By Katdapba Yunana Gobum
When the news of his death filtered on Thursday, January 23, 2025, many found it difficult to accept the reality; though it was a known fact that he had been down with ill health.
For a long period, those who knew his health condition had silently prayed for God’s intervention to keep him alive.
They have every reason to do so; and for good though. The more you knew and understood the late Sardaunan Plateau, you got acquainted that it was good to have him around.
Governor Caleb M Mutfwang’s announcement of his death; in my estimation did not take away anything from his family. Leaders of his status can only be celebrated by not limiting him to a particular location.
While he was alive, Lt Gen Jeremiah Timbut Useni was close and associated with people in numerous ways during his military career and as a private person.
Beyond the fact that he ‘represented the ideal value of a military officer that understood what it meant to be a people’s soldier’, his demise is liken to as ‘the fall of one of the tallest tree in the forest’.
He made time available to mix freely with the mass of the people. He had a wife who had a beautiful heart that freely synchronized with her husband’s to help people.
The outpour of emotions for the loss have been massive. It only shows the essence of the man in question, whose place in history since February 16, 1943 has not been lost.
For the right reasons, he has been popularly referred to as Baba Mai Tuwo (the man who freely gives or provides for all). Beyond that, his warmth towards those who visited his house, either at Langtang, Jos or Abuja was beyond the ordinary.
Two ‘affectionate’ monikers remained largely points of service to the various publics he served during his lifetime. Jerry Boy and Baba Mai Tuwo hung around his neck far more than any other. They remain points of reference to his magnanimity.
He remained one of the few who was aware that doing good to people was the only recipe needed to harvest any good in return.
No wonder, his popular refrain: ‘Do good, you see good’, is not lost in the journey of his life. Within the available space, it is difficult to begin to pick them one after another for mention. To adequately enumerate them is to reduce the essence of those contributions.
It is not out of place to say that the journey of the former Minister of Transport, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lt General Jeremiah Timbut Useni has many chapters. To get a clear picture of his person, one needs to understand those chapters.
The journey for him could have started when he joined the military at 14 at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria. One appointment followed after another in quick succession; it included being Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Army.
He shot to national prominence as soon as he became military governor of the defunct Bendel State in January 1984 until August 27, 1985.
He is indeed a ‘passionate patriot who dedicated much of his life to service’, and gave all to his country. But above all, as ‘a gentleman officer of extraordinary orientation’, he lived as ‘a total Nigerian without boundaries’.
His style of leadership was indeed ‘result-driven’ and even more, of his ‘ability to coordinate and inspire those around him’.
Those who were close to him say with certainty that his leadership style turned many ‘challenges into opportunities’ while he lived.
It is on record, according to Nigeria’s former president, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, that ‘due to his robust character and friendly, approachable demeanor’, General Useni built a coterie of ‘friends across Nigeria’, who without mincing words, saw that he was ‘very much at home with anyone he came across.’
Much more than that, General Useni uniquely had a calm mien, and Babangida recalled that ‘you would hardly see the anger of General Useni’.
Thus, in ‘his infectious laughter and easy going nature, left a lasting impression on all who encountered him’.
No wonder, ‘General Useni’s passing is being felt deeply across Nigeria, particularly among his family, friends, and those who worked with him throughout his illustrious career’.
During the reign of General Sani Abacha’s military junta from 1993 to 1998, the Langtang born Lt General who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was considered de facto Head of State. Their friendship can be traced as far back as in 1966.
He was the most influencial and highest serving army officer, so that during the passage of General Sani Abacha in 1998, he was expected to be named the next Head of State.
The ‘privilege’ of becoming the Head of State ‘was conceded to the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Abdulsalmi Abubakar’. Only those involved know what reasons were given for the action.
The death of the Head of State was allegedly shrouded in mystery. It was Useni who maintained that the maximum leader ‘died naturally’.
One colossal personal tragedy he went through was the death of his wife, Julie and his last son, Danjuma who were among those killed in the EAS plane crash that occurred on May 4, 2002, while traveling from Kano to Lagos.
The ‘personal tragedy’ having been put aside, ‘he also came under the very false suspicion of being in the know of how/why Abacha died because both of them were allegedly together in the couple of hours leading to Abacha’s death’.
When he ‘plunged head-on into politics’, he did so knowing it will be beneficial to him and those he represented. He was All Nigeria Peoples Party’s Deputy National Chairman, as well as leader and National Chairman of the defunct Democratic people’s Party (DPP).
In March 2015, he was elected a senator to represent Plateau South Senatorial district on the PDP platform. He was the party’s gubernatorial candidate in 2019, where he lost to Barr Simon Bako Lalong.
He played a crucial role as chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); indeed as the pioneer founding chairman of the BOT of the North Central People’s Forum and services offered to the Tarok Elders Forum.
Philanthropy and community development efforts did not depart from his home. While Mrs Julie Useni lived, she was passionate about God and taking care of the home front as there was none.
Many may recall her pet project: Daughters of Abraham Foundation, where young women were taken off the streets and given new lease of life. It must be stated, widows and other poor women have lost benefactors that placed their interests close to their hearts.
Beyond several businesses which he pioneered, the establishment of Tim Tali Transport and a university with the same name are allegedly in a quandary but need attention to them see the light of the day.
For all who received help in ft various forms from him, while he lived; they can only serve his memory well to remember to engage in doing good.
By the fact of the loss, the family knows what is good to be done to keep his memory incandescent.
