For My Dad, Christopher Abu Salami (1930 – 2017)

By Niyi Salami

A few paragraphs of prose-in-tribute will not exhaustively capture the life and times of my late father, Christopher Abu Salami, but it will at least highlight what enviable life of selfless, unsung service this great man lived. He was my father, my hero, my friend!

My father, Christopher Abu Salami, a.k.a. Teacher (Tisha in local pronunciation), C.A., and Baba C.A., Daddy C.A., Baba Rere and a lot more others, started out and remained a thoroughbred Classroom Teacher. His profession was absolutely ingrained in him so much so that it permeated his comportment, conduct and carriage all through his lifetime.

Baba, as I have always known and called him, was a man whose life sat on a tripod, each of the legs being Service to his family, Service to Community and Service to God.

He was a true family man, always willing to assist every member of the family to achieve their set goals. He was a great father, a mentor to us all. Family values were very high on his priority list. I remember once in the 80’s, when he secured a Federal Scholarship for further studies abroad but had to decline the offer when he failed to get a complementary Pay Leave from his employer, which he hoped would support his family while away. He said then that going abroad and leaving his family in hardship back home was just not an option for him. Baba was that selfless.  He would atimes even own the concerns at hand more passionately than the family member directly involved. Luckily for us, he lived long and it never ceased to amaze me how he was so willingly prepared to intervene in the issues and concerns of each one of his children and even grand-children! For us, Baba was influential, not affluent. He could not at any time in his lifetime be honestly described as rich but his riches laid in his goodwill for others, even outside his family. Don’t get me wrong, Baba was not averse to affluence but he did not touch cut-throat pursuit of wealth. It was not just his way. He simply preferred modesty, and so, I was not surprised when he instructed us on a modest burial ceremony whenever the Almighty God called home. I am so proud that he was there for us, all the way, till he breathes his last.

His service to his Community was equally profound. He was an active member of Iyamoye-Ijumu Development Union in Zaria and in all other towns he resided. He was passionate about bringing development to Iyamoye through communal self-help efforts, and indeed, through sensitizing and pressurising the various levels of Government for Iyamoye’s deserved share of infrastructure and amenities. Modest achievements were made by him in this direction alongside his fellow kinsmen who made up the Union. In 1982, he was given the responsibility to Chair the Development Union’s special committee charged with the establishment of a Community Secondary School. He carried out this responsibility creditably and by 1983, approval had been secured for take-off of the school. It is gratifying to note that Community Secondary School, Iyamoye is still standing and running till this day. It was around the same period too, that my father was honoured with the Chieftaincy title of Oluseyi of Ijumuland by the then Olujumu of Ijumuland, in recognition of his service to Ijumu community as a whole, and for his efforts towards making our society a better place for all. Baba had also received several awards and accolades from different Associations and Organisations (even until very recently) for enviable community service and mentoring.

My father’s service to God through church activities was phenomenal. His dedication to the activities and growth of his church, Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), whilst in service and even in retirement earned him a lot of commendation. He was an Elder in the church for as long as I can recall, back in ECWA Yoruba Section then in Zaria. On retiring home, he gave ECWA its presence in Iyamoye. Nothing was too much to be committed to the growth of the church as far as he was concerned. My father saw to the spiritual as well as welfare needs of members without complaining. The Reverend gentleman pastoring the church at Iyamoye did not hide how much Baba will be missed few days ago at his interment ceremony.

In all, Baba was a good, law-abiding private citizen. He was never involved in any misdemeanor or any unwholesome act under the law. He was fair to his students, and indeed, everyone else. In fact, his life was pretty much like his teaching notes – purposeful, methodical and organized, all geared towards a determined end. Just like my sister Yemi and I often jokingly remarked, Baba’s life was like an open book, easy to read and understand!

His principles in life were dictated by his Christian faith, believing very strongly in the importance of surrendering totally to the will of God to His glory. I have heard him consistently ask God in prayers to teach us to accept His will, even if the results before us were not what we hoped for. This belief made it easy for him to be thankful in all situations as adherents of his faith are enjoined to. 

Baba’s extended family was very diverse in terms of faith and adherence and this also made him a visible participant in the activities and festivities of other faiths, drawing strength rather than division from the diversities in the various belief systems.

–Niyi Salami (niyisal@yahoo.com) wrote this tribute from Abuja