By Prof Gani Yoroms
It has taken me a long time to write this tribute but it is still with a heavy heart that I do so. The moment I heard of the death of Professor Dunmoye, a friendly and benign lecturer, still rings. My imbecilic and radical years began at the College of Preliminary Studies, otherwise foremostly called CPS, Yola. It was in the defunct Gongola State. Comrade Jonathan Zwingina introduced us to the embryonic knowledge of Marxism. Zwingina and Comrade Pongri were always engaging in intellectual discourse on Marxism. Comrade Zwingina came from ‘Ibadan School of History’ while Comrade Pongri was of the Dares Salam School where ABU Zaria took after in radical scholarship. Comrade Zwingina was would attack Dr Bala Usman for especially his work ‘For the Liberation of Nigeria. Being brought up under Dr Bala Usman, Comrade Pongri make all efforts to defend the radical Zaria scholarship. Because Zwingina was more vociferous, he carried the day in all the intellectual contestation on CPS Yola.
I was motivated to join the radical trend by forming the Association of Campus Journalists where press releases were often broadcast on Gongola State Broadcasting Corporation, Yola. After my two years in CPS Yola, I decided to head for Ahmadu Bello University even as most of my mates were going to the University of Maiduguri.
Senator Jonathan Zingwina, ex-UI and a former Senate Leader in the 4th Republic is now late
I arrived Samaru Campus of ABU and was launched into Students radicalism by a childhood friend, Rt. Hon Rimande Shawulu kwewum who dragged me to join the demonstration to Kaduna against the United States on the December 10th ,1982, being UN Human Rights Day. It was the thick of the Cold War. Hon Shawulu later became the Student Union Secretary General at the time Hajiya Najaatu Mohammed was the President. We saw the US as the global enemy. I joined the protest with genuine mind for African liberation as well as the Youth Solidarity on Southern African (YUSSAN) where I was passionate about taking up the mandate of the ABU Student Union that directed all students to utilize efforts to raise money in solidarity with the struggle against the Apartheid regime in Southern Africa. In Yola, I went from one office to another doing just that. I was in Movement for Progressive Nigeria (MPN) too.
However, the missionary spirt in me was still strong (and even stronger now as Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God). It was to the extent that I would either go for YUSSAN or MPN meetings before going for Fellowship of Christians Students or vice versa. On one occasion, Comrade Ahmed Aminu Yusuf told me that my comradeship must be questioned. He told me I could not be coming for MPN and YUSSAN meetings and at the same time going to church. I told him I saw nothing wrong as I was into two frontal struggle for both soul (good governance on earth) and the sprit (spiritual life of heavenly kingdom, hereafter). Anyway, I got along with the radical colleagues on Campus.
In 1984/85, Comrade Shawulu facilitated my entry into student union politics as I contested for the position of Students Union Financial Secretary but lost. However, I was made the secretary of the Students Union Magazine Editorial team, which I cherished until date. I conducted my radical intellectualism by reviewing Dr. Patrick Wilmot’s poetic rendition published on South African Liberation struggle in one of the editions of the Sunday New Nigerian. I also fought corrupt police personnel on highways. I wrote the Inspector General of Police the late Etim Inyang, on corruption along the roads anytime I travelled between Zaria and Yola. The IGP Etim Inyang replied my letter which the Sunday New Nigerian found useful to publish at the time. The reporter, Emman Uduoka, of blessed memory did a lot in making them published.
Professor Dunmoye did not come early in my stay in ABU. I did cross his path occasionally at the now old Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) building. I cannot remember any serious contacts with him. Then, he was about going to Canada for further studies. I later went to the University of Ibadan for my Master’s degree programme where I met other scholars. I am still happy to have sat under Professor Peter Ekeh, one of the renowned African political Sociologists. I am happy to have met him at University of New York, Buffalo where I spent a night in his home when I wanted to formalize my admission there. Unfortunately, I couldn’t meet Professor Claude Welch, a renowned academic in the field of African military and democracy who Professor Garvey Glickman had wanted me to meet. It is similar to my not being able to go to the University of Braford to do my PhD with focus on ECOWAS –ECOMOG because the university wrote to say they had no expert on the topic I had chosen. A friend, Dr Wonotanzokan Tagowa, then asked me to return to ABU.
This was the time I met Prof Dunmoye who had the atitude to carry student’s burden. I put in for my PhD in 1993 and worked hard under his supervision. I presented my proposal and the panel appreciated the scholarship in the presentation. As the verdict was to be made for me to proceed with my field work, the Head of Department, the ‘Almighty’ Paul Izah, banged the table that I must re-present my proposal. He said, as the Head of Department, he was not going to let me go while his candidate who also did his presentation the same time was denied approval. The Seminar ended without Professor Dunmoye saying anything. I left back to Abuja the following day. Later I met him. He said I should not worry, that it would be alright. I do not know how he did it but I got CODESRIA scholarship, and the Social Research Council of Nigeria (SSRCN). Indeed, he worked it out, making Dr. Paul Izah, my second supervisor. Paul Izah accepted the arrangement in spite of the fact that it took almost three years. Prof Dunmoye kept on encouraging me to work hard in spite of the delay I had suffered. My friend, Dr. Wono Tagowa was always at hand to ensure I registered at every calendar year so that the university did not delete by name from the Postgraduate list.
Realizing that having submitted my thesis and that there will be a delay for my external examination, Prof Dunmoye arranged for Prof. Sonny Tyoden to be my external examiner. Then it was difficult to get external examiners because the university claimed it had no money to pay them for the examination of its Postgraduate students. I was able to defend my PhD. It was the moment, a certain Dr Akpan, a lecturer in the Department welcomed me to the ‘class of mad people’. I was wondering what he meant. He meant a class of thinkers, which the public would always misrepresents as mad people.
I left Zaria excited and took my family for the convocation to celebrate the tedious journey I had just undertaken. Since then, I have remained close to Prof. Dunmoye. Anytime he came to the National Defence College as a resource person, he would stop by my office and that of Ms. Julie Sanda. He would call out: Pastor, how are you? Any time he saw me, he was sure to ask about Julie. Julie Sanda had been his PhD student while in ABU before she transferred her postgraduate programme to the Nigerian Defence Academy. Yet he kept track of ensuring that Ms. Sanda completed her studies. He will always offer one advice or the other. Dunmoye was, no doubt, an extrovert, some one that is ever ready to give advice, and will do it frankly. He would not mind as long as he felt he was contributing to someone’s success. He wanted to see the progress of his students. He would ask questions and would do all to assist.
The day he died, I did not get to hear the news. Thereafter, I was ruminating on him, asking myself some questions on what I have done for all the sacrifices he made for me. But it was too late. The last time I spoke with the NPSA President, it was on how to immortalize Professor Dunmoye. It is regrettable submitting this tribute much, much after Dunmoye is dead and gone to his grave. More so that another mentor, Nuhu Yaqub, recently passed on. May they sit on the right hand of the Lord.
The author is at the National Defence College, Abuja
