ABDURRAHMAN MORA; THE PASSING OF A LEGEND
BY ISAH MOHAMMED ABBASS
A tribute to a legendary figure as famous as Dr.. ABDURRAHAM MORA can best be narrated fully, eloquently and precisely in time perspective by a group of persons closely associated with the personality, his friends and students and not by a mere distant admirer. What I have attempted to do is but a sketchy, somehow haphazard but factual commentary about the personality I have come to personally interact with during the last five years or so in my capacity as the Secretary, Zaria education Development Association –ZEDA.
Monday, 19th May, 1997 (13th day of Muharram, 1418 AH) witnessed the termination of the worldly life of ALHAJI (DR) ABDURRAHMAN MORA. We learnt that he saw his death coming, he set himself ready and that they settled amicably and quickly without any dispute. This was not an ordinary man, yet he was indeed ordinary since death has taken him away. All human beings are vulnerable and therefore ordinary before God and must have a taste of death. Allahu Akbar.
The inevitability, death, has quietly snatched away the eighty-one year old titan from us when we dearly need him. But Allah needs him best. There is thus not looking back or forward in anger over the incidence. The ‘anger’ transiently expressed now is only human and involuntary. All those now saddled with ‘anger’ over the death of Dr. ABDURRAHMAN MORA , have noted that a mere reflection of the past and the future will automatically quench infinitely, at least for this deeds. His exemplary moral etiquette. Legendary life and works will continue to be forcefully competed for and emulated.
The record Dr. ABDURRAHMAN MORA set for 81 solid years 19th July 1916 –19th May 1997 with diligence, commitment, sincerity, patience, selfless service, kindness was completely well spent to serve his immediate environment and humanity. This record is impeccable a least since the birth of this rare gem. His parents certainly had chosen for him a very befitting name as he was indeed a very kind man; born with an officious character.
Born at Kaiama, Dr. ABDURRAHMAN MORA was manufactured and destined for Zaria. Grand child of MALLAM ABUBAKAR MORA TASUDE I, 10th King and 1st Emir of Kaiama (1885 –1912), Dr. ABDURRAHMAN MORA declined the princely crown for a more purposeful and legendary service. We have gathered from a very reliable source that since childhood, young ABDURRAHMAN began shuldering sponsibilities of his juniors and colleagues at home and schools respectively. At school he always attended to the sick. In the 1920s and 1930s he was in charge of the most essential affairs of his colleagues, particularly their finances.
After graduating from katsina Higer College, MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA TASUDE took up appointment with the defunct Zaria Native Authority. He began to teach at the famous Zaria Middle school. MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA was among the pioneer Northern Nigerian Teachers to benefit from a course at the Institute of Education, University of London from 1945 to 1946. Among his colleagues to blend their teaching career at London were MALLAM YAHAYA GUSAU, MALLAMABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA (late) and MALAM BELLO KANO.
After the course, MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA returned to Zaria with the zeal, courage, determination and vision to revolutionalise the Teaching and educational administrative systems found wanting. During his period as a teacher and school administrator in Zaria, everything remarkably improved and changed. It was on record that Zaria used to finish last in the Northern Nigerian Middle Four Examinations annually. With the zeal as a teacher and school administrator, the position radically charged. It was on record that Zaria switched from the last to first position consistently at the Northern Nigerian annual Middle four Examination for seven good years. During his tenure, particularly due to the remarkable improvement, Zaria indigenes flooded Barewa college students population more than any other place in the North.
The radical transformation of education in Zaria in particular and Northern Nigeria in general, were al sequel to the revolutionary character of a MALLAM of Dr. ABDURRAHMAN MORA stock, coupled with his visionary and leadership credentials. Not only was education completely and radically transformed but also all other school activities and behaviors. The magical simplicity of transforming the school and academic systems during MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA’s tenure were due to discipline and freedom designed for students; motivation and morale booster with adequate facilities provided for the teachers. Some of his former students included general Yakubu Gowon. Former Head of state and C-in-c, Ambassador Mohammed lawal Sambo (Walin Zazzau)ambassador Yahaya Aliyu, Pro-chancellor university of Jos, Engr. Abdullahi Nuhu Bamalli, Chairman New Nigerian Construction Company and former Chairman UBA PLC, professor Ango Abdullahi former Vice Chancellor ABU Zaria. The number of prominent Zage-zagi who passed through the hands of MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA is far from being exhausted.
The influence of MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA remarkably bolstered the spread and speed of Western education throughout the society. His influence over the ability was not unexpected. His efforts completely lured the Emir, Mallam Jaafar, to devote more time, pay more attention and actively participate in school affairs as well as the general acceptability of Western Education throughout Zaria. To boost the morales of the students and teachers and to charge the entire community, MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA thus encouraged the Emir to always grace the speech and prize giving ceremonies and other extra curricular activities. The Emir was thus kept informed of the development in the school on weekly basis through a representative.
