Kogi, Nigeria
Your Excellency,
There are moments in the life of a people when silence becomes betrayal, when forgetting those who gave us our sense of unity and direction becomes an injustice too heavy for history to bear. One such name that our conscience must never let fade is that of Senator Ahmed Tijani Ahmed (A.T. Ahmed), a man whose spirit still echoes in the valleys and hills of Kogi State, and whose sacrifices helped forge peace, identity, and hope for the Ebira nation and for Kogi State at large.
Long before political titles were bestowed, A.T. Ahmed was already a leader, not by position, but by purpose. When the Ebira nation was fragmented by political rivalries and social divisions, he rose with uncommon courage to call his people to the table of reconciliation. He preached unity where bitterness reigned, and harmony where mistrust had taken root. His name became synonymous with the harmonisation of the Ebira people, a feat that restored our collective dignity and gave our voice coherence in the emerging story of Kogi State.
He understood that a divided people cannot prosper, and so he gave his time, his intellect, and ultimately his peace to ensure that the Ebira nation spoke with one voice, not for dominance, but for partnership, inclusion, and fairness within the wider Kogi family. In uniting his own people, he helped stabilize an entire state. That is the mark of a true statesman.
As Senator of the Federal Republic from 1999 to 2003, A.T. Ahmed took this same spirit of unity to the national stage. He served with conviction during Nigeria’s delicate rebirth into democracy, always standing for equity and justice. He was bold but compassionate, firm but fair. His politics were not driven by greed or ego but by a burning desire to see Kogi rise, united, prosperous and respected.
Yes, he lived in turbulent times. He fought battles that most would have run from. But he did so for the soul of a people, for the Ebira child who deserved a future, for the Kogi youth who needed a voice, and for a Nigeria that needed leaders of principle. Even when misunderstood, he stood his ground, guided by a conscience that saw beyond tribe and tenure.
It is time to immortalize Senator Ahmed Tijani Ahmed, through a monument, a university structure, a leadership centre, or an annual unity lecture in his name. Let his story be taught in our schools and told in our gatherings. Let the younger generation know that there once lived a man who believed Kogi could be one, and who gave his life to prove it.
Your Excellency, today we remember him not merely as a politician, but as a bridge between generations, between communities, between dreams and destiny. Yet, how do we honour such a man if his name is left to the whispers of memory? Kogi must not allow A.T. Ahmed’s legacy to fade into mere folklore.
Your Excellency, in honouring him, you would not just be celebrating the past, you would be renewing the covenant of unity and fairness that he stood for. You would be telling every son and daughter of Kogi that service, courage, and integrity are never forgotten.
Let Kogi remember. Let Nigeria remember. Let history remember.
With profound respect and faith in your sense of justice,
— Comr. Sidiq Kal Kabir
Concerned Citizen of Kogi State
Lokoja, Nigeria
