FOR  some inexplicable reasons, I am more fascinated by the baritone voice of Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe than his personality, he seems to have a voice more reassuring than really making things happen. The very first time he spoke to me, his eloquence and oratory left me more reassured before finally meeting him. A very colourful politician and diplomat, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe turned 70 recently.

The story of Kingibe is one of resilience, commitment, doggedness and of course, grass to grace. For a man orphaned quite early in life (his mother died when he was four and father died when he was 15) to have attained the pinnacle of his career as a permanent secretary and most importantly lived a privileged life speaks volume of God’s favour in a life, otherwise common. Born on June 25, 1945 in Maiduguri, Borno State. He was named after his father’s best friend, Abubakar, a bricklayer who had a great influence on his life. He acquired the name Baba Gana (literally means little father in Kanuri) because those who respected his namesake, could not call him Abubakar. His father, a onetime cobbler, later became a native authority pay clerk during the colonial era.

The politicking between Borno Youth Movement (BYM) and Northern People’s Congress (NPC) spearheaded by Sir Kashim Ibrahim and Ibrahim Imam ignited the passion for politics and hatred for oppression in young Kingibe. The formation of BYM against the more popular and formidable NPC in the first republic led to skirmishes between the elites and the commoners in Borno. Kingibe’s father and his guardian (Abubakar) were consumed in the bickering between BYM and NPC as they both lost their government jobs for supporting the opposition BYM.

For the once, historically the Kanem-Borno Empire had been in persistent resistance to the wholesale domination of the Hausa-Fulani hegemony from the earliest century, the rampaging holy-war (Jihad) led by the legendary Uthman DanFodio met a huge resistance in Borno Empire. The empire is blessed with great warriors like the legendary Mai Idris Alooma, Mai Ali Dunami, Muhammed al-Amin al-Kanemi etc. It is note-worthy and historical that this is the very first time since the advent of democracy from the first republic through the present dispensation that the Kanuris’ (Borno and Yobe states) would be in the same political party (All Progressives Congress, APC) with the Hausa-Fulani, and indeed in the same political party forming the central government.

Kingibe, in many respects is an archetypal Nigerian politician, he has combined politics with the ambivalence of a diplomat; a shrewd and calculating politician (like any politician) who always aimed for the highest prize.

A politician with national security background, he speaks with confidence and verbal pyrotechnics of the academic. For Kingibe networking is a veritable tool in politics. No wonder he had a vast and massive following at the peak of his political power.He is a master and always on top of his game. A quintessential and cerebral politician with the gift of the garb, his audience are held spell-bound during his campaigns. Tall and with a near-permanent smile that lights up his ebony black face, he cuts a picture of a man at peace with himself and at ease with the world.

Urbane and gentle, Kingibe, son of a cobbler won government scholarship to attend Bishop Stortford College, England for his secondary school education. He later took a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from University of Sussex, England, in 1968, and a postgraduate diploma course at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. He later trained at the British Broadcasting Corporation Television Training School, London and started out as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1969, but was later appointed Head, Current Affairs Department, Northern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation. Being an ambitious young man, he left to join the Nigerian Foreign Service as External Affairs Officer.

He was Counsellor, Nigeria High Commission, London; Principal Political Secretary, Supreme Military Headquarters, Lagos and later Principal Political Secretary, Executive Office of the President between 1976 and 1981. In time, he became Permanent secretary in charge of special services in the Cabinet Office between 1981 and 1984. Kingibe was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Greece with concurrent accreditation to Cyprus, and later, High Commissioner to Pakistan.

A multi-dimensional personality and industrious with ability for multi-tasking, he has continued to offer himself for national service, as he served on the Justice Belgore Committee on the review of the Constitution and more recently as a member of the inauguration committee that midwifed the recent handover of government from former President Goodluck Jonathan to President Muhammadu Buhari.

I must confess his is a service dedicated to fatherland and promotion of humanity. In almost all his forty years of public service, Kingibe has never been linked to any allegations of corruption or self-enrichment. He is one of the most decent and incorruptible Nigerians in public life.

His humility is endearing even in spite of his attainment in life. Fatherly, humane, accessible and generous to a fault. Kingibe is a study in silence and a very detailed personality. He has been a lecturer, broadcaster, an ambassador, permanent secretary, minister and secretary to the government of the federation, in all, his contribution to national development is commendable and will continue to be in our history. He is a friend and friend indeed, and a friend in need to all, including many that he never knew. Happy birthday Baba!

Badejo Nurudeen, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Lagos.