The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Between Macaulay and Lugard

    “If you know your history, then you would know where you are coming from” – Bob Marley in Buffalo soldier. “Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft” – Winston Churchill

    I thank Allah for His mercy. Yours comradely recently turned 53 years. But how old is Nigeria was the question that preoccupied my mind at the annual early morning January 8 fitness exercise that  usually heralds my birthday.   President Goodluck Jonathan has promised a centenary amalgamation celebration this year, meaning officially Nigeria is already assumed to be 100 years old.  To this extent my rhetorical question; how old is Nigeria remains purely academic.

    Nigeria is certainly a country that is increasingly knowledge-shy and in which by the day rigour of knowledge is proving to be a sacrilege. How else does one characterise a country that last year (2013) shut down all public universities including the (departments of history) for six months on account of God-knows-what and for which no minister has lost his job?

    Certainly a country in which all its polytechnics are still under lock and key for Allah-knows-what-reason, academic analysis is certainly a luxury. However, this unacceptable underdevelopment of Nigeria through repeated schools’ closures only makes academic analysis even more urgent and necessary. Is Nigeria indeed 100 years old? Is amalgamation worth being celebrated? In his New Year message, President Jonathan devoted a great deal to the 100 years of Nigeria’s amalgamation by the British colonial authorities.

    I agree with the legendary Reggae star Bob Marley, who in the popular track, Buffalo Soldier sang that; “If you know your history, then you would know where you are coming from”. The point cannot be overstated. Nigeria was in existence well before amalgamation of 1914 by the British. For instance, the first official trade union, Civil Service Union was formed in 1912. That was two years before the British administrative amalgamation of the north and southern protectorates. Therefore, simple common sense shows that there was indeed a country called Nigeria before Lord Lugard and his amalgamation. Also let us remember that Lord Lugard the first Governor-General of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria amalgamated a colony, not an independent nation. Indeed Nigeria did not join the League of Nations (the preceding global union before United Nations was formed in 1945). And Lord Lugard was a British (note; not Nigeria’s!) representative to the League of Nations from 1922 to 1936. Nigeria only joined the United Nations after its legitimate independence in 1960. While Lord Lugard desired to keep the amalgamated colony in perpetuity for eternal exploitation, the true founding fathers of modern Nigeria, the nationalists reclaimed a country that was already in formation in its diversities and inter relationships thousands of years well before Lord Lugard arrived Nigeria. No wonder that Nigeria has outlived the British colonialism which terminated in 1960 after independence.  Of course, 1914 is a landmark in colonial exploitative campaign in Nigeria. However President Jonathan should avoid the pitfall of presenting Lugard as the founding father of modern Nigeria. Lugard (and indeed none of the British colonial masters) was NOT the founding father of Nigeria! The founding fathers of modern Nigeria are Nigerians themselves.  They are the nationalists who lowered the notorious Union Jack and replaced it with Nigerian flag of Green, White and Green in 1960.

    One notable founding father was Herbert Macaulay. Macaulay (not Lord Lugard) was one of the first Nigerian nationalists who fought British imperialism for which he was jailed twice. Herbert Samuel Heelas Macaulay was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, engineer, journalist, and musician who as far back as 1908 started the struggle to expose European corruption and exploitation and freedom for Nigerians well before Lugard’s arrival in Nigeria. He formed the first Nigerian political party on June 24, 1923, known as the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP). He was popular with the Nigerian masses such that he won all the seats in the popular elections of 1923, 1928 and 1933. Subsequent nationalists like Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Raji Abdallah, Aminu Kano, and Tafawa Balewa got inspiration from Macaulay to commendably achieve independence in 1960. In 1944, Macaulay co-founded the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) together with Azikiwe and became its president. The NCNC was a patriotic organization formed to bring together Nigerians of all stripes to demand independence. According to history, in 1946 Macaulay fell ill in Kano and later died in Lagos. The leadership of the NCNC went to Azikiwe, who later became the first president of Nigeria. Azikiwe himself was born on November 16, 1904, in Zungeru, present day Niger State 10 years well before Lugard’s amalgamation in 1914. The historic fact  that Zik was born in Zungeru further indicates that there was never a distinct North or South as clinically presented by divide-and rule-colonial strategists. On the contrary, there were peoples of Nigeria who have related and settled in different parts of present day Nigeria well before   Lugard arrived and formalised what was obviously a compact and a united territory. What is worth celebrating is Nigerian independence not colonial amalgamation of a colony. America celebrates it’s independence from the British rule in 1776 not when the British formalised it’s colonisation in 1607. And if you ask me further I would have preferred we truly celebrate Nigeria last year as a 50 year old Republic. The year 1963 was when we had the first Republican independent constitution. All these conclusions remain purely academic in a country that is increasingly knowledge shy and even suffers loss of memory (history) in addition.

