Isa Umar Gusau: The man and his destiny, his last days before his passage

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Late Isa Gusau

By Timothy Olanrewaju

It is exactly a week he exited quietly in his usual manner while on the earth. Yet his death elicited loud sorrow, huge sympathies across Nigeria. The warmness of the previous week in northeast and Abuja suddenly dissolved into a cold weather: the passage of a rare gem is unmistaken!

On January 3 at about 7:28am, I had called Malam Isa Umar Gusau on his Whatsapp number to say hello and “complain” his “failure” to send Christmas wish to me, a tradition he kept for 12 years! His phone rang but there was no response. He must be busy, may be observing his early morning routine exercise; I reasoned, hoping he would call back as he usual but he never did.

I haven’t spoken to him since early November or so when we chatted in Maiduguri with two other colleagues.

“Ya ne intermediate elder? What’s up?” he would ask each time I or he called, or when we met Intermediate Elder; this is the status he gave me since year 2020.
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He was a busy man, too passionate about his work, deep in creating bigger image for his principal. Always planning ahead of possible political attacks from oppositions or critics without appearing in the public either on TV show or radio. He was a strategist in government; he reeled out ideas for professional and economic progress each time you meet him with promise to support or get some individuals, organisations to push such ideas into fruitfulness.

He was the big guy pulling strong strings behind the scene. He worked tirelessly daily, yet still create time to listen to all. We often say a journalist friend in government is a lost friend. Isa was different. He was always available no matter how unimportant your issue is. He listened, picked calls even at odd hours. “We are no longer colleagues, we have become brothers. I haven’t be with my blood brother for years but you and I have worked together for many years now,” he told me on few occasions.

His one-room office was opened to all including staff of the Government House, commissioners, journalists and their friends.

I first met Isa at the Press Unit of the Damaturu Government House Yobe State in 2005 while he was the State Correspondent of Daily Trust newspapers, one of Nigeria’s major dailies. He was a very dedicated journalist. He would buy extra packs of lunch from eateries for colleagues. “I don’t have money to buy for all. Please let’s share these;” he would say. He helped in facilitating a novelty football match in Damaturu to foster unity among correspondents of media organizations in Borno and Yobe states. He did not only purchase jerseys for the two teams but dragged the then Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Baba Ba’aba into the Correspondents’ Week activities and support. Isa continued his philanthropy upon his return to Maiduguri as Daily Trust Bureau Chief and subsequently as Gov Kashim Shettima’s spokesperson in 2011.
How he lived his last years

Dan Gusau as he was fondly called by one of our colleagues lived his last few years as if he had the premonition he would soon leave the stage or how does one explain a young man who suddenly became very philosophical about life, extremely generous and no longer save money? He told me mid 2023 that he had discovered that keeping money while people go around with lots of challenges, wasn’t appropriate. “Where are they taking the money to?” he would ask.

He became a gospeler, always admonishing colleagues, others about unity, forgiveness, love and forbearance.
Isa lived a short life but left a tall, long imprint in the sand of time!

From Olanrewaju Facebook post