By Inuwa Bwala
It was short and brutish: that text message I received that Wednesday evening from a friend, stating, “Ambassador Saidu Pindar is dead”. Initially I thought somebody was toying with death or playing a trick on me, thinking that because our political affiliations differed with the Ambassador, the news of any harm coming to him might not bother me.

It was a terrible miscalculation, as perhaps I was most touched, having come a long way with him.  Within ten minutes of the receipt of the text, I received many other calls, either sympathising with me, for those who know my relationship to him, or inquiring from me if the news was true to the effect that Ambassador Saidu Shettima Pindar was dead.

I scrolled through my text messages to confirm if the Ramadan Kareem message I received the previous day was from him. And it was.

For the umpteenth time I asked myself what could have happened. I got a temporary reprieve when I called his line and it rang for sometime before it went dead. And when he did not return the call as characteristic of him, again fear gripped me, that it may be true. And suddenly there was the news flash.

To everybody, it was shocking, sad, almost unbelievable, just as it was devastating. Irrespective of one’s religious background, it is common knowledge that death is an inevitable end for every mortal, but the way it steals its victims sometimes appear too cowardly.

In the case of Ambassador Saidu Pindar, it was callous, and curious. But coming when the Ramadan period had barely ended, one can take solace from the fact that it was after all a desirous time to die by every Muslim, being a time one is close to Allah: that was the case with Pindar.

The wishes of many, who were not available at both the burial and the Fidau prayers were to come round one day and realise that it was a different Saidu Pindar from the one they knew that died. For a very long time, many people will find it difficult to accept the reality of his death, even those who witnessed his last rites of passage.

To different people, including those who had never met him before, Saidu Pindar’s death meant the same thing: it was untimely. Taking into consideration his many plans for the future development of his fatherland, it was indeed a national loss, and it has left a vacuum very difficult to fill in a long time to come.

In the various fields of endeavour where he found himself at one time or the other, the late Ambassador Pindar built a relationship with people, including those who were reluctant to interact with him. It is not surprising, therefore, that he left behind many professional, vocational, and political orphans, in addition to his conventional dependants: his wives, children and siblings.

The biggest casualty of his death is perhaps the PDP family in Borno State, where he was the sole figure around whom the fortunes of the party oscillates. As the gubernatorial running mate, he had a larger image even more than his principal, to the effect that many feared if the PDP had won in Borno, Saidu may as well be the d’facto Governor.

Even his rivals knew that he was about the most influential figure that swayed a lot of goodwill for his party during the last elections.

Advocates of power shift in Borno had often squared in on Saidu Pindar as a possible future governor. He had very vast connections, in politics, security circles, diplomatic and other sundry fields. Although he was not formally turbaned as the Waziri of Biu, he was the most influential traditional title holder in the area, and was the pillar upon which the Emir of Biu has always relied.

Saidu Pindar has operated a scholarship scheme for the less-privileged for over 10 years, and was considered one of the greatest philanthropists in the PDP, where he was believed to have single-handedly bankrolled the candidature of most of the party’s candidates during the last elections.

An engineer by training, Ambassador Saidu Pindar had his hand in many other pies, and was gaining grounds in everything he did. He was regarded as one of the most successful technocrats in Borno State, having worked as an engineer, a journalist, an administrator, security operative, a diplomat and a politician.

To his professional colleagues, he was the brain behind certain transformations in the Borno Radio Television Corporation, some of which are still being used today. While working as Director of Engineering services, he occasionally ventured into journalism practice.

In fact, he was in the process of setting up a Radio FM station before his death. As a spy master, he was seen as one of the best hands in the NIA, even as he was the virtual President of Sao tome and Principe, when he served in that country as Nigeria’s ambassador.

Ambassador Saidu Pindar was regarded as the single richest and most influential individual in Biu emirate, and was revered by the emirate council. Politically, he has suffered several baptisms of fire having failed to contest and win any particular position.

On several occasions, the bitter rivalry amongst PDP stakeholders in Borno state has denied him the opportunity to be nominated as a minister.  It is correct to also say, that, Pindar in his political sojourn had made as many enemies as he did friends. He will be remembered on the political scene for reorganizing the PDP in Kano state as sole administrator leading to the party’s victory in the last Governorship elections.

In the words of the executive governor of Borno State, Honorable Kashim Shettima, Saidu was a brother, a friend, a father, a colleague, and a compatriot. His death was as shocking and sad to the Government and people of Borno state as it was devastating to his family and his immediate political group.

He will be missed as one man who has distinguished himself as an unrepentant critic of the Government, and perhaps as the most desperate optimist in the PDP suit challenging the last April elections. Adieu Ambassador. People may not realize what they missed in your death, but the skies took note of your demise. May the Almighty forgive your short comings and grant you eternal rest.

Inuwa Bwala was a close political ally of the late Ambassador Pindar.