Dear daddy,
When our love ones transit to the great beyond, as firm believers of the pre-ordainment, we have to take it in good faith. ("Nothing shall ever happen except what Allah has ordained for us". Qur'an 9:51). So on this note, I firmly believe your death was clearly destined to happen at the time it did, when we were least prepared but I do not overly feel troubled about it because Allah has decreed these matters to occur and his decisions are his and his alone and we cannot question them as humans.
It's so difficult for me to sketch this piece out, to be candid, I do not know where to start from. Is from the memories I had why growing up under your care, your excessive display of love and affection for everyone who crossed your path, or the mentoring and private moments we had like a father and son? Well, like every well known endeavor, let me just begin even though words cannot exactly elucidate my feelings.
Today 21st of May makes it exactly 5 years since your timely death, at the ripe age of 73 years, its will not be fair on my side to tag your death as untimely considering the life span of average Nigerians. My Chief as I fondly call you, I miss you so much. I could not have wished for anything better. Your parenting was second to none, very different from typical African style parenting. As your wards, while growing up, we could discuss or raise any issue with you and logically conclude them like friends arguing over a topic. Daddy will secretly call you and apologize if he knew he has offended any of his children with his actions or inactions, instead of just keeping mute or buying gifts to appease us.
Daddy I miss those moments we had, I wish I could recreate them but, alas, you ain't here anymore. Those moments when you will have to force us to go to the farm and we would grudgingly oblige, when you have to force me to school against my wish, when you scold me whenever I exhibit my stupid acts. I miss them so much. During the holidays when am back home from school, dad will ensure I get a copy of one of the dailies and in the evenings after meals, we will sit, discuss and analyze events of the day, and in most cases it will end up in heated arguments. This greatly influenced my choice to study mass communications. I miss those moments when we always go out together to virtually all your functions, be it business, personal runs, and others. It gave me an opportunity to become a man even before I was 18, because I watched every step u took and how hard you work hard to make your family comfortable and till today, those lessons are indelible in my memory.
Daddy you paid your dues, you were an excellent husband, father and a family man. As the patriarch of Idato family (our extended family) you were there for all. You put your community first, anything that affect them unstabled you. I remember when we frequently visited the Business Manager of the defunct PHCN, Edo North unit to lobby for PHCN to have an office in Aviele and the man wasn't really disposed to the idea but you didn't give up. At the long run, they did, you personally arranged for one of your properties for them to use as office. Five years after your demise, your people do not have to journey to Auchi town to get their electricity issues resolved anymore.
I was so fond of you, I never hid that fondness. I still remember that faithful day you had your normal skin cut and I was practically touching and romancing it which I love even though I was already an adult then and a visitor walked in and said,
"chief, you still allow this grown up man to romance your head? Na you dey spoil them".
Daddy smiled and replied,
"allow them while it lasts, nothing lasts forever".
I thought you were crazy, I never imagined that all those moments could actually end and translate into memories until the 21th of May 2015 when you breath your last air at Irrua specialist hospital, just 9 days to my 22nd birthday.
 |
| Late chief M.L Adamu Deco |
I'm immensely grateful for the opportunity you gave me to learn, at 19, I was already your unofficial private secretary, I had access to your account officer, I could initiate transactions in your accounts though subject to your approvals, i had your ATM cards with their pins in my head, you gave me an opportunity to flourish and I horned my business skills under your tutelage. You trusted my judgement alot and never waved them aside neither did you wavered in my personal abilty to do the right thing always. There was never an holiday for you. Daddy will push you to unfamiliar waters even when one is not ready. Let me take you guys down memory lane. After my National Diploma, i went to holiday with my grandparents in zaria for some few weeks and at the same time the managerial position at Deco Hotel was vacant, I was 20 then, we were looking out for a replacement that wasn't forthcoming. Why we were talking on phone, he struck as usual,
" Sule please can you cut short your holiday and come home to take up this this position while I search for a replacement"
I didn't really buy the idea though especially when I was already processing my admission into Ahmadu Bello University. So I journeyed home, took over the position and with your guidance i excelled but made some mistakes along the line and came out better.
Now to your infamous days at Irrua specialist hospital. Daddy through out the 22 years I knew you, you have never slept in an hospital bed. So i was quite perplexed, when i recieved calls in zaria that you were admitted in the hospital, I was really alarmed and worried. My instincts told me you were closer to the great beyond and with us here but I shrugged these feelings knowing fully well how strong and resilient you are. I couldn't really concentrate on my studies anymore, and i eventually made it back to Edo state four days to your death. These four days where like four years. When you sighted me, you just smiled but were to weak to speak. As usual, with my habit, I started rubbing your head. I will not disclose the private moments we had while on your sick bed, but even at the point of death, your undying love and affection for your family was not shaken.
I remember when I was wheeling you to the theater for a surgical operation, on our way, you kept asking if the fees of my siblings, have been paid, if we had enough food stocked at home, how your brothers were doing and all of that. I just smiled and said chief, we are fine and we are very prepared for any eventuality. The next day being 21st day of May, I went home in the morning to briefly refresh and use the opportunity to link up with my cousin Abubakar Oyaaaaaaaaaa, as grand pa fondly call him, in Auchi Town, as usual we exchanged banters and he said how is daddy, I told him he isn't fine but he encouraged me to be hopeful. While I was packing to go back to the hospital, my mum called that you have passed on, it struck me like an hurricane, like the man you have trained me to be, I promptly delivered this news to your kinsmen.
Daddy immediately you died, everything you told me on your sick happened, alot of people turned their backs, those who did eye service to impress you while you were here suddenly suddenly began to display their true colors and began to sing different songs. Let me firmly remind these class of people that, we will all die when our time comes, but I pray in the spirit of Ramadan that Allah will not afflict their families the stress and emotional crises they put us when their turn comes to answer the call of death. Five years now, i didn't really muster the strength to genuinely let go, but I have decided to let go and moved on, I forgive them and I pray for the best for them and all of us you left behind.
Daddy am so sorry I haven't really done enough to write about your stay here, i have been taken aback by life's mundane and I promise to document pieces of your time here in my next short biography of you before your 6th remembrance. Posterity will will wittingly judge us if we fail to inked them on a paper for the sake of knowledge. We pray that Allah spare our lives to witness it come to fruition next May.
My quintessential daddy, my best friend, my closest confidant, whence comes another like you! Today being exactly 5 years since you left us, our prayers are with you. Your adorable wives, Salamat and Nana fatimah are still reminiscing over the love you showered them, your children Rukky, Abdul, Kaliat, Mariam, Hajoe, Deco jnr, zainab, Muhammed and I, have missed you alot. Hey papa, you now have two grand kids, A. Mateen and Bushron and we have unanimously resolved to be better than you left us and preserve, unmistakably, our family Name and legacies you left behind. Our fervent prayers is that Almighty Allah reunite us all in paradise, expand your grave, forgive you your shortcomings, grant us the strength, wisdom and understanding to move in the right direction. Amen.
Adieu chief, Eng. Adamu Momoh Lawal Deco, continue to rest in the bosom of Allah.
Much love from my end Dad.
Yours lovely
Adamu Deco Suleman
Comments
RIP Sir