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Riding
on
The mysterious death of Ambassador Gershon Guyit
By
Andrew Princz, ontheglobe.com
Nigeria's struggle with road violence and banditry has become well known. But it is a bizarre and sad irony of fate that the late Nigerian Ambassador to Hungary Gershon Jeremiah Guyit should have been one of those to allegedly have fallen victim of this kind of scourge. Ambassador Guyit suffered an untimely death on the road from the town of Jos to the nation's capital Abuja last week.
After all, it was he who recognized that the very tool to fight these kinds of negative attributes of his country is the promotion of the beauty of Nigeria, its tourism potential and to celebrate its cultural diversity. He knew that his country needed to be open to the world for the world to care about its fate.
Foul
play suspected
Whether it was random foul play, political intrigue or a simple car accident
that he suffered before his death at 59 years of age in the late hours of
December 21, we do not know. Speculation of all of the above has been cited
by sources as officials investigate the events surrounding the car crash
of that evening.
A stout, noble, devoted
and religious man, Ambassador Gershon Guyit, the father of five, bore a
perennial smile that revealed a humble pride. In the world of diplomacy,
save exception, suits and ties are the order of the day. Yet Ambassador
Guyit was proudly seen at official functions in and around Budapest clad
in colorful traditional Nigerian attire. Personally, it was a terrible shock
and with great sadness to hear of his fate, only weeks after my colleague
and I had passed through that very same perilous Jos to Abuja road.
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The
Abuja Carnival
Less than three weeks earlier we had returned from a mission to Nigeria,
sent by Ambassador Guyit to the impressive cultural bonanza of the first
Abuja Carnival. My colleague and I were sent to see the cultural performances
of groups selected from some of the 250 tribes, ethnic groups, and nationalities
of Nigeria. Nigeria's religious groups sometimes struggle to coexist, with
the Northern states being largely Islamic, while the southern portion of
the country being Christian, while the country is also dotted with the presence
of traditional religions.
During our visit, we saw the majestic and mysterious rocks of Jos in Plateau state, and the impressive Farin Ruwa waterfalls in the neighboring Nasarawa State. It was part of a mission to document the beauty and the cultural wealth of Nigeria, which we were to subsequently share with Hungarians in Budapest, and subsequently in other European capitals.
Arriving in Nigeria, you can hardly imagine the beauty and the wonder that we felt in experiencing such an exotic journey. We witnessed a traditional Durbar: a colorful show of 800 horses performing a ceremony rooted in royalty, kingship and devotion. The Durbar is celebrated by the emirates in the Muslim northern states of the country. We were then greeted in a village of the Kulere tribe, where inhabitants excitedly showed us how they made rice. We also participated in a boat regatta, with its colorful costumes, beautiful women, traditional songs and powerful wailing cries.
As it turned out, our
hosts were as interested in us as we were in them. We were berated by the
local media, who were as curious about where we came from and our reactions
to their culture as we were in them. Everywhere
we went and talked of Ambassador Guyit, they spoke kindly and with fond
words. After excitedly reporting on our progress, the Ambassador wrote us
a brief note:
Africa's
heartbeat
"I am extremely happy reading your letter, and I thank God for the
way things are going," he began, "We are very pleased that you
have fitted well into the program…"
"Enjoy Africa's
heartbeat, which is called Nigeria." He nudged us on earnestly in ending
his letter simply, "Ride on."
The late Ambassador Guyit was given his letters of accreditation to Hungary
in 2004, and also represented Nigeria in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Before becoming a diplomat, he was known as an architect and a politician
who also delved into the worlds of business and even had his hand at farming.
He was a founding member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP),
and on his last visit to Nigeria, he attended a volatile PDP convention,
a party in which he is reportedly to have attained influence and stature.
His impressive list of corporate directorships included heading the Plateau
State Tourism Corporation, the Federal Housing Authority and the Warri Refining
and Petrochemical Company.
Ambassador Guyit, who leaves behind his wife Ruth and their five sons, met his ultimate fate on the way to the country's capital of Abuja returning from his native settlement not far from the town of Jos. In Jos, where my colleague photographer Jura Nanuk and I also visited, there are a series of dispersed rock formations that nature creatively positioned. They are said to have mythical and religious significance.
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Russian
roulette
Just three weeks earlier, we nervously passed that same road that was lined
with both military and police roadblocks. The area has been, we were told,
infested with bandits and criminals known for their unusually violent attacks
on passing vehicles. Scores of people have been killed and many more robbed
of valuables in recent years by bands of these heavily armed gunmen.
While passing through that road on our last night in Nigeria, I wondered which was to be feared the most: high speeds or the notorious bandits. It was a game of Russian roulette. We followed strict procedures that night which are used to pass the most dangerous portions of the road.
The Ambassador's jeep, which carried three passengers, reportedly crashed somewhere on the way from Jos to the airport in the capital Abuja late on Monday, December 19. He was brought to two hospitals, but these being poorly equipped, were reportedly unable to treat his broken arm and leg.
On his way for medical
treatment in the capital he complained of breathing problems. That is the
last that was heard of him. I now get goose-bumps reading that last correspondence
of the Ambassador. We were so eager to share our experiences of his country
with him, since we instinctively felt that his love of it was so very genuine.
The significance of the words has not changed. "Ride
on," he wrote.
