Today, 10th October 2023, is a special day for Justice Suleiman Galadima who clocks 77 years. No doubt, a day like this calls for celebration because of the numerous impacts the erudite jurist had made in the lives of many.
Expectedly, family, friends and the numerous well-wishers will put on their proverbial dancing shoes to merry and join the jurist in cutting his birthday cake. Indeed, the drums will be rolled out with fanfare in celebration and to most importantly, thank God for the life of a father, a mentor, a community leader and an epitome of peace and humility.
For me it is so difficult writing few things about our daddy Justice considering the fact that I have been privileged to have a very fruitful relationship that spanned over 42 years, with him. How can one, in this short piece, give a detailed account of a relationship that started in 1981 and has metamorphosed into a father-son relationship?
I recall now, as I always do, that on a day and date I cannot precisely remember but it was the second week of December, 1981, Alhassan Zubairu, Musa Adamu and yours sincerely had just left Government Secondary School Langtang and are heading to our villages at Toto LG of present day Nasarawa state, for the Christmas holiday. We got to Jos and arrived at Terminus, precisely near Modern Bookshop, and were waiting for a lorry that will convey us to Toto, when suddenly a man came with a Mercedes-Benz, looking at us battling the stubborn cold of the Tin-city, said “those of you going to Toto should come and join me”. The man turned out to be Justice Galadima who eventually rose to the pinnacle of his career by serving and retiring at the Apex court.
Indeed, those words were all we needed and without hesitation, we rushed and occupied the back seats of the car. Off we left Jos. We made a stop-over at Hawan-Kibo, where daddy Justice, as we fondly call him, bought fried potatoes and chicken for us to eat and we ate to our satisfaction. As the journey progresses, Musa Adamu, Alhassan Zubairu and yours sincerely spoke Egbura dialect all through. Though am of the Bassa ethnic extraction, I speak Egbura fluently because as a boy I grew up with my Egbura peer group, with whom we attended primary school together, play in the fields together and often go to the bush to cut grasses that our parents made granaries, go to farm together because we share farm boundaries, go to stream and practice how to swim among other village social engagements, based on this interactions, speaking Egbura for me became very easy and indeed it turned out to be my second well understood dialect aside my native Bassa.
The journey from Jos proceeded smoothly and when we got to my village, Gbokoro, at kilometer 7 along Toto-Umaisha Road I told daddy Justice in Egbura dialect “Mba chi tizane” (Meaning, I will drop here). He was surprised thinking am Egbura boy also going to his village (Sofiyo) with him. He stopped and when I dropped, he advised me to always be a good boy and study well in school, he then handed me his green complimentary card and said “when you finished your school at a higher level, come I will give you a job”.
Indeed, this journey from Jos to Toto and eventually my village marked the beginning of my closeness with Daddy, Justice Galadima whose wise counsel and other support, I, like many others, will live to cherish till eternity.
With the relationship built, it became very easy for me to frequently visit Daddy’s residence. I recalled that after my marriage, I took my wife to him for his fatherly blessings, he so blessed us and by the grace of God the family has remain blessed.
I recall that when Nasarawa State was created in 1996, he became the first chief Judge of the State he called on me to pick a form from the state civil service for employment into the State Civil Service which I did while the process was on, his elevation to Court of Appeal was announced and the plan was shattered.
Exciting moments with Daddy Justice
Some years back during a fasting period, I visited him at his country home in Sofiyo, after spending times with him, I was ready to return to my village but Daddy Justice said I should stay and break the fast with him. Of course I reminded him that I am not fasting and his reply was it does not matter.
When it was time for breaking the fast, he entered the Kitchen and brought fried cake (Akara) in a tray as he was going round serving his guests, I moved forward to take over the sharing but “the old man” refused saying “Matthew go and sit down” I was embarrassed but it humbled me to see in him such a role model of chief servant from the Judge of the apex court of the land.
Indeed, Justice Galadima is humility personified and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar captured it succinctly when he described daddy Justice as “a true lover of the human family” adding “Men like Justice Galadima appear once in a generation and his achievements are even more meaningful when you juxtapose them with his humility. Everybody that knows his lordship knows that he is quite a humble person”.
During his 73 birthday in 2019, I requested for a media chat with him but he declined, and instead, took me to his library for a private discussion. After our discussion, he brought a pamphlet from his book shelf titled: “Songs that we sang and Poems that we recited” Qua Iboe Mission Primary School Shafa- Abakpa (1940-1981) and sang one of the songs taught him by the 2nd Head-Master of the School in 1953, Mr E.E Hogan.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart. Be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord. My God is my redeemer”.
On Monday 10th October, 2016 a valedictory session was held in his honor at the Supreme Court Complex, Abuja. As should be expected, it attracted people from all walks of life but I was not in attendance. Daddy Justice noticed my absence at the occasion and after three days of the event he called and rebuked me.
The following day I set for Abuja and on reaching his residence was told he travelled. Of course, I put a call to him and he told me he was in Lagos but I should wait and be served breakfast. I had rich breakfast of ‘masa’ and fresh fish.
Why celebrate Daddy Justice?
It is worth celebrating daddy Justice at 77 because he is vanguard of peace. His role in maintaining peace in Toto Local government of Nasarawa State is exemplary. When the peace of Toto was shaken to its foundation, daddy Justice went round the entire local government and preached peaceful co-existence.
He has also been very instrumental in giving voice to the voiceless. God is to be praised for sparing his life thus far knowing fully well that he has passed through a lot of dangers but the grace of God kept him safe.
Justice grew up in an agrarian community where people see each other brothers and this accounts for why he loves unconditionally. He attended Qua Iboe Mission Primary School Shafa- Abakpa, Senior Primary School Laminga, Katsina- Ala Provincial Secondary School, Government College Keffi and prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He rose through the ranks to the Supreme Court and retired in 2016 after spending 47 years in public service.
– Tukura is a journalist based in Lafia, Nasarawa state
