Alabi-Isama: An unbreakable General at 85

By Gesinde Fregene Adedeji Amosa

At 85, Brig.-General Godwin Alabi-Isama (retd) stands tall physically, intellectually and historically as one of Nigeria’s most formidable military minds and enduring national treasures.

A veteran of the Nigerian Civil War, Alabi-Isama is not merely remembered for the battles fought but for the clarity of thought, tactical brilliance and moral courage with which he approached warfare and life itself. World-class in strategy and extraordinarily cerebral, he is a man who does not suffer fools, does not pull punches and yet remained deeply human anchored by values forged long before the sound of gunfire ever defined his destiny.

Beyond the battlefield, one virtue shines with uncommon tenderness, his profound adoration for his mother, whom he consistently acknowledges as the living source of the love, discipline and care that shaped his remarkable journey. In an era where strength is often mistaken for hardness, Alabi-Isama reminded us that true strength is rooted in gratitude and reverence.

Spartan by nature but warmly sociable, the General is as renowned for his discipline as he is for his hospitality. A superlative host, he ensures guests are well fed sometimes with a hint of military insistence that no plate leaves unfinished .

And at 85, his agility remains almost inexplicable by walking up and down three floors of his residence with ease, alert, animated and ever engaged. Show us a dandier octogenarian if you can.

His intellectual legacy is powerfully preserved in his seminal work, “The Tragedy of Victory,” widely regarded as one of the finest chronicles of the Nigerian Civil War, a book that combines firsthand experience with rare analytical depth and one that continues to educate soldiers, scholars and patriots alike.

Today, we celebrate not just the years, but the weight of wisdom, the courage of conviction and the enduring relevance of a man whose mind remains as sharp as his principles.

Happy 85th birthday, General Alabi-Isama.

May you be blessed with many more years of good health, peace and happiness, so that Nigeria and the world may continue to drink deeply from that magical, disciplined and patriotic brain of yours.

You are, without question, a national icon of our time.

* Gesinde Fregene Adedeji Amosa is an editor based in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.