     

    • Aremu, mni is Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress

  • That shooting by Rivers Police

    SIR: The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) wishes to unequivocally condemn in strong terms the shooting that took place during the rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement, a mobilisation group of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, January 12, at the College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State which led to the murder of five children and brutalizing of Senator Magnus Abe, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) and Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Tony Okocha and several others by the men of the Rivers State Police Command.

    It is shocking and barbaric that the police who are assigned the constitutional role of safeguarding lives and property would unleash terror on the public they are meant to protect as witnessed in Rivers State.

    It must be made clear that true democratic practice has room for the voice of opposition in the country. The January 12 shooting by the police was nothing but a total act of callousness and declaration of war on Rivers State and its people on grounds of their democratic expression. This is unacceptable and must be condemned.

    TMG calls on President Goodluck Jonathan to order an immediate probe into the alleged killing of the innocent children as well as the attempted murder on the two prominent members of the opposition party allegedly shot at during the aborted rally and several others injured in the process. Justice must be served in this matter to serve as a deterrent.

    TMG urges Nigerians in general and the people of Rivers State to remain resolute in their bid to entrenching enduring democracy and rule of law in Nigeria.

    • Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi & Eddy Ezurike

    TMG, Abuja

  • Enang-speak

    How, nobody can accuse Senator Ita Solomon Enang, chair of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, of political prostitution. Since 1999, the National Assembly veteran has maintained an admirable fidelity to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was, perhaps, why he was “promoted” to the Senate (representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District), after three terms at the House of Representatives (representing Itu-Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency), broken by an interregnum in his “second term”, when he was judicially removed midway for suspect election. Not then, for Enang: to be elected on one platform, and then cross over to another without a fresh election. Admirable!

    However, he is no Solomon (apologies for the pun on the distinguished senator’s middle name) when the matter is partisan cross-carpeting, the subject on which the loyal PDP partisan has, of recent, been shooting from the hips.

    Virtually bawling like some crusading angel for political morality, Senator Enang declared that those who cross carpet should “automatically” forfeit their seats. “The party is sovereign and if one is not granted the ticket by his party, the political ambition of the person suffers a setback.” Excellent logic!

    But where was Senator Enang during the 2003-2007 legislative season? He was in the House of Representatives, when Bashir Bolarinwa, an All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) MP from Lagos State, defected to the PDP and retained his seat. If Enang’s silence was deafening then, why is he waxing poetic on moral purity in politics now?

    Then the more visible cases of the triad of Lagos AD senators: Wahab Dosunmu (of blessed memory), Adeseye Ogunlewe and Musiliu Obanikoro, who defected, and who PDP received rapturously. Indeed, Ogunlewe, later as minister of Works, virtually declared war on his native Lagos, by “banning” LASMA corps from “federal roads” in the Lagos metropolis, perhaps as his cavalier contribution to his new party’s destabilisation ploy, in its eternal dream to “capture Lagos”.

    Again, mum was the word from Senator Enang, now no-nonsense crusading angel for partisan integrity and probity!

    But it is just as well that Senator Enang has been jarred from his reverie; and told, by other members of the Senate, that he spoke only his personal views and not the Senate’s. It couldn’t have been otherwise, for the law is clear on defections: whenever there is a split in party, as it clearly is in the PDP, then defections are allowed. Sure, it is not moral. But it is legal.

    Why Senator Enang’s past silence and present excitability? Simple: the Nigerian political elite’s credo: when it suits me, it is okay; when it does not, it is not! So, Senator Enang might boast impeccable political morality; but his personal morality issues from unabashed PDP group immorality. Shall we just call this Enang-speak?

  • Pastor Goodluck

    Pastor Goodluck

    Spectacularly, right before our very eyes, President Goodluck Jonathan is apparently going through a curious metamorphosis. Interestingly, though, the transformation did not begin today, and the course of the evolution has been steady, leading to a seeming identity crisis.

    Nowadays, no one is sure whether Jonathan is a pastoral politician or a political pastor, largely on account of the fact that he has converted the pulpit into a podium for political talk. But, make no mistake; he can’t be called a reverend gentleman.

    At his most recent pseudo-spiritual outing at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day service on January 12, Jonathan made snide remarks about some unnamed elderly politicians, saying, “They are people who are probably 70 or 80 years, who have seen it all, who ordinarily should know that the unity of this country is more important than the interest of any individual. “

    The innuendo was unmistakable, especially in the context of his running battle with specific political greybeards. Similarly, he used the opportunity of the Christmas Day service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Abuja, to throw barbs at politicians who think they “own this country.” The same theme coloured his speech at the New Year service at the Catholic Church at Area 3, Abuja, where he said: “All we need to do is to make sure that we continue to do things rightly. That is why I always plead with my fellow politicians that, yes, we must play politics; but let us take the interest of the country more than our own individual interest.”

