By Emmanuel Bello
Taraba state governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, like every one of us in Wukari back then, grew up under the shadows of the mythical image of the unsmiling General TY Danjuma. The talk then was that Danjuma was the hard-boiled soldier who laughed only once in a year. None of us imagined our paths will ever cross in the most historic manners as it is playing out today.
But unlike us, his childhood friends, the young Kefas knew the military was going to be his best choice. Was he inspired by the heroic tales of the gallant general, or was it his own personal love for the stoicism of the military? I have never asked him. But growing up back then, Dr. Kefas was already showing signs of a regimented minded person. He commanded our attention with his leadership qualities and his personal discipline. Like Gen Danjuma, the young Kefas was soft-spoken and measured in his ways. He was not a talkative and preferred anonymity.
Meanwhile, Kefas was also not a stranger to the military. His famous elder brother, the late Air Vice Marshall Ibrahim Kefas, had introduced us to the glamour and attraction of the uniform. I remembered as kids how we admired his cute looks and the fitting uniform whenever he was home. The young Kefas must have been influenced by all of these.
Fast forward to the present, and we see a retired Colonel Kefas who had demonstrated gallantry and professionalism in his brilliant military career. Kefas exhibited the same qualities as our childhood hero, General Danjuma. Those qualities include the ability to talk straight, courage, exemplary leadership, and the fearlessness in confronting issues.
That was why I was cock sure the amiable General TY Danjuma will back his protege, Kefas in the build up to the 2015 elections. Taraba state was then caught in the Web of political crisis. An ambitious deputy was hell-bent on dislodging his ailing boss. Some of us went into the trenches to stop that and earned the moniker of cabal. The battle tested General Danjuma was monitoring the outlay of the next chapter of the state from his den. The Cabal had to rally round a candidate that will deliver. Dr. kefas was also in the race. I was hoping espirit the corp would dictate the General’s choice of who to endorse. But beyond camaraderie, even in those 2013/2014 years, Kefas was already a bonafide governorship material, having done a lot on the national stage with his effort at amnesty for Niger Delta militants. On a personal level, his acts of philanthropy resembled that of the famed general too. He was equally disciplined, dependable and wise above his years.
Eventually, these were the qualities, I believe, that caught the trained eyes of General Danjuma. He had carefully examined the young man who did not kick or murmured even when he was not endorsed. General Danjuma must have seen a little of himself in the transparent and tough ex soldier called Kefas.
The General was further encouraged, more so, by the diligence Kefas showed in some of the assignments that brought them together at the North East Development Commission and other missions. Those leadership qualities were further tested when Dr. Kefas became the Taraba state chairman of PDP.
It was not hard, after all of these, for Dr. Agbu Kefas to enjoy the trust and love of General Danjuma. It was a match made in heaven. Today, the bond has grown, and Kefas has more than proven that he earned the confidence reposed in him by our childhood hero – the famous warrior and the last man standing who turned 88 today. Happy birthday to a great leader of men, a man of vision, and a man who recognises the best of men.