By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr Mohammed Bulama has told former students of the Department of Political Science and Administration, University of Maiduguri that he would strive to be a good ambassador of all the universities he attended by working hard to improve the fortunes of the FRCN.
Bulama, who described teaching as the best profession in the world,in an emotionally laden voice, spoke at the conference hall of the FRCN’s headquarters (Radio House) in Abuja when representatives of his former students who were the 1996 set of Political Science and Public Administration, felicitated over his appointment as the Director General (DG) of the FRCN.
Earlier, spokesperson of the UNIMAID Political Science & Admin Class of 96 and a lecturer with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, Dr Samuel Baba Okey, extolled the virtues of Dr Bulama and recalled that his teachings and guidance still remained pivotal and a compass in their subsequent academic pursuits.
The Class of 96 delegation on behalf of all their course mates in Nigeria and Diaspora, as a mark of honor, love and appreciation, presented a unique plaque to Dr Bulama and unveiled a giant portrait of his,amidst great applause from all the FRCN’s superior officers and others that were at the occasion.
The former students’ delegation comprised of Alhaji Hassan Mahmood Ibrahim, media aide to global energy executive and Chairman of Transnational Energy Limited (TEL), Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, Dr Jonathan Maiangwa Walter Rodney of the UNIMAID, Dr Kusa Terwase, Dr Samuel Baba of NDA Kaduna, Alhaji Ibrahim Shinkafi, Mr. Carlos Dauda, Alhaji Saleh, Hajiya Hafsat Mai Bukar,Hajiya Hauwa Idi Jimeta, Dr Mahmud, most of whom were Directors with the federal government public service.
A very elated celebrant, Dr Mohammed Bulama who almost betrayed emotions, said it was a very moving moment for him and was extremely delighted to see his former students occupying productive and respectable positions in all walks of life.
According to him, ” this is a very moving moment for me, I’m going to be very incoherent because it’s a situation that takes us back for over 30 years.
“The ladies and gentlemen here, the last I saw some of them was in 1996.Some of them I recognise slightly, over half, I could tell if I met them somewhere. Some of them, honestly to be very frank with you, except now that we’ve reestablished this contact, I could never have known them if I met them somewhere.
“This for me, is more than gold and silver because the joy of a teacher, with all due apology to those sitting on this side of the divide, and may be one or two there, teaching is the best profession in the world.
“Apologies to the journalists, I’m only a journalist by association, a pseudo one, my main calling in life, the thing I always love to do, was to teach. Circumstance along the line, took me away from that. Hopefully one day, I have to get back there. Like I said, it’s the best profession in the world, it’s what I always wanted to do from day one.
“From secondary school, I’ve made up my mind, that’s what I wanted to do, to teach in the university. I had the privilege and opportunity to do that, and the product of that endeavour are people who teach on this side.
“I am extremely very proud of your very obvious accomplishments.We don’t need to say it, everybody knows if the little you’ve said about yourselves clearly shows that you’ve gone a long way,and we are very, extremely proud of you.I for one, I’m very proud of you,I’m proud that some of you have surpassed me in accomplishment, this is just a tip on the iceberg.
“Ambassador Babagana Wakil have been one of the people coordinating this,hopefully in the next few weeks he would be pronounced an Ambassador with a portfolio. There are many of you like this, in the Armed Forces, everyday of my life, practically everyday of my life I walk into one person or the other, some I recognise, some I don’t,I would’ve thought I never seen them from Adam, who would tell me I taught them this or that.
“Even in FRCN, the first day I came I was met with that reallity. Everywhere I go, you find them all over the place.That is why we say, if you want to be made,.go to UNIMAID.
“So it’s a source of pride to me, that is the number one thing,as a teacher it does everything for you.
“To crown it all, you came, you left your family, whatever you’re doing,from all walks of life,you found it worthy to come and felicitate with me and my people in the FRCN. That’s for me, the crowning jewel of it all.I’m deeply appreciative of this,even though when you said you were coming and I accepted it, I wasn’t looking at something as elaborate as this.
“I’m really short of words, all I can assure you is that in shaa Allahu, I will put in my very best,may be I was not the person you knew 32 years ago,the tear and wear of life,but I can assure you the spirit is still the same.
“God willing with your support and prayer,we would do our best to leave our mark on this organisation, the FRCN.
