Kogiflame
A tribute to the late Erudite Scholar
DEATH, that eliminator of life comes in many forms and at any time. At dawn it comes to wake man to the reality of the brevity of life.
At dust it comes to sound its knell and when the knell tolls, both the strong and the weak do nothing but answer the eternal call. Like John Dryden would say “All human things are subject to decay. And when fate summons the low and the high must obey” And so Professor Nuhu Yakub obeyed. The final call came on Saturday 4th January, 2025 in Abuja.
Prof. Yakub was one of the refined and dignified men to have donned the garb of teaching. The name Prof. Nuhu Yakub has come to invoke and represent a bye-word for honesty, transparency, sincerity, hardwork, courage and integrity. He was a pure intellectual, propelled only by a desire for the best his brain could offer humanity.
Prof. Yakub was not just an enigma but an erudite scholar who had delivered dozens of papers and written series of articles on vexed national issues and his submissions always made long lasting impression on his audience. He was an academic sophistry and a credible voice in the academic world. He never fell short of his famed sense of integrity and honour.
Professor Yakub was of sharp intelligence and dazzling humility. His style of writing is scintillating, incisive and educative. He represented the undiluted essence of a gentleman, one who returns your greetings with telling warmth.
Prof. Yakub was a two-time Vice Chancellor – The University of Abuja and Sokoto State University. He was reputed to be very networked, with very useful contact both home and outside the shores of Nigeria. Prof. Yakub demonstrated greatness, passion and dexterity in all the places he had ever worked and positions held. The passion and drive to excel in all assignments he was saddled earned him several merit awards, and these he capped with National Award of Commander of the Niger (CON). A high profile member of various professional bodies
With utmost sense of humility and at the risk of sounding immodest, Ebira Renaissance Group (ERG) can say, Prof. Yakub was God sent to University of Abuja. He came there when the institution was gripped with despondency and mistrust among the various segments in the University. The Prof. never claimed to mount the Vice Chancellorship of Uniabuja with a glass-filled ideas but within short space of time, the Prof. left no one in doubt about his purpose-driven objective of changing the face of the institution for good. The good works carried out there earned him the V.C of Sokoto State University without asking for it.
Prof. Yakub was a tremendous blessing to Anebira and Ebira Youths in terms of employment and admissions. EYC had been in touch with him and he had severally attended its National Annual Summit and had on two occasions served as guest speaker.
Leadership as Munroe Myles articulated, is the capacity to influence others through inspirations, motivation by passion, generation by vision, produced by conviction, ignited by a purpose, Prof. Yakub eminently radiated all these in his leadership of University of Abuja.
Prof. S.A. Zuru (SAN) has this to say of Prof. Yakub in his tribute “…You were one of the rarest few of your generation that found their true purpose in life and never surrender to toxic temptation of pursuit of blinded ambition and bizarre opportunism.”
ERG offers its deepest condolences to the immediate family of Prof. Yakub, the academic world and Ebira nation as a whole. As a deeply religious man, a devoute muslim he was, ERG believes Prof. Yakub has experienced the death of the righteous, the last danger is passed, the last victory is won and the last tear is shed. Enjoy your world of perfect purity, unbroken peace and undisturbed rest reserved only for the eminent, honourable and pious men like you.
Heroes are never remembered for the amount of wealth they had but for the joy they brought to the hearts of those they came across while on earth. Prof. Yakub was a distinguished academic, an accomplished administrator, prolific writer, above all a pious Muslim.
Prof. Nuhu Yakub, you will forever reign in our hearts, Good night, the peoples’ professor.
Pst. Suleiman Manjoe Alh.(Dauudu) M.I. Japa Coordinator – ERG Secretary – ERG
