By Abe Kolawole
“Being a good man is not who you are, it is what you do. Therefore, what you do, defines who you are”.
Gracing the Nigeria’s social and political milieu, there exist this one special personality whose potent influence cannot be overlooked, and whose larger than life image, obviously transcends the boundaries of Africa, making him a global citizen, is none other than the charming, suave, and modest businessman, Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu.
Who is Alhaji Nasiru Haladu, and why the smile on every lips at the mention of that name?
Alhaji Nasiru is a known businessman spanning over a decade now, with amazing philanthropistic nature, and burning desire to create enduring prosperity and social wealth.
He is a man that has climbed the ladder of Fame, wealth and glory through dedicated hardwork into improving himself and leaving an indelible mark everywhere he steps, by touching people’s lives positively.
Sir Nasir Haladu Danu is a man whose name many have heard of. A businessman who has been a big player in the Oil and Gas industry for well over twenty years and had managed to couple that with businesses in several other industries scattered around the place.
This is a man who has been refereed to as a leader and a generous man by many from several parts of the country. A man whose deeds I and many good citizens of Nigeria can very much attest to. A man who has called greatness into being, through achievements and lives he has touched, as he is indeed great, for his good deeds has been speaking and still continues to speaks volume.
Being the Chairman of Casiva Limited, a company based in Nigeria, he is also the Chairman, HLSI Security Systems and Technologies, a company owned by Israeli based Mitrelli Group and part of Mitrelli’s security branch.
After deepening in the financial market in Africa and abroad, he found an equally important niche: giving a voice of hope to millions by delving into the Health sector, thereby, founding the NHD Foundation (NGO) Nasiru Haladu Danu Medical Mission Foundation.
With his multiple busy engagements all around the world in different sect, it’s a fact that he never leaves any stone of improvement unturned.
You will agree with me that, a man of such pedigree and high caliber would have a great circle of friends that cuts across the big profile members in high societies, let alone being the Dan Amana Dutse of the Dutse Emirate in Jigawa State.
This is the case with Nasir Haladu Danu, a man that I have over the years come to see as a good man not just by what he is or what people claim he is, but by seeing for myself what he has done and is doing . Robert G. Ingersoll once said ; “ _A great man does not seek applause or place; he seeks for truth; he seeks the road to happiness, and what he ascertains, he gives to others”,_ this basically describes Sir Nasir Haladu Danu as he has proven time and again to be a man who seeks no applause or praise. He has stayed out of the light, not seeking any societal rewards for the things that he does, he has instead been standing for the truth and have always been “a torch in the darkness, a beacon in superstition’s night, an inspiration and a prophecy”.
In 2016, Danu’s company was awarded contract for the provision of pipeline security and maintenance services along Kaduna-Kano and Zaria-Gusau segments. It was learnt that rather than wait to be mobilized as many others used to do, the businessman mobilised equipment and staff to commence work and was at the locations for over a year before NNPC paid his company, and all the projects danu’s companies have handled both in the past and present were won purely on merit and within their capacities. Nasiru Haladu Danu Foundation also launched free medical outreach in Jigawa State that help many families.
Nevertheless, there is no good man without an enemy, and Sir Nasir is not an exception to this, for those that felt threatened by his good work, thinking that he might later be a political opposition to them have been trying to soil his good name, while most persons have often had great opinions about Sir Haladu Danu; Opinions about how much of a great philanthropist he is and so many people who have met and associated with Sir Haladu Danu have always compared him to one man, a gem that this country lost and one whose loss still stings our hearts; Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, whom a lot of knew simply as M.K.O Abiola. Abiola was a man whose effect was felt in all the corners of this country, a man who was referred to as detribalized, a leader who cared and led by example, putting first his people and the nation’s progress, all of these qualities I see in Sir Haladu Danu, an exemplary man whose effects are felt by people from all walks of life, a man who cares about the plight of the people, a man that I can personally refer to as detribalized which I consider the height of qualities especially in country like Nigeria with this much number of tribes , to be called detribalized is nothing short of being called a good man.
In the words of great Thomas Carlyle, _“No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men”,_ the history of Nigeria is nothing but the biographies of great men, men like M.K.O Abiola whose effects can still not be shaken off the nation, people’s comparison of Sir Haladu Danu to Abiola is true as I have attested to previously but it is true only to a point, at least for me. I have always held a strong opinion about how different Sir Haladu Danu is from Abiola, unlike Abiola, Sir Danu is a friend of all who absolutely has no intentions of running for a political office or posta and not intoxicated with political ambitions. He is a leader that has made all kinds of friends cutting across all of the political parties and all tribes an action that shows that he takes no sides and that he is not just a detribalized man but a true Nigerian. In the sense of laying down an exemplary for many across all religions and ethnicity to follow, he embraced all with open arms and is focusing solely on giving back to the society and helping the nation move forward without getting weary or tired.
It has always been surprising to me just how well Sir Haladu Danu is able to manage all of his friendships cutting across several different points, even clashing and opposing points. It is something that forms strongly my opinion about him and the kind of person that he is. He has always been just like John Maxwell once rightly said; an intentional person who adds value to others, a leader whose ability to keep out of the light surprises me even more, but didn’t Lao Tzu say “ _A leader is best when people barely know he exists?”_
A man who stays off the limelight has no need for rewards, he does good to be good, for like I had earlier quoted, to be good is in doing and not in being. I have met people from far and wide who have continually sang the praises of Sir Haladu Danu and it makes me realize everyday how much of a great philanthropist this man is and Patrick J. Ryan once had this to say about men like Sir Haladu Danu, “Philanthropy lies in the heart of human greatness,” without a shadow of doubt, Sir Haladu Danu is one human greatness, a fact that the rest of the country will sooner or later have to agree with.
Kolawole, former PRO National Association of Nigerian Students wrote this piece from Akure.