In the field of education. MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA was a rarity in the Northern Nigeria. He was among the first four known Northern Nigerian teachers to have passed the Nigerian Senior Teachers’ certificate Examination from Wolsey Hall England in Geography. The other three Northern gerian teachers were mallam Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Histroy), mallam Yahaya Gusau (mathematics) and Mallam Himada Pategi agriculture). MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA was involved in all educational policies and programmes in Northern Nigerian, practically in Zaria. He was a founding member of Northern Teachers’ Association (NTA). He was thus involved from the formal to nonformal and informal aspects f education right from their infancy to their full development. The famous Yaki da jahilci and makarantan Allo institutions were all revolutionalised and inserted within the educational system of Northern Nigeria sequel to MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA determination to bail his people educationally out.
In every field of human endeavour MALLAM ABDURRAHMAN MORA set himself, it excels. Apart from the educational sector he transformed he was an administrator and a diplomat of repute. From 1959 when he was appointed Senior Assistant Secretary, along with three others, late Mallam Ali Akilu, Mallam Yahaya Gasau and Mallam Abdurrahman Okene, his career in the civil service grew from strength to strength. In 1961 he was seconded to Federal Service and posted to Saudi Arabia as a Counsel and pilgrims officer. He held many other diplomatic positions in many countries, and embassies. Alhaji Mallam (Ambassador) ABDURRAHMAN MORA was a permanent Secretary to many ministries. He was for example, the Federal permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lagos affairs (defunct) and Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A citation of Ambassador ABDURRAHMAN MORA must never be oblivious of his family. This is where the pivot of his morality, etiquette, knowledge and personality depends. Hence, the quality of one’s children, begotten and bred up is dictated by one’s vision of the society at large. In essence, one’s off springs appropriately mirror one’s character. We have come to see and feel empirically that what is bred in the bones of Dr. Abdurrahman Mora has come out of the flesh.
We have gathered that fifteen (15) children and at least fifty-two (52) grandchildren survive Alhaji Abdurrahman Mora with seventeen (17) great grand children. It is amazing to note that all his surviving children so far eleven grand-children are graduates of Quranic recitation. His first child is a mallam to the core knowledgeable in diverse Islamic fields in addition to his cherished Western Education. His other children and some grand children are medical are medical doctors, pharmacist, accountant, Social scientists, lawyers, Printer, Artist and a host of other professions. One of his younger children has memorized the Holy Quran by heart. It is an indisputable fact that a man of good breeding will bread good children.
Dr. Abdurrahman Mora was a strict disciplinarian and a believer, cherisher of knowledge, its acquisition and utilization. We have learnt from him that he wealth of an individual is his knowledge and his social morality. An endowed society is therefore where the inhabitants are knowledgeable with a very high level social morality. It must be stated and recognized that the Dr. Abdurrahman Mora’s family is endowed with knowledge whereas social morality is sacred. There is rarely a family, as large and extended as Dr. Mora’s with that impeccable record of knowledge acquisition in our society. It may perhaps be a great enterprising exercise to undertake a social research of the moral and social up bringing in the Mora family household inspire of the society’s bankruptcy of education and poverty of morality.
The meritorious and marathon service of 39 years as an educator, administrator and diplomat was rare and unprecedented. Alhaji Abdurrahman Mora continued to serve and serve till the last day. Immediately after retirement he was conferred with a domestic, through irresistible, appointment of the chairmanship of Zaria college of Advanced Studies (CAS) Council, now Kaduna State polytechnic, zaria. While he introduced the (PTA) Parent teachers’ Association in Nigeria, Alhaji Abdurrahman Mora served as President of GGSS Soba PTA for many years and Patron Barewa College PTA till May 19th 1997.
Alhaji Abdurrahman Mora was a recognized figure locally and internationally. In recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of education, the Federal University of Technology, Minna conferred on him a Doctorate Degree of letters (D. Litt) Honoris causa in February 1991. many other institutions and organizations conferred on Dr. Abdurrahman Mora numerous certificates of recognition of his meritorious contributions and selfless service in various fields of human development.
In 1992 a group of young Zaria indigenes came together and established Zaria education Development Association (ZEDA) to resuscitate and revamp the moribund commodity; to borrow Dr. Abdurrahman Mora’s term, in the community. The Association though of the need to establish a Board of Trustees to give it credence and relevance. When he issue of selecting of chairman and members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of ZEDA came up, all hands were up. When the first nominee was mentioned, there was a sign of sound and deep but slow and prolong breath in all members, thus expressing acceptance and satisfaction of the personality mentioned. That personality was no other man Dr. Abdurrahman Mora. The full-packed Alhudahuda college staff room was silent and for sometimes, hands were up again. The group to battled hard to find matching partners for the BOT.
