By Ayo Kehinde
The news of the death of Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa in the early hours of Wednesday has come with the outpouring of tributes, condolences and memorable messages from a wide section of Nigerians across many walks of life and political divide.
President Muhammadu Buhari described him in a message as someone “who had diligently followed his antecedents as a voice for the voiceless,” while to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, he was “a forthright leader, an embodiment of ideals, who spent better part of his life championing the entrenchment of justice, equity, fairness and rule of law in every sector of our national life, despite the challenges he faced.” To the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement headed: The End of An Era; “Mallam Musa was a patriot, democrat, socialist, consummate defender of the poor, advocate of social and economic justice, promoter of human rights, liberty and dignity and, above all, a very good man,”
None of the above, however, captured the essence of the man as the following tributes from, expectedly, journalists, who either had an encounter with the committed left-wing Nigerian politician who was elected Governor of Kaduna State, during Nigeria’s Second Republic, holding office from October 1979 until he was impeached on 23 June 1981 or were his comrade.
The tributes are from Mr Lanre Arogundade, ex-editor at the Vanguard Newspaper, former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Lagos Council and currently the Executive Director of International Press Center, IPC, Lagos State. Next is Mr Muyiwa Akintunde, a former Editor of Post Express Newspaper and currently COO at TPT International Limited, a full-service public relations firm maintaining practice areas in crisis management, corporate communications, strategic counseling and then Mr Simon Reef Musa, Member of the Board of Forefront, an Online Publication and Managing Editor of Leadership Newspaper and Emeka Madunagu, former editor at The Punch and now Managing Editor of Metro Star, an online publication.
Mr Muyiwa Akintunde
Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa (21st August 1936 – 11th November 2020)
At 84, Balarabe Musa did not live to see the Nigeria of his dream: an egalitarian society.
As Governor of Kaduna State (elected in 1979 under the banner of Mallam Aminu Kano-led Peoples Redemption Party), Balarabe Musa refused to compromise his principles despite his party having the minority in a state assembly dominated by the National Party of Nigeria. Several times he sent his list of Commissioner-nominees, as many times they were rejected by the House. He was eventually impeached less than two years into his four-year tenure.
When I used to frequent Kaduna as a reporter, I never missed going to his modest house. He was always willing to speak on any issue. He did save my neck in 1999.
Working then as the West Africa editor with Africa Today magazine (based in London), we had scheduled an interview with Atiku Abubakar, then Vice President, to mark the 100 days in office of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Atiku was my publisher a few years earlier and our MD then, Chris Mammah had moved along with him to be his spokesperson at the Villa. I tapped into that relationship and was asked to come to Abuja for the interview.
When I arrived Chris Mammah’s office, he apologised profusely that the interview had to be called off at the last hour. There was no way he could reach me (I’m talking about a pre-GSM era) not to travel to Abuja. When I prodded, I was told that the impeachment of Evan Enwerem as Senate President and his replacement with Chuba Okadigbo had created problems for Atiku. Obasanjo wasn’t comfortable with an Atiku man (Chuba) running the Senate. So Atiku would rather not grant an interview that might further stoke the fire.
As a replacement, I suggested to my Publisher an interview with Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd). I was linked up to one of the wives the fiery retired military officer. She asked me to come to Kaduna. When I arrived Col Umar’s residence, I was handed a note from him in which he apologised that he had to travel to Kenya suddenly.
Distrust, I went to Balarabe Musa’s residence. He had not returned from the farm. I waited. When he got home about two hours later, he told me clearly that he won’t grant any interview as he was tired. I saw that weariness in him. But would I publish an excuse in place of an interview? I pressed further, pleading that the interview would not last more than 10 minutes.
Balarabe Musa agreed. We went on and on for almost two hours!!!
Over 20 years after, I still remember the cover title of our September 1999 edition: ‘Obasanjo is ungrateful – Balarabe Musa’. It was an explosive interview. Several copies of the edition were seized upon arrival from London and I was interrogated by the secret service.
Adieu, patriot!!!
Mr Lanre Arogundade,
BALARABE: RIP
Balarabe Musa devoted his youth energy to the struggle for the liberation of the talakawas as was the political tradition of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) founded by Mallan Aminu Kano.
In the second republic, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) became the offshoot of NEPU and in the gubernatorial elections of 1979 won the politically symbolic states of Kano (Abubakar Rimi) and Kaduna – Balarabe Musa – much to the dismay of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which Rimi – while still in his radical elements – at a lecture at the University of Ife in the early 80s described as “decidedly feudalistic, ethnically chauvinistic, superbly reactionary….”
