The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, was in her
elements that day. She was in the state to
inspect what Dr, Mrs Hauwa Suntai had achieved
with women. The governor, Pharmacist Danbaba
Suntai, followed the madams to the Jolly Nyame
Stadium, venue of an exhibition mounted by the
Women for Change. It was in 2011. When the
ever boisterous Mrs Jonathan climbed the
rostrum, she started with her trade mark
observation of the protocols. Starting with the big
man, she bellowed out: "His Excellency, the
executive governor of this great state, Alhaji
Danbaba Suntai." I ran to the MC to tell him that
Suntai was not an Alhaji. Too late. The First Lady
maintained her position and kept referring to
Suntai as an Alhaji. Later, I was told she didn't
know the late governor was a Christian.
But then how many people outside Taraba knew?
After Suntai's crash, I went round some Lagos
based editors to explain the matters reigning at
the time. Not a few of my "learned colleagues"
asked me if Suntai was a Muslim. I just smiled. I
understood the mixup. Or was it even a mix up?
What with a name like that: Danbaba Danfulani
Suntai? And the middle name is not just a name.
He actually looked Fulani: rail thin, light
complexioned and thinly voiced. Then he's from
Bali local government, generally viewed as the
bastion of Islamic learning in the state. His lovely
wife too is the fair skinned Mrs Hauwa Suntai - a
hijab wearing, Koranic recitation competition
winner and devout Muslim from Maiduguri, Borno
state.
But beyond his name and family, Suntai was
certainly at home with Muslims as many Taraba
people are because we grew up with both faiths.
In his early years, Suntai was said to be the
dashing politician from Taraba who found home
in Yola, Adamawa state. He went to ABU Zaria.
So he's friends with many Muslims. His main
man was late Kasimu, the traditional ruler of
Garba Chede on the outskirts of Bali. Aminu
Babale is probably the only one who enters
Suntai's bedroom as SA Domestic.
It is as governor that his credentials as friend of
Muslims came to the fore. He however had to
balance his act now that he was in charge. So,
the first symbolic act was to commission the
construction of both the Christian and Muslim
center in downtown Jalingo. The twin imposing
structures in the state capital summarized Suntai
balancing act in a state where religion was a
touchy subject. Today, both centers are providing
the necessary support for both faiths in terms of
recreation, ancillary services and other secretarial
supports. They stand as the enduring testimonies
to his main philosophy in the area of religious
harmony. His gospel was simple: all religions are
equal. Let me quote him: "I'm a Christian because
I was born one. If God wanted me to be a Muslim,
he could have made it so. And if God wanted all
mankind to be of one faith, he could still pull it
off. But by her ensuring we all came with different
faiths, it shows that he acknowledges and
supports our differences in faith. So no one should
feel superior to another. If the Almighty wanted
all mankind to be one faith, one tribe or any
status, he could have done it. But we came like
this to showcase that He is above all of us."
That was the Suntai's gospel of religious
harmony. It is its only chapter and verse. And he
pursued this with zeal. Pilgrimages were done
with equal fundings. CAN and the Muslim Council
received equal attention. Suntai was the ultimate
polygamist with his two wives (the two faiths)
whom he treated with equal decorum, respect and
devotion. These certainly reduced the tension,
enhanced harmony and helped inter faith
relationship.
All of these did not distract him from his
commitment to his own personal beliefs. A born
again Christian, Suntai demanded that staff of
Government House, Jalingo, pray three times each
day at the chapel. The daily prayers ( I was
always skipping some days, by the way!) became
the fulcrum of life in Government House. So while
Muslim faithful trooped outside the gate to the
imposing mosque there, the chapel also comes
alive. Attendance for Christian staffers was
almost mandatory. The governor himself hardly
misses a session. His days starts from there and
ends at evening by four. The service itself was a
gruelling half an hour affair each day filled with
prayers, singing and preaching. Suntai once came
to church that was already filled up. Some
worshippers left their seats to make way for the
number one citizen. Trust Suntai. He ignored
them, went to the front and sat on the platform's
floor. Even the chaplain was momentarily
disconcerted by the move but Suntai nodded that
he could go ahead. Vintage Danbaba. There was
indeed a