Emmanuel Bello
At the height of the civil war, a journalist had cornered General TY Danjuma to get his thoughts about the ongoing carnage. To the reporter’s shock, the well-spoken but courageous soldier did not gloat or sound bloodthirsty. Rather, Gen Danjuma was compassionate, articulate, and very clear about the direction of the war. He expressed regrets that officers who are well known to them will have to die in the heat of battle. He regretted the violence and the loss of lives on both sides. He noted further that the igbos were not enemies but friends, brothers, and neighbours caught up in the mess of an unnecessary civil war. It was in the heat of war, but the unmistakably courage and calmness of the man seeped through every word emanating from him. Not for him the arrogance of triumph or the bitterness of the battle. His calm composure in the face of the danger and fire, his leadership in the midst of chaos, and his patriotism at the height of national confusion were just all too palpable.
Years later, after the bitter war, Gen TY Danjuma was to carry on the same mein: straight forward, bold, and thoroughly disciplined. No single Nigerian, or indeed African, has remained like a statue of virtues, kindness, and courage like General TY Danjuma. He is clearly in a class of his own: taciturn, self effacing, and steadfast.
He is the myth, and the man all rolled in one. The world famous war hero is perhaps the most talked about Nigerian. Yet, he is decidedly silent, mysterious, and completely focused. Over these years, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, GCON, has continued to remain the main issue in Nigerian politics. His blessing is sought by all. His guidance has remained the most wanted, and his endorsement is believed to be the magic wand.
Wealthy but not detached from daily realities, highly influential, but not pompous, General Danjuma defies any traditional template. To gaze at him is to behold the near divine presence of the sphinx: indecipherable and cryptic. This has made him both fearsome and loving at the same time.
A truly boardroom General, how he has manovered through the trenches of the business world without stiffing workers or outsmarting partners is the stuff of epic tales. He is a businessman/investor who has not abandoned the discipline and transparency required to lead troops to bloody war-fields. In power politics, he is a political guru who hasn’t traded honesty, character, and uprightness for the slippery path of power mongering.
Above all, it General Danjuma proclivity for straight talking that has earned him a permanent place in the Pantheon. Whether he is addressing world leaders or his tribesmen in his native Takum in Taraba state, it is the same no-nonsense say-it-like-it-is mode. No filters, no colouring – just raw truths. It is an effective method as it endears as well as disarms all at once.
General Danjuma is a library of unwritten books, an ocean of immeasurable resources, and a lifelong muse of inspiration. As we celebrate him today, it is obvious that the good elderstatesman remains clear minded, compassionate, and courageous. He is the ultimate compass in an almost rudderless world, a strong tower of confidence, and an unrepentant, fearless advocate for good governance. Like the proverbial old wine, he just keeps getting better with time.
