Senator Sani stated this when he surprisingly bankrolled a birthday party on Monday for the Kaduna State Correspondent of the Guardian newspaper, Mr. Saxone Akhaine who clocked 64 years of age.
There was eating and drinking by many journalists on the occasion at the State secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna Council.
Admitting a sense of guilt for ‘abandoning’ Mr. Akhaine after literally shooting him to the top ladder of his human rights activism and political career over the years, the former lawmaker while addressing guests at the birthday party said he failed to appreciate Mr. Akhaine.
Senator Sani said by appreciating Mr. Saxone with the token birthday party, he was also appreciating the profession of journalism and the contributions of other journalists in Kaduna and the country in general, adding, “I am indebted to you, Saxone, don’t lose hope”.
He advised that journalists should always endeavor to celebrate their own just as they are celebrating others in society.
This was even as Mr. Akhaine expressed gratitude to Senator Sani for the surprise birthday party.
Mr. Akhaine however, went on memory lane on his cordial relationship with Shehu Sani and Uba Sani, the current governor of Kaduna State, during their days of human rights activism, adding, “I am not happy that two of you are no longer together as it used to be because of political power”.
According to Senator Shehu Sani, “I was skeptical to say that I know Saxone Akhaine more than 30 years ago because I don’t want people to ask me, what have you done for him. This is because in social media you expect things to go right, and then they go left. I don’t want it to be like the case of Dele Momodu of Ovation magazine who posed on social media with a newspaper vendor whom he said he had known for over 40 years. And people started commenting, saying, and so what? What did you do for him? The 99 percent of the comments were direct attacks on Dele Momodu.
“So I had the fear of posting my photograph with Saxone. The fact that I am courageous in outspoken issues, I fear little things that can cause embarrassment. I had arranged my photo with Saxone and as I was about to click send, I withdrew my hand. We, I don’t want to say I, knew Saxone more than 30 years ago. He was posted to Kaduna in 1991. We came in contact with him at the peak of the annulment of June 12, 1993.
“We would climb bike to Saxone’s office with our press statement and the next day it was in the newspaper. After climbing down from his office we would buy puff-puff from a lady selling around there. Then we would take our bike and go. And he never asked us for a dime. We were very sure that the next day our press statement would be published. So any time I see him there is always that feeling of guilt that I should do more for him. Also, I occasionally deliberately avoid Alhaji Tajudeen Tijani Ajibade who had worked with my father in those days at the New Newspaper here in Kaduna because I ought to have appreciated him too.
“There is nobody, being minister, governor, and even President from northern Nigeria that has not benefited from the professionalism of Saxone Akhaine. Many of them who were ministers, and governors in the last 34 years would call him. Even former President Buhari would call him at that time. I know that 98 percent of these people don’t pick up a call. Recently I met a minister and I asked him; do you know Mr. Saxone of the Guardian newspaper? And he said, yes, I know him. And I said for how long have you known him? And he said for the past 30 years. Have you reached you to him? He said no. Look at life; so transient, you are somebody today, but tomorrow you are nobody because you are in and out of power.
“Some of you have been in journalism in Kaduna for a very long time, you have seen how people transit from nothingness to the peak of life because of your work of journalism.
The Buhari that you go to his house at Sultan road in Kaduna to collect press statements and many other people that you have made in life. There is nobody who has presided over the affairs of Kaduna State in the last 30 years that has not directly or indirectly benefitted from the works of Saxone.
“We need to face the reality of life. You are not just journalists, you are recorders of history because we are in an era where whatever you write will be there till eternity. There are times you would like to go back to get what happened in 1809, but you can’t get the records. But if you go to Google today, anything you put online will be there. I would say that Saxone has been so important in my life. Today we are known all over the place not because we were Senators but because of what you published about us. Many journalists have died in Kaduna. May their souls rest in peace.
“We have the culture of celebrating people only when they are dead. When they are alive we ignore them, when they are alive we don’t see the reason to appreciate them. When you are celebrating the dead he or she will not appreciate all your help for him or her.
As journalists you have been celebrating others in society, it is time you celebrate one of your own. By appreciating Saxone is also appreciating the profession of journalism and the contributions of all of you. I am indebted to you, Saxone, don’t lose hope”.
