By GBEMIGA OGUNLEYE
His name is Suleiman Shehu Adua.
In Islamic history, I am told Suleiman was a prophet and one so uncommonly endowed with riches and accompanied with spiritual powers. I am not sure that this Suleiman is endowed with riches yet, but I can confirm that Almighty Allah has his back always because he prays regularly.
You only need to see his forehead to confirm this.
His name, Shehu, is a title used to rever dignitaries in the glorious past but has since been adopted as a regular name.
I met Suleiman Shehu Adua in 1986.
I had just been transferred to a village school in Kwara State, a Muslim secondary school.
Like me, he was a young man, handsome, bubbling and full of life.
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He was teaching Arabic and Islamic Religious Knowledge while I had the unenviable task of teaching English Language and Literature-in-English.
Because we shared the same staff room, it was inevitable that we became friends. We also both enjoyed playing football and volleyball.
Only the principal and I had university degrees.
As a result of that, I often doubled as the vice principal. In that regard, I had access to the academic records of all staff.
One day, I was going through the records and discovered that the qualification that qualified my friend for his job was a certificate in Arabic obtained from the ABU.
As soon as he and I were alone, I charged at him: “I saw your funny certificate. Do you know that in three years’ time, any of these, our students armed with an NCE certificate can be posted to this school and become your boss. Wake up, man!”
If my memory serves me right, my salary then was less than N400.
I gave him some money and asked him to go and purchase the GCE A/Level.
As they say, the rest is history.
A few weeks ago, the Kwara State University announced Suleiman Shehu Adua, my good friend, as one of its latest professors.
He has lived up to his name, Shehu. And I daresay, riches will soon follow!
Why won’t I rejoice!
