The Periscope Reporter
He could have conceived that what is not superficial about building is having not just a final resting place but having an expanded rather than compressed resting place, the honoured one would not turn kleptomaniac – a disorder affecting most of the elected and appointed – to divert public fund to personal projects like building houses in Maiha, Yola and/or Abuja.
The caretaker chairman, Maiha local government, northern senatorial district of Adamawa state, northeast Nigeria, Hon Abubakar Mustapha, popularly known as Habu, was metaphorically left with a house to make a beffiting home within three months.
In less than a month, the honoured of man of the moment who has the monarchical gene, is touching not only the lives of the aged and infants, the men and women but also the dead.
There have been complaints from different quarters about the public cemetery being full to capacity and that some of the bereaved were considering turning some parts of their compounds to a private family cemetery as a solution to space constraints at the public cemetery.
The challenge lingered till Honourable Habu’s appointment as caretaker chairman.
What needed to be done was to have the public cemetery expanded; achieving this would require compensating the landowners around the cemetery.
Considering that the cemetery would eventually turn out to be a final resting home or hell – depending upon one’s deeds – for every living soul that must taste death, Honourable Habu with council members resolved that the dead must be respected, the landowners should be engaged, to be compensated to have the cemetery expanded.
The sum of three million, three hundred thousand naira was agreed upon as compensation fee. It was the amount of money Hon Habu approved for the landowners to acquire the land around the cemetery after the payment of January salary.
Encomiums continued to trail Hon Habu with council members for the effort the community leaders considered only the faithful with big morally sound and religiously pious, rather than hard ruinous heart would be engaged in.
“Having Hon Habu is a blessing to and in Maiha. Our chairman honours even the dead. He promptly answers the community calls to have the public cemetery expanded. Compensation of land has already been made.
“May Allah SWT continue to bless him and his council, guide and guard them to succeed in the assigned responsibility.
“Hon Habu like every cherished son who would not be distracted by influence and affluence, power and authority, has always been with us since swearing in. He has not taken the luxury of living a flamboyant life in the city miles away from the local government headquarters.
“The Honourable is taking his time visiting hamlets, villages and districts of Maiha local government for the necessary needs assessment. This is indeed settings a goal, playing the pacesetter,” the community elders would recommend a commendation while commenting.