By Lawal Jet Kaugama
When death visits a household in Sokoto State. After the demise of Sultan’s stepmother, another tragedy followed.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu is rarely absent at a time of mourning in the state. On Monday, he joined Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and other Muslim faithful at the funeral prayer for Abubakar Isah Saddiq Achida, son of the APC Zonal Secretary, Alhaji Isah Saddiq Achida.
The prayer was held at the family residence in the Mabera area of Sokoto metropolis. According to a statement signed by Abubakar Bawa, Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, the Governor described death as an inevitable destiny, and urged the bereaved father and family to accept the loss as the will of Almighty Allah.
He also prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased’s shortcomings, the acceptance of his good deeds and his eternal rest. The young man died after a protracted illness and is survived by a wife and a child.
To some, this may look like a routine act of courtesy. It is more than that. In a society like ours, how a leader behaves in moments of grief says a great deal about how he understands his office.
Governance is often measured by the provision of social infrastructure like roads, schools, clinics, and budgets. These things matter, and no responsible government can neglect them. But there is a quieter dimension of leadership that no budget line captures: the ability to stand with people when they are in their moments of grief. A family that has just lost a son is not looking for policy. It is looking for presence, for the reassurance that others share its pain.
That is what Governor Aliyu offered at Mabera. He came in person, stood in the same rows as ordinary mourners, and lifted his hands in prayer like everyone else. In that moment, the distance between the governed and the governing fell away. A father who had lost his son saw the Governor of his state grieving beside him, and this surely gave him strength to Bear the loss.
Governor Aliyu’s presence at the funeral matters because grief is one of the few experiences every citizen shares, whatever their party, status or station. The Governor’s message on Monday drew on a teaching Muslims hold dear: that every soul shall taste death, and that patience in the face of loss is a mark of faith. His words did not try to explain away the pain. They pointed the family towards steadfastness and the mercy of Allah, which is the comfort a bereaved Muslim household most needs to hear.
It is also worth noting the company he kept. The funeral prayer drew the former Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Dattijo; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tukur Bala Bodinga; the APC State Chairman, Haruna Adiya; members of the legislature; Commissioners; Special Advisers; Senior Special Assistants; and other political leaders and stakeholders.
Political rivalries, where they exist, tend to fall silent at a graveside. That the state’s leadership assembled at one family’s home speaks to a culture of communal responsibility in Sokoto that transcends the ordinary contests of politics.
Governor Aliyu did not create this culture, but he has plainly chosen to uphold it. Whether he is at a funeral prayer, a condolence visit or the bedside of the sick, his conduct sends a consistent message to the people he serves. Their joys are his joys, and their sorrows are his sorrows. He does not treat the Government House as a fortress from which to govern at arm’s length. He treats it as a home that stays open to the community around it.
There is a practical value in this as well. Trust is the currency of good governance. Citizens are more willing to support reforms, obey laws and take part in public life when they believe their leaders genuinely care about them.
That belief is not built by speeches alone. It is built in small, unrecorded moments, such as standing quietly at a funeral in Mabera on a Monday, and it accumulates over time into confidence.
Our politics would be healthier if more leaders took this lesson to heart. Office confers authority, but it is compassion that earns affection. A governor who mourns with his people will more readily understand their burdens when he sits down to make decisions on their behalf.
To Alhaji Isah Saddiq Achida and his family, the thoughts of the state are with you. May Allah forgive Abubakar Isah Saddiq Achida, accept his good deeds, admit him into Aljannah Firdaus, and give his widow, his child and his loved ones the strength to bear this loss.
To Governor Aliyu, the people of Sokoto State say, your presence at their lowest moments has not gone unnoticed.
Leadership is not only about what is built while the sun shines. It is also about who stands beside the people when the night comes. On that score, the Governor has once again shown up.
Lawal Jet Kaugama, a commentator on national issues, writes from Kano. He can be reached on [email protected]