’s promise as a country. For those Nigerians born after those dark and desperately long days, history awakens in them a surprising amount of revulsion at the role played by the military. Thus, it is difficult to find a former military personnel whose goodwill survived those long, heady days. The way former military president Ibrahim Babangida has been ripped to shreds since he released his autobiography shows that Useni who was buried in the same week as the release of the autobiography was no ordinary man who was able to tread a very fine line.

He was the minister of the FCT under the notorious Abacha regime. He quickly re-invented himself after the military lost its grip on political power in the country. Bending to civilian institutions which is no easy task for military personnel, Useni almost became the governor of Plateau State losing only narrowly to Simon Bako Lalong in 2018. Before that he handily won his election to emerge as senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District in 2015.

Those who know the “people’s general’ describe a vivacious but unassuming man, a consummate humanitarian whose deep commitment to his faith molded a completely detribalized Nigerian.

In his native Plateau State which had become a cauldron of religious crisis and provocation, Useni became a symbol of interfaith and interreligious peace and harmony, taking great pains to preach peace even when it was clear that there were political gains to be
made from stirring hatred and stoking conflict.

Useni was also a man of great dignity. Even as a serving minister under what was arguably Nigeria’s most brutal military regime, Useni treated civilians with supreme dignity and respect, proving again and again that the barrel of the gun could not dwarf his humanity.
He made friends all over Nigeria, restoring the faith of many people in the fact that a new Nigeria is possible, and in the endless possibilities that abound therein.

He also successfully retired retirement as even after retiring from the army, he showed uncommon perseverance to venture into the treacherous waters of politics in Nigeria with much success. He was a senator for four years and came within whiskers of becoming the governor of Plateau State in 2018.

In 2002, life dealt the man affectionately called “Baba mai tuwo” a hammerblow when his son and wife perished in an EAS Airlines Flight 4226 plane crash bound to Lagos from Kano. Yet, General Useni was able to pick up himself and move on.

The beginning of the new year has seen Nigeria lose some of its greatest servants. May their souls rest in peace, even as the country must pray that new selfless servants arise to take their place.

Ike Willie-Nwobu,
ikewilly9@gmail.com