The Honourable Minister of Sports is at the top of the list of people that never bore me on air. I love listening to him when he speaks in Hausa. Hardly would he speak for a minute in Hausa without using a proverb that most often is unknown to his Hausa listener. While listening to him on RFi this morning, I lost count of the number of proverbs that decorated his responses.

This moving compendium of African proverbs can only be matched by our late Chief Mashood Abiola, the Aare Kakanfo of Yorubaland. I am not alone. So many Hausa listeners are captives of Mr. Dalung’s eloquence. I fear one day we will miss him and the millions of proverbs in his brain will follow him to his grave. What a loss would it be! I suggest that someone, a student of Hausa, linguistics or anthropology, undertakes a study of his interviews with a view of preserving these proverbs and understanding the cross-cultural milieu in which they evolved. More than his proverbs, however, is the pacifist orientation of Mr. Dalung. He has been on the side of peace throughout the trial period on the Plateau.

He was among the few on “the other side” who truly built bridges, many times at the risk of their lives. “This side” understood him very well and did not hesitate to extend to him the hand of friendship and trust. Mr. Dalung will forever be a distinguished guest in any town in Northern Nigeria. It was not surprising that many wanted him to be the APC governor of Plateau State. However, God intended that we will benefit with two, instead of one. He lost the primaries to someone that is equally peace loving, Barr Simon Lalong, whose immediate impact can today be felt in the prevailing peaceful atmosphere that represents a new dawn after the long darkness of state-sponsored hate, violence and alienation. Mr. Dalung became a minister instead and we were so happy.

At a time when the Babachir scandal became public, I even thought of suggesting him to the President as a veritable replacement. That card may not be on the table, but it is still in my heart. This idea may appear a fantasy in view of the fact that the SSG’s office is zoned to Tinubu, who will obviously refurbish it with another Babachir-like character. Tinubu is reported to have had a long discussion with Buhari few nights ago. I am saying this in spite of recent online allegations that Minister Dalung temptation of office.

I am not here to defend him. I am not as qualified as his assistants in that job. However, the fact remains that there is no guarantee that Tinubu or whoever will suggest a better saint than him. PMB, unlike Mal. Aminu Kano, has chosen to be shoved into power by a confederation of characters. We cannot tolerate his working with the worst among them; rather we will always support him to tolerate their moderates for that is the best the situation can offer. The eloquence of Dalung in Hausa and his inclination for peace have catapulted him to leadership position.

Among his millions of proverbs, one must be reminding him that it is a position of trust, not privilege. With its advice, he will do all it takes to keep the burden of that trust such that he continues to shine in our hearts as a star of peace and a moving dictionary of our culture. Doing otherwise will break our hearts.

count | 234

Aliyu Tilde extols the virtues of Solomon Dalung, suggest him as replacement for Babachir Lawal as SFG