Re-the Lion Behind The Mic: How Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu Is Shaping A New Era Of Northern Journalism

By Babayo Sule PhD

Fortunately, I stumbled across a fabulous article with the above title written by a certain Muhammad Ibrahim, PhD, from Qatar. It immediately got me thinking and awakened my unquenchable thirst to spit out what has been hiding behind the walls of my ribs for almost a decade. As a direct beneficiary, eyewitness and participant, as an involved party and, above all, as one of the actors behind the eulogies to the work, I felt the need to pick up where the author had decided to suspend his pen, not because he had exhausted his eloquent masterpiece, but perhaps to give others the opportunity to weigh in. Without mincing words, I have to admit that the author was fair and courageous with his contribution. What intrigues me, however, and challenges me to an even greater extent, is the fact that this outstanding recognition has escaped the direct beneficiaries, millions of whom are remotely affected by the intellectual hype surrounding Abdulkadir Aliyu’s enlightenment empowerment, even though we should be the ones who appreciate this gesture more than anyone else. Alas! Better late than never. Axim appeases our tardiness and nonchalant behaviour to the enormous benefits that come with the intellectual revolution, educational sojourn and journalistic explosion of Aliyu’s modern information dissemination and the power of truth in the post-truth era.

Muhammad Ibrahim PhD put it succinctly when he said that in an era of sensational journalism and compromise, the golden voice of Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu stands above the false and represents the bitter truth. That, he said, demands attention and respect. I cannot say more, but I can expand the position or at best imitate it. Having always been a guest, I often hesitate to answer some of the questions raised without caring about the consequences for myself, but I tremble at the consequences for an independent journalist. The truth is bitter, and it has become a burning flame for its owners. When the Prophet (SAW) says, “A time will come when the holders of truth will be like one who carries a burning fire in his hands”,” it is to be expected that our time is ripe enough for this paradox due to our blatant disregard for the truth, resentment towards those who tell the truth and the torture, both physical and psychological, that those who hold to the truth constantly suffer. But Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu is unfazed, unperturbed, undeterred and most importantly, he ignores who is offended when the truth is spoken. He has galvanised and motivated his guests and audience to expose the naked truth and bring it to the attention of even the dumbest. The powerful at local and national levels are not spared from the cacophony of truth streaming from his programme, nor are they immune from enjoying the truth to protect their rights from the symphony of melody of the voice streaming from the programmes he hosts.

As a royal son from a royal family, who should lay aside the trappings of power and proximity to the palace for the self-realisation of any son born with royal blood in his veins, and from the ancient and greatest trading city of Kano, where even the commoners don’t want to leave for a second and the powerful are always proud to stay, Abdulkadir understands the essence of renouncing the comfort zone and the need to follow in the footsteps of the Beloved Messenger (SAW) and emigrate to make a difference. As Programme Manager at Progress Radio FM, Gombe, he introduced several educational programmes that attracted an audience that was always connected and listening to the station, while at the same time the innovation of social media presence he encouraged attracted many to the radio station’s pages. Notwithstanding, he has continued to drive collaboration and research with various media houses, extending his role beyond the North East to the national level.

Muhammad (PhD) refers to the impact and influence of Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu’s magnum opus “Tumbin Giwa”, a current affairs programme that covers virtually all local, national and international issues in the areas of politics, economics, security, science and technology, globalisation, comparative and general knowledge. One of the most important additions I must add here to Muhammad’s contribution is the way Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu has been able to locate and connect with young talents, explore their potential and expose them to the global limelight of intellectual acumen in research and analysis. Many of them were previously armchair critics and analysts until he fished them out and put undue pressure on them to predict, scientifically analyse, research and project into the future with a remarkable degree of accuracy and amazement. Tumbin Giwa has grown beyond a radio programme and has left a legacy that conveys more than what advanced formal schools could not offer. Knowledge is imaginatively transmitted while cultivating, grouping and assembling a compendium of intellectual analysts from all walks of life, always ready and competing to be optimised to the maximum. While cultivating the intellectuals for his programmes, Shehu also succeeded in taking the audience from the cities to the villages and to all nooks and crannies of the North East and beyond. Tumbin Giwa imparted confidence, knowledge, information, openness and psychology to viewers in northern Nigeria and southern Nigeria and even in neighbouring West African countries to the extent that people now get their news and information domestically rather than from the international media. With this programme, Shehu has successfully bridged the gap between international and local media activities in northern Nigeria.

As Muhammad (PhD) rightly pointed out, one outstanding quality that can never be denied Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu is the passion and professionalism of his journalism. Regardless of his guest and the topic he is talking about, he is always humble and deferential to the guest. He makes sure that challenging and technical topics are made understandable for children and the uninformed. He always takes his programme so seriously that it is much harder to draw a thin line between topical educational programmes and entertainment programmes or political events and the euphemisms of unpleasant events. He is always balanced and neutral and knows how to elicit objectivity from his guests, regardless of their personal views and political affiliations.

With his dynamism, objectivity, neutrality, professionalism, influence and unrivalled desire to take modern journalism in Northern Nigeria to a digital level beyond the current tradition, mentorship at this crossroads is the much needed action from him, because the good people of Gombe State and the North East are fighting a losing battle to keep this stalwart giant of global journalism against the international media houses that will soon come knocking and he must bow to that because he has given his best and life goes on and on.

Babayo Sule PhD writes from the Department of Political and Administrative Studies, National University of Lesotho, South Africa.