A Meeting with the General

I met the highly decorated and accomplished General Lawrence Ngubane today. Our meeting was not accidental. I had gone to Voti (the palace of the Hama Bachama) to pay my respects to the Hama, His Royal Majesty Homun Stephen Honest Irmiya, Kwire Mana, Kpafrato 2, and to specially invite him as a royal father to my book launch and public presentation. In his characteristic head-on approach to issues, he asked me where I intended using as venue. I mentioned the assembly hall of GSS Numan. He immediately replied that he knows a better place, a modern facility, we could use. He added that General Ngubane is putting finishing touches to an ultra-modern events center he is building and he is sure it will be ready before the proposed date. The Hama picked up his phone and called the good General, informing him about my event, telling him that I will come to see him right away. Off I went to see the General.

The General, dressed simply in Jeans trousers and a sweat shirt, received me and my Kinsman, Dijango – who guided me there – in the building site. I was highly impressed by what I saw; a spacious structure with a high seating capacity, state-of-the-art fittings, twin terraces, toilet facilities, outdoor landscaped space for outdoor functions, and an adjoining guest chalets and a diagnostics center a stone’s throw across the road. The General talked about the reasons behind this great investment here in Numan. He said he is driven by a desire to give back to the community and promote the welfare of the people and not financial gain. Let it be said that Numan also hosts world-class facilities. He added that if monetary gain was the reason for building such facilities, he would not have built in Numan. Lagos, or Abuja, or any of those big cities would make more economic sense. I conceded he had a point there.

He was happy about the two books (Numan My Numan and All For Love) I was planning to launch in Numan. I gave him autographed complementary copies and we exchanged contacts. Then we began to talk about the state of things in Bwara, especially the nonchalant and disrespectful attitude of our youth. He lamented how lazy and unambitious our youth have become. There are exceptions of course, but a majority of our youth are not willing to push for a profitable life and prosperous future by working hard for success, preferring rather to be spoon-fed by their well-to-do uncles and aunties who, ironically, worked their butts off to be where they are today! He then narrated how things were when he was growing up.

General Ngubane mentioned how, as a young man growing up in Kaduna, he will pound grain, carry it on his head from Police Barracks all the way to Katsina road to grind it and carry it back home. Then he will fetch water and fill all the pots in the house before taking bath and walking the distance from the Police Barracks to the Kaduna Stadium where he attended school. He did that week in and week out! That did not stop him from becoming a great person and a famous Nigerian Army General. As a matter of fact, work made him a better person and opened the doors to success in life.

Work does not kill. It never has and never will. It is laziness that kills; it kills potential and talent, imprisoning enterprise and initiative. No matter how talented and gifted or connected you are, you will die unaccomplished if you are lazy. Hard work and commitment promotes; it liberates potential and talent, conferring accomplishment and attainment. If you work committedly on your potential and talents, you will gradually rise to success and be celebrated. You need not be afraid of failure and obscurity if you are a smart and hard worker. You will make it big time in this life. The Good Book agrees:

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” – Proverbs 22:29.

This is the way to go. Our youth must imbibe and cultivate the profitable habits of commitment and purposeful work. That is the only way they can secure a great and profitable future for themselves and our land.