THE FALLEN HERO: Tribute to Maj.Gen AN Bamalli). The wise general looks at all the battle that matter & commits to the one he can win -Gen. AN Bamalli. Admire genius, but beware-when genius is around, everything is at risk...so goes the saying. What better way to start eulogising a man who has never known defeat or failure in his entire life. I stumbled upon a shared piece by Nazeeru N. Bamalli (the present Sarkin Fadan Gumel) & the 2nd son of Late Gen. AN Bamalli which was written by his brother Major Lasmar N Bamalli, the 1st son. I left a comment therein but after giving it a thought, decided to post it as a tribute on my wall, today being the 8th year since his untimely demise. How time flies? Gone are the days we visited him & sit in circle eating dinner on a roundtable. If not for his age & charisma, youll never know hes the head of the family, so simple, down-to-earth & humility personified. Indeed, he has positively touched the lives of everyone who knows or ever had contact with him...from Saraki to the lowest Dogari, Military Generals to common soldiers, University Dons to students, blood relatives to street paupers, all in his bid to cater for a struggling life out of its misery. While growing up, he was my role model. I remember the many times i met him. Reminiscing those memories has been evergreen in my heart. Every encounter with him was a teaching session of its own, gaining lawful knowledge at no expense. He always caution us; before you act, think about what effect your actions will have on others I remember vividly how i came to learn of his demise. It was one gloomy afternoon during our semester exams, when I was a student in ABU Zaria, my brother, a Lt.Col in the Artillery Corp called me & broke the painful news...unbeknownst to him, I was in the exam hall just before question papers were distributed, the news made me blank & had to struggle not to submit a blank answer sheet...& God in His infinite mercy made me scaled through. No author will write about gallantry & brilliancy in the Nigerian military without mentioning the great General, because not doing so, will only make his work incomplete. General Bamalli do not fear death because he believes to live in its fear is many times to die. His last ADC, Major Tijjani, a good friend of mine told me General Bamalli took him as a son & treats him as he would Major Lasmar, his own son. He advised him few days to his death & i quote; if you dont accept defeat, you cannot be defeated...Major TJ holds unto the words of wisdom till date & hes a success & a force to reckon with in the Infantry Corp. The Generals brilliance is something out of the ordinary, perhaps its a trait he inherited from his late father, which many believes is a Waliyy(Allahu Aalam). Whatever the case maybe, he excels in whatever capacity he finds himself. His story abounds as the only Captain to ever undertook a course in the midst of Majors...& at the end, he excelled as the overall best officer. The General left a legacy in University of Owerri, when as a Brigade Commander, with all his tight schedules, he enrolled as a Masters student. He did not only graduated as the overall best student but left an unparalleled record that no one matched in the previous decade. As the overall best officer while in War College, just before his appointment as the GOC 2 Div., he received the C-in-C award, the COAS award & the IG award(the topmost awards) in National War College, Abuja. A funny story circulates, that after receiving the 1st award, he came to where his mother was sitting & gave her the 1st award he received, the 2nd award goes to his 1st wife (Haj. Fatima) & the 3rd award to his 2nd wife...that was the typical nature & simplicity of the great General. General Bamalli act before he speaks & afterwards speaks according to his action. His vast knowledge did not in anyway make him arrogant. He was humble to the core, a quality he instills in his family, kith & kin. Atleast, I can see that in the personae of my friend & nephew; Lasmar & in the generous Sarkin Fada; Nazeeru (though, a traditional title holder, he carries all, none was neglected)...& ofcourse, the younger siblings never greeted me without their knees touching the ground. A very generous being. Altruistic in nature. Always trying to please to the detriment of inconveniencing himself. Its a well known fact that famous men have the whole world as their memorial. I learnt the military community in Ibadan after learning of his demise went into an explicit misery & mourning. Officers were shading uncontrollable tears, Barrack women were wailing, even the soldiers were crying openly while barrack children were lamenting; weve indeed lost a father! To his immediate family, Ill say you keep emulating & making him proud. In shaa Allah, the sky is your stepping stone. To his extended family; youve lost a rare gem & a true son of your parents. May you continue to bear the pain of losing him with Taqwa & Sabr & give all of you the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. May Allah Taala grant General Alhaji Nuhu Bamalli eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaws. Below is an excerpt of a tribute from one of my poems; THE FALLEN HERO Our mentor has fallen The ebullient General we all idolize In what country did he fall Did he make the sacrifice On land, at sea or in the sky? It was in the course of duty As he would have wished to go It was in the field of service That is all we need to know Rest in Jannatul Firdaws! ~AK Aminu. Writes from Malali, Kaduna. Sept., 17th 2014. 2:49pm.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:44:56 +0000