“I’ve nothing but gratitude and thanks to the powers that be, that appointed me to this position .It is not because I’m better than other Nigerians,I just happen to be at the right place at the right time. There are many other capable people in this country.
“I consider it a privilege that I’m here,and I consider myself as an Ambassador of not only the universities that I’ve attended,but of the people that I have associated with like you in the course of my life, that I’ve had the privilege of mutually touching the lives of each other.If I tell you I’ve not gained from you as my students, I would be telling a blatant lie. It was a process of give and take. I’ve learnt a lot from you people.
“Some of you in the class, there were people who were older than me. I’m sure you had classmates who were older than me, then, because I started quite very early. I started in 1986 just after my service. So there were people who were old enough to be my parents in my classes. So I would’ve learnt a lot through this process, it was a learning process for everybody including me.
” I’m happy I’ve contributed the little I could in your lives and as I’ve said, the outcome is this and anybody in my shoes would’ve nothing but pride. That’s part of the reason I broke down, it’s very uncharacteristic of me, quite honestly.I apologise. I just couldn’t control it because any endeavour in life that you get into, what you wanted to see in life is its positive outcome and this is it.
” So if these are you, I can imagine all of you are parents, some have already become grand parents, so I can see a reflection in you of the qualities you’ve also bequeathed to society. So that’s my own source of pride. Some of you on the verge of being Professors,I’m still hopeful that one day I will become a Professor.
“I thank you very much, I need your prayers, your support, your encouragement. Whatever little advice you think you can give us here,some of you are well placed in organizations that can assist us.If you assist FRCN you’re assisting me, your teacher.Of course my reward in heaven I’m expecting it,but as a unionist we are always in demand. Part of the reward I could request from you…is what you can help do to contribute to the success of the FRCN.
” Maybe in your organizations you’re in a position to assist us,we look forward to that.In fact one of the things we intend to do very soon is to go on visitations.We are not just going to sit in the board room here, talking about broadcasting .We are going to go out because the expectation of Nigerians is very high on places like FRCN.You find a lot of Nigerians are not happy with us, they’re disappointed that we are not performing.
” Part of the reason, of course everybody knows it’s not our fault. We are grossly underfunded. But that is not an excuse in itself. We have to go out and one of the things we used to do is , we are going on visitations across the country to ministries, to parastatals that we can partner with. Part of our responsibilities is to help these organisations achieve their objectives. We are going to do that by telling Nigerians what exactly, these ministries and organizations are doing.
“Very soon you could even see us in some of your organizations. Perhaps you could even help us set up the meetings and facilitate things for us where it is possible. On a lighter note, perhaps Alhaji Hassan could facilitate the allocation of.
“What I’m saying is that I’m sure some of you are in a position to help us, all of you as a matter of fact.So thank you very much once again, I will do my best,to be your Ambassador, a good Ambassador like I said not only to the universities that trained us,but to those of you with whom I have interacted at a very consequential and significant level in my life and I consider my students as part of the people with whom I’ve had that interaction.
” My interaction with the thousands of students over my career in the university, I consider it as very consequential and significant. Therefore, I pledge that I will be a good Ambassador to all of you. Or I will try to be, I need your support to be able to do just that,” he said.
Speaking further, he urged, “Let’s keep the flag flying, I hope to continue seeing more of you.You are always free. Sometines it’s very difficult to communicate because there is a glut of information everywhere, everybody wants to, we are all trying to manage the space. It’s always difficult. You may try to reach out to me and I may not respond immediately. If that happens, I just want your understanding. I’m sure that we are all in a similar situation.But I want to assure you I can do my best to keep this relationship growing. Not only with you, but with other sets as well.
” You are representing us very well, wherever you are So,we should all strive to keep this contact, the network and everything.
‘” I just got saddled with another responsibility. Out of the blues, I was appointed as the Caretaker Chairman of the University of Maiduguri National Alumni Association. So that is another platform. I mentioned this because we are all graduates of University of Maiduguri. So in that capacity, I would be compelled to reach out and work with people like you.So I thought I should let you know. In that capacity too, I will do my best to discharge that responsibility .I know it’s not easy, my hands are already full with FRCN, but we would also do our best and I want you also to support me in that regards as well.
” I want to also pledge that I will.do my best to deliver and make sure that our alma mata becomes even more proud of us,” he said.