Everybody in Zaria, Kaduna State and the country in general knows that ZEDA, since its existence under the leadership of D. Abdurrahman Mora has been exceptional. Zaria community in particular once again came to benefit from selfless service of Dr. Abdurrahman Mora. During the inauguration ceremony of the BOT at the Emir’s Palace. The Emir of Zazzau, the Grand Patron of ZEDA, Alhaji (Dr.) Shehu Idris CFR said among other things that a rationale choice was made and that in whatever Dr. Abdurrahman Mora was involved, there was success. The history of ZEDA since inception is but a history of unpreceentedness where camels have found it easier and swifter to enter the eye of the needle than go through the gates of Zaria.
The death of dr. Abdurrahman Mora has completely put hundredth of thousand of people off balance. The small children he gathered from the neighborhood to impart Islamic knowledge are devastatingly hit. As the death is indeed a great loss to ZEDA it is of greater loss to zaria, a total, irreparable and irreplaceable loss to humanity. Zaria is completely bereaved. That was why condolences were also extended to the Emir of Zazzau, the government and peoples of Kaduna State. As a matter of reality, it was far more than a local affair, it was a tragic national loss. Legendary demise of heroes like the famous Dr. Abdurrahmna Mora inevitable produces the irresistible and irrepressible tears; be it wet or dry. Thus, ocean of tears oozing out from the big, deep and wide eyes of ZEDA was completely drained in desperate search for the vacuum created.
The flood of tears in grief of MORA’s death must not submerge and drawn ZEDA. The challenge before all ZEDA activists, in conformity with the life and spirit of Dr. Abdurrahman Mora, is to ensure the ZEDAISM lives, in philosophy, momentum and commitment. Baba empirically demonstrated that spirit s ZEDA enjoyed his total patronage. Baba always a availed himself the opportunity to physically grace all major ZEDA activities. The most devastating moment for all, particularly the ZEDA BOT, Patrons, CWC, Members, friends etc, will be during the annual ZEDArites come December 1997. this will be the first time ever and FOREVER the cerebrations will be performed without the physical presence of Baba. In all the quarterly BOT meetings of the Association there was no time the chairman was indisposed, apologetic, absent or late to attend and chair the meeting. when the BOT meets it is going to be another devastating moments.
In what appeared to be his last major ZEDA public appearance, Dr. Abdurrahman Mora, during the Bursary Awards ceremony of ZEDA scholarships on 26 April, 1997, emphatically maintained the unacceptable underdeveloped position of Zaria indigenes in the acquisitions of knowledge despite the institutions sited in and around. He simply but uncompromisingly and unequivocally stated, inter alia, that; “ZEDA has declared a total war on the fallen educational standards in Zaria Local Government area and environs, and Allah willing, there is no turning back until the set goal has been achieved”. This war must be won.
Dr. Abdurrahman Mora’s final words to all Zaria counterparts were succinct: “ZEDA needs your financial and moral supports to retrieve the lost educational glory of these areas, to enable the sons and daughter of the areas participate adequately in national and international affairs and contribute more meaningfully to the development of the World.” Everybody in Zaria must hear and take this appeal seriously as a mark of respect and honour to Dr. MORA.
This is the man, in this community, to the best of our knowledge that never was. The simplicity and humility of his character, the direct and unambiguity in his approach to things, the passion and compassion of his behaviour, his dedication and above all, fear of God guided and illuminated his modes of communication to all and sundry. The demise of the legendary leadership of Dr. Abdurrahman Mora is a serious set back for Zaria in this trying period of gross poverty of leadership. It is however a draw back for education in its present stage of permanent crisis, thereby widening the gulf in the desperate search for knowledgeable and visionary leaders. May Allah continue to breed more and more people of the likes of dr. Abdurrahman Mora in our mind to lead or contribute in the transformation of our society. May the death of Dr. Abdurrahman Mora be a sleep.
In view of the foregoing contributions of Late Baba, Mallam Alhaji, Ambassador, Dr. Abdurrahman Mora in the fields of education, Public Administration, International Relations etc. Zaria Community feels justified and honored to openly request the Kaduna State Military Administrator Lt.Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali to accord a befitting honour of recognition of the meritorious and selfless service this rare educationist, administrator and diplomat had rendered to the society. However, all the Local Government Areas previously within the fold of the former Zaria Native authority should honour in their own ways what this legendary figure had done to the community.
May Allah, in his exceptional mercies, grant Late Dr. ABDURRAHMAN MORA an eternal repose and peace as well as give all of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable and irreplaceable loss –Amen.
ISAH MOHAMMED ABBASS24th May, 1997
Secretary, ZEDAZaria