That reactionary character played out in Kaduna state where the NPN majority in the house frustrated the wish of the people by continually refusing to accept Balarabe’s list of commissioners. They wanted to be part of an executive that the people did not vote for and Balarabe refused to buckle until they got him impeached.
Kano and Kaduna states between 1979 and 1983 embarked on educational and agricultural revolution with the later winning a UNESCO award for its adult literacy exploits. In and out of government Balarabe lived a proletarian life and shunned mad acquisition of houses, land and other property that has become the obsession of Nigeria’s ruling and ruining classes since 1999 unlike what obtained in the second republic. Another Governor of that era, Adekunle Ajasin of Ondo State, disclosed in his memoir that he didn’t make a single addition to his wardrobe, had only one car and retired to the same house he had built as school principal after his tenure.
In other words, no extra cars, no extra houses, while in office.
Balarabe wasn’t without his faults but the fact cannot be denied that he was a hero of the masses and Nigeria’s democracy.
Adieu!!
Simon Reef Musa.
The news of the death of Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa this morning brought reminiscences of my several interactions with him. His modest home in Kaduna was a Mecca of a sort to news hounds. The former governor of old Kaduna state was not only accessible to media practitioners, he gave news headlines for journalists seeking front page news. A simple telephone call and the front page byline is assured.
I recalled in 2006 when I asked him if there was any chance to stop President Olusegun Obasanjo from getting a third term, he looked at me and angrily shouted, “We shall stop him.”
He seemed to live in a world of his own unconcerned with the dynamics of those controlling the levers of power. There was no doubt that the great hopes he had for the country had diminished when he breathed his last.
Amidst the clamor for Nigeria’s disintegration and the need to correct the Mistake of 1914, I once asked if he was of the view that the country would eventually break up.
His response: “Those who own Nigeria will never allow it to disintegrate. They may allow the country to dance on the precipice, but when ever it becomes very obvious Nigeria is about breaking up, the owners of Nigeria, comprising Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, including Christians and Muslims, among others, will rally together to save their investments.”
He had supported General Muhammadu Buhari for the 2015 polls, but such support quickly fizzled out few months after the inauguration of the Buhari Presidency. Like many others, the APC-led government had been full of promises but short on delivery.
As a progressive whose ideology was shaped by Marxism and its capacity to deliver the poor from the merciless mercantilism of capitalism, the former governor was a symbol of honesty and determination in improving the lives for ordinary folks.
He was an epitome of servant leadership and was unwavering in aligning with forces of good for improving society. Arising from his endless quest for an egalitarian society devoid of unjust laws, he was credited with policies that save the poor of many taxes when he served as governor.
The radical leftist proved a constant political star in the firmaments of the North. Like many of our leaders, wealth was never his pre-occupation, service to the Nigerian people was a rage he personified while in this mortal realm. He was never in love with foreign trips for any form of tourism, he lamented on the many ailments plaguing his countrymen and women.
Some years ago, my friend and brother Stanley Yakubu, recalled a trip to a Kaduna hospital where Alhaji Balarabe had been admitted for an undisclosed ailment. He had met the old political Marxist taking akamu (pap) for breakfast and gave him a long pitiful stare.
After what seemed like a long time of staring, the old man gently told him, “Don’t pity me. Pity yourself and your country!”
In deed, if the Balarabes could not deliver Nigeria from wicked leadership, not many are hopeful that others whose interest now is how to accumulate wealth and create heavens in foreign lands with stolen funds can save us.
Alhaji Balarabe Musa is dead but his footprints on the sands of leadership will remain inspirational to future generations and an indictment to the present corruption of leadership bedevilling our country.
If heaven has a place for honest and good-hearted people, then the last of the old progressives, who fought the military to exit from the corridors of power, should be smiling on the other side of immortality. At last, he has been delivered from a life fraught with endless challenges that was foisted by a system in love with corruption.
Emeka Madunagu
Good night Alhaji Balarabe Musa. Rest in peace. May the place of the faithful be your abode..
Nigeria just lost a fine politician – Alhaji Balarabe Musa. Though our paths never crossed, I admired his style of politics. I didn’t totally agree with him but he was a forthright politician, who was not driven by greed and filthy lucre. It would surprise younger Nigerians that he was impeached as Second Republic Governor of old Kaduna State for a mess of porridge. Each member of the house of assembly that supported his removal was allegedly given N40,000 by then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
