The very sad news of the passing of our Immediate Past President, Commander – In-Chief of the the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR was received by the members of the family of the late Mallam (Dr.) Abdurrahman Mora (1916-1997) our late father with sadness but acceptance of the the will of Almighty Allah (SwT).. This tribute is from the account of our late father and elder brother, the late Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Mora (1940 – 2001) who was a personal friend of the late President Buhari. With our late father, President Muhammadu Buhari regarded Mallam ( Mallam Abdurrahman Mora) as his father.
Major General Muhammadu Buhari took over as the Military Head of State on 31st December, 1983. He eventually posted Group Capt. Usman Mu’azu of blessed memory as the Military Governor of old Kaduna State (present Kaduna and Katsina States). That posting was significant and was a testimony of the cordial relationship and bond between the new Head of State and the new Military Governor, the former being from Daura, within Kaduna State. IT was deep rooted trust between two friends, the Head of State in the Nigerian Army(NA) and from Kaduna State and the Military Governor from the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) also an indigene of Kaduna State.
It was sometimes in 1984 that the Military Governor, Group Capt Mu’azu invited three Distinguished Nigerians to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the seat of the Kaduna State Government to a Dinner. They were the late Mallam Yahaya Gusau and the late Mallam Ahmed Talib, both living in Kaduna and the third one, our late father, Mall Abdurrahman Mora who was in his house in Zaria. The three of them have been schoolmates since their days in Katsina College, Katsina (now Barewa College, Zaria) in the late 20s and early 30s.and were good friends. I recalled accompanying our father in his car from Zaria. I was doing my Masters degree in ABU Zaria at that time. Of course I stayed with our family driver outside until the Dinner was over and we drove back to Zaria while Mall Yahaya Gusau and Mallam Ahmed Talib returned to their houses in Kaduna. It was on our way back to Zaria in the night that Mallam told me the purpose of the Dinner. The Military Governor was instructed to invite the three friends by Head of State Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari. The message was clear:should the Military Administrator finds himself with any challenge in governing the State, he should consult any or all of the three and whatever advice anyone of them or collectively give to him, he should proceed to implement!
Later in 1984, Mallam was appointed to the position of the Chairman of the Governing Council of College of Advanced Studies(CAS), Zaria(present Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria) and served for a single term till 1987.
In 1985,the Head of State, Maj. General Buhari appointed his close friend, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Mora (1940 – 2001), the eldest son of Mallam (Dr.) Abdurrahman Mora as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos. The late Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Mora and Mall. Mamman Daura, a nephew of Head of State Maj. Gen Buhari were students in the early 60s in the UK and were very close friends. The three of them, Maj. Gen Buhari, Mall Mamman Daura and Alhaji Inuwa Mora and others became very close friends until Alhaji Inuwa passed on in Zaria in April, 200l.Even when Hajiya Aminatu Dikko, the mother of the late Alhaji Inuwa died aged 92 in 2016 in Zaria, Mall Mamman Daura, Dr. Mahmud Tukur and Alh. Aliko Mohammed, as other members of their circle came to our house in Zaria for the burial. I recalled Mall Abdulfatah consoling me ‘… President Buhari said I should extend his condolences to you all,,’
In 1997, when I was the Managing Director and CEO of the Kaduna State – owned Zaria Pharmaceutical Company(ZPC) Ltd(manufacturers of ZARINJECT disposal syringes and needles) in the Dakace Industrial layout, I invited Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) in his capacity as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund(PTF) to visit the facility through the then Military Administrator of Kaduna State, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali. Dr. Mohammed Dada(MD) Ibrahim ,a friend and classmate of my elder brother, Dr. Muhammad Saifuddeen Mora played key role as well in getting the Chairman of the PTF, Maj. Gen Buhari to visit the disposable syringes plant which has a capacity of producing 135 million pieces of 2ml,5ml and 10ml disposable syringes and the largest in West Africa at that time. Chairman Maj. Gen Buhari was very impressed and gave the company more orders to produce disposable syringes for the very many healthcare provider facilities benefiting from the Fund and we executed the orders 100 per cent. Indeed I was reliably informed later ZPC was the only Pharmaceutical products manufacturing facility that the Chairman accepted to visit again the personality of the Military Administrator, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali helped as well. That was in May, 1997.
In March of 2019,His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari appointed me as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN). The PCN is a Parastatal of the Federal Government under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and saddled with the responsibility of regulating and controlling pharmacy education and training as well as practice in all aspects and ramifications in Nigeria among other functions. I was earlier appointed through the examination and interview process as the Registrar and CEO of the same PCN and served for two(2)terms totalling eight (8)years from October, 2003 to January, 2012.Though there was a fourteen (14)months delay before the Governing Council was inaugurated, I was nevertheless eventually inaugurated the following year in June, 2020 and served for three (3)years till June, 2023 when the new administration dissolved all Boards and Councils of Parastatals of the Federal Government including the PCN. Thus I became the only Nigerian Pharmacist in the 97 year history of regulating the education and practice of the Pharmacy professsion to have served as the Registrar and CEO of the PCN appointed through the examination and interview process and to later be appointment politically as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the same history.
In May of 2023,President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the National Honour of the ‘Officer of the Order of the Niger(OON) on me along with many distinguished Nigerians. Indeed I was the only pharmacist honoured with a National honour in 2023.
My professional colleague and very good friend, Pharm. Sam Nda Isaiah of blessed memory was given a posthumous National Honour as well.
The family of the late Mallam (Dr.) Abdurrahman Mora (1916-1997) will surely miss the late President Muhammadu Buhari for his wise counselling to the family members, support and being there for us all along.
May Allah (SwT) overlook his shortcomings, reward his many good deeds and reward him with a special place in ‘Aljannah Firdausi’, amin. May Allah (SwT) grant us the fortitude of bearing the irreparable loss of one of the finest persons Nigeria has produced. ‘Allah Ya jikan Marigayi President Muhammadu Buhari da Rahama, ameen.
– Prof Ahmed Tijjani Mora, OON, mni(K’ayayen Sarkin Musulmi) a member of the late Mallam (Dr.) Abdurrahman Mora family writes from Kaduna
