Barr. Nura Ahmad Muhammad
We went around with our cake, determined to celebrate our leader and mentor, Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, on the occasion of his 53rd birthday. Our plan was to surprise him, knowing fully well that he is not particularly fond of such celebrations.
He is a man who would rather spend his time working, serving humanity, and contributing to the development of society than celebrating himself.
His birthday fell on a weekend when we were all away from the office. So, when we resumed on Monday, we arranged for a cake and agreed to surprise him whenever he came to the office. We wanted to offer him our special birthday wishes and prayers for greater success and blessings in life, just as we have always done.
We waited patiently in the office until late in the evening, but he never showed up. We later realised that he was deeply engaged in yet another humanatarian activity, as usual. We decided to postpone our plans until the following day, hoping that we would finally catch him in the office.
The following day, we waited again, but there was still no sign of him. At that point, we decided that we would follow him wherever he was, determined not to let our plans fail and our cake go to waste!
As soon as we heard where he was, we set out to find him. Some of us had already arrived at the venue, while others were still on their way, when we received the news that he had returned to the office. We immediately turned around and rushed back, carrying our cake along with us.
When we arrived, we approached him with the cake. He smiled and said, “Well done, everyone, for your efforts!” We placed the cake and our drinks before him and began our birthday wishes, while he sat back and listened attentively.
We did not want to take too much of his time because we knew he had been busy with community service since morning. Nevertheless, we could not leave without saying a few words about the man whose life and leadership have touched ours in so many ways.
The truth is that Dr. Magashi has positively impacted our lives in countless ways. He has supported us, mentored us, and opened doors of opportunity that have helped shape the careers we are building today.
One after another, we shared brief personal stories of how he had contributed to our individual journeys and expressed our heartfelt gratitude for his impact on our lives.
In my own short remarks, I recalled the first time I met him at a monthly KANET meeting in 2005, held at the former British Council office along Emir’s Palace Road in Kano. At the time, he was the Secretary of KANET, while I attended the meeting representing Indabawa Kurmawa Development Association (INDA-KURMA).
I reminded him that, after listening to me introduce myself and explain some of the activities of our association, he expressed a keen interest in supporting our work. That moment marked the beginning of a relationship that has continued to bring support, guidance, and opportunities into my life.
Today, by the grace of Allah, the Almighty, I am the Chairman of the very same KANET where I first met him as a young representative of a community-based organisation.
What struck me most was that many of the things we recounted were things he had long forgotten. But we have not forgotten them because they were defining moments in our lives. We remember the doors he opened, the encouragement he gave, and the opportunities he created for us. He was equally delighted to hear about the progress we have made and how we, too, are now contributing to society and supporting others in our own capacities.
After everyone had shared their stories, we asked him to say just a few words before we cut the cake and brought the gathering to a close. But the moment he began speaking, he started making more commitments of supporting the organisations we lead.
KANET received its share, and so did YOSPIS, V-PESDI, AMMKAS, and CHR. When he had finished pouring out these pledges of support to our organizations, he simply put down the microphone and said, “Have a peaceful night!” Even members of the Arewa Peace Ambassadors Forum, who had been present as observers, were not left out. All of us with take aways of support to organizations.
That is Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba for you: a man whose generosity extends beyond individuals to the organisations, communities, and causes they represent. Even on his own birthday, he found a way to encourage, support, and empower others.
Dr. Magashi, we came to celebrate you, but we left with even more reasons to be grateful to you. In the process of thanking you, for the many ways you have touched our lives, you gave us yet another reason to say thank you.
As you celebrate your 53rd birthday, we pray that Almighty Allah will continue to bless you with long life, sound health, greater wisdom, and abundant success. May He strengthen you in your service to humanity, elevate your leadership, reward your sacrifices, and continue to make you a source of inspiration and opportunity for many more people.
Happy 53rd Birthday, Dr Aminu Magashi Garba! May Allah continue to bless you, increase your impact, and grant you many more fruitful years of purposeful leadership and service to humanity. Ameen!
Barr. Nura Ahmad Muhammad, Chairman Kano Network of NGOs writes from Kano
