My 83rd Birthday and the Kindred Spirit
By Bukar Usman, OON
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By the grace of God, I turned 83 on December 10, 2025. As usual out of respect for my tradition there was no elaborate celebration in my household. All I could recall on this day was that my spouse Dupe, as we stood in the kitchen at about 11.00am, excitedly recited ‘Happy birthday…’ followed by a lengthy prayer invoking God to bless me with good health and long life. Later the other members of the household Ruth and Victoria came separately, knelt down to greet and wish me happy birthday.
As the day unfolds, outside the household came Afeez Bello our plumber who brought a well-designed greetings card. That was followed by Abdulrazak Yusuf our carpenter who similarly brought a large decorated greetings card. He did not meet me in the house as I had gone out briefly to have a hair cut. Likewise, our television technician, Luka Yakubu, came. He too did not meet me. He presented a gift of a black package full of assorted souvenirs including a dairy, a tea cup, a fountain pen, a cufflink, a key holder, and a complementary card pack all on which were inscribed my name ‘Dr. Bukar.’
Nigeria’s former Amb. to Russia and Belarus and close family friend, Amb. AY Shehu, paid a courtesy call on me. To begin with, as he sat down, he said a lengthy prayer asking God to bless me with good health and long life to continue with the worthy things I had been doing. After his departure, came Gen. LP Ngubane, another family friend. He stayed with me for a while, gisting and discussing current events as usual. He expressed concern about an ongoing communal conflict taking place at his home place in Adamawa State, resulting in several loss of lives. He confessed that he only came to pay his usual homage and did not know that it was my birthday anniversary. He heartily congratulated me. Another family friend, Sanda Galadima, brought a bowl of ‘masa’ with fried chicken parts. I sincerely thanked them all.
In the course of the day, I continued to receive goodwill messages from individuals and corporate well-wishers by tributes, texts, emails and verbally. The messages were received from the following well-wishers with their places of residence indicated against their names. Mohammed Alkali – Damaturu, Japh Nwosu – Abuja, Adamu Mohammed – Kano, Memunat Alli-Owe – Lagos, Ladu C. Gali – Abuja, Amb. Abdullahi Y. Shehu – Abuja, Moyo Olanipekun – Ibadan, Olabode Moses – Kaduna, Fatima Ibrahim Abba Gana – Abuja, Dr. Adaobi Nwoye – Enugu, Justice George Nnamani – Enugu, Busuyi Onabolu – Lagos, Bala Ibrahim Mohammed – Biu, Denja Abdullahi – Abuja, Cecilia Dabo – Jos, Bashir Yahuza Malumfashi – Abuja, Chartered Institute of Directors – Lagos, Catherine Nwosu – Lagos, Africa Prudential Plc – Lagos, Mohammed Umar Midala – Biu, Damcida Umar – Biu, Regina Ogechukwu Nwangele – Ireland, Kemi Ayelabola – Ireland, Khalid Imam – Kano, Michael Ayivor – Zaria, Hafsat Abimbola Usman – Spain, Halimat Folake Usman – San Francisco, California, USA, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim – United States of America and Access Bank – Abuja.
The tributes comprise of a poem by Bashir Yahuza Malumfashi in Abuja and a write-up by Khalid Iman from Kano. About a week earlier, Tijjani Garga from Maiduguri, Borno State, had sent a tribute. My daughters Halimat from San Francisco, California, US, sent text message while Hafsat from Barcelona Spain sent an email both of them extending their wishes and prayers.
As I phoned to acknowledge some of the messages, I was greeted with further cheerful recital of ‘happy birthday…’ by Cecilia Dabo from Jos, Mrs. Catherine Nwosu and Memunat Alli-Owe from Lagos, and Dr. Adaobi Nwoye from Enugu.
At night, I went to the studio to take photographs. I was driven there by my spouse Dupe along with Ruth, our household member, and my daughter Hadizat with her one-year-old daughter (my granddaughter), Morayo. They all patiently waited on me to take the photographs. I took the opportunity to take a photograph with my granddaughter.
As we returned home and to round off the day, we had a meal of takeaway Chinese food we ordered for the day. After that, my spouse, Dupe came to me in our sitting room to hand over something neatly wrapped, saying it was her gift to me in celebration of my birthday anniversary. My daughter Zara was around. I asked her to help unwrap the gift. It was a piece of cloth meant to be sown as jumper. I thanked my spouse for the kind gesture.
Zara, who turned 13 this month, came back from boarding house earlier that evening. Remarkably, even before she alighted from her mummy’s car as she sighted me in the compound she said ‘happy birthday’ to which I retorted jokingly “won’t you first alight from the car!”
The goodwill messages continued the following day, coming from Rukayya S. Bayero in Abuja; Amb Segun Apata from Atlanta Georgia in the US, Sumaila Umaisha from Abuja; Hassana Ali from Abuja; Joseph Adonoo from Lagos. Rev. Samuel Osivwemu sent a gift of ram. More messages were received on the third day from Salamatu Sule and Prof. Razinat T. Mohammed both from Abuja. A further goodwill message was received from Funmilayo Theresa Akinwande from Ibadan on December 13, 2025 followed by Deborah C. Uzoma from Owerri the following day that also recorded the visit of the delegation of Bura Women Development Association (BUWDA) that presented a roll-up banner.
Well, this, in brief, is my account of the commemoration of my 83rd birthday anniversary celebration with gratitude to God for all His blessings. It is full of gratitude and great pleasure that I reproduce the messages of goodwill and tributes below.
Of course, the day didn’t end without profuse goodwill messages pouring in from all over the globe. Here’re what I got from friend, family and associates: “Birthday wishes. Good morning, Mr. President Sir. As we celebrate your birthday, I give thanks to God for placing you in my life. May your day be filled with joy, reflection, and hope for the year ahead, and may God continue to bless you and watch over you all the days of your life Sir. Best regards,” wrote Mohammed Alkali, to mention a few names.
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Dr. Bukar Usman, former Permanent Secretary in the Presidency, current President of Nigerian Folklore Society celebrated his birthday on 10-12-2025 in Abuja.