    In this fascinating cavalcade of political jabs, the most declarative must be Jonathan’s statement that God made him president, implying that no man could claim credit for his ascension to power. “I am here today (as President) by the grace of God,” he asserted during the Sunday service on December 29, at the Apostolic Faith Church, Jabi, Abuja.

    For the avoidance of doubt, Jonathan went on to explain his movements on the church circuit, which are akin to pilgrimages, saying, “Probably, this is the first time I am worshipping with you since I came to Abuja in 2007. Probably you would have seen me more than 10 times, if we don’t have a chapel in the Villa. So, we worship there every Sunday. But during the Christmas and New Year period, I like to go round and interact with other brethren. The reason is actually to thank all of you for what you have been doing for this country, for your prayers. I always say and I will continue to say it that but for your prayers, probably it would have been worse than this.”

    Content analysis of his comments suggests that he recognises that things are bad; but his thinking that they could have been “worse” implies that, as far as he is concerned, things are not bad enough. It is such mentality of tolerable negativity that encourages governmental inaction to the detriment of the country.

    It is simplistic and intellectually dishonest for Jonathan to attribute the alleged non-deterioration of the country’s dire circumstances to divine intervention occasioned by church prayers. Is he suggesting that the people should look forward to more of churchy governance?

     

  • Please pass Petroleum Industry Bill now

    Please pass Petroleum Industry Bill now

    SIR: Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was created in 1977 by the Federal Government as a parastatal to improve in its drive for revenue from crude oil production among others. Nigeria produces about 2.3 million of crude oil per day and it is the only OPEC member that imports fuel.

    NNPC has been accused of not paying money realized from the sales of crude oil to government coffers for years. With the current 2.3 million barrels/day crude oil production and a benchmark of N79/barrel, Nigeria is to make N181.7 million/day which is N5,451 million per month. For years now the nation’s four refineries have not been working well to produce refined petroleum products to meet local consumption despite trillions of naira sunk into them in dubious Turn Around Maintenance by successive governments.

    It is believed that the crippling of the refineries is a deliberate play by some influential Nigerians to force the nation to continue the importation of refined petroleum products for local consumption from foreign nations that import our crude oil only to refine same for export. With trillions of naira spent by the federal government on fuel subsidies, NNPC, importing oil companies and some influential Nigerians are benefitting from importation of fuel. It is also believed that some eminent Nigerians and past leaders have refineries abroad which take Nigerian crude, process it and export same to Nigeria. That was why private initiatives to build refineries have not been successful in the country.

    Nigerian crude oil is being stolen on an industrial scale. Recently, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) disclosed that between 2009 and 2011, Nigeria lost 136 billion barrels of crude oil totaling $11 billion to theft and pipeline vandalism. Proceeds are laundered through world financial centres. Both high ranking and influential Nigerians including military profited from the system. At present, it is believed that about 500,000 barrels of crude oil/day is being lost of which 420,000 barrels was from shutting and 80,000 barrels/day being stolen.

    In view of this, NNPC needs to be restructured and strengthened. This calls for the passage of PIB now. In Brazil and Indonesia, the agencies responsible for the production of crude oil have been restructured and are now effective in generating more revenues for their governments. It is suggested that small refineries be set up by private investors all over the country instead of large refineries as was done in Venezuela. Also, the passage of PIB by the National Assembly is designed to restructure the NNPC, capture and address potential environmental and operational hazards associated with oil and gas industry. It is largely expected to provide for transparent, regulatory framework and competitive fiscal rules of general application of oil and gas industry. It would also see that Nigeria crude oil reserves and production are increased through improved investments in exploration and production within a competitive business environment.

    • Shamsi A. Dabiri

    Akute, Ogun State

  • A country in dire-straits

    A country in dire-straits

    SIR: Nigeria has the potentials to become the true and indisputable giant of Africa. Is her large land mass not arable and fertile? And, her weather conditions are equable and mild. Beneath its soil are such mineral resources as gold, tin-ore, bauxite, lime-stone, coal and crude-oil. More so, Nigeria is a very populous country. Millions of its citizens, who are skilled and knowledgeable, are living in the Diaspora; and, they are helping their host countries to develop. These Nigerians can contribute their own quotas towards Nigeria’s development if they’re convinced to return home. But, why has greatness eluded Nigeria in spite of its abundant human and material resources?

    The answer can be located in the issue of inept and corrupt political leadership. Since 1960, Nigeria has never been led its finest and best political leaders.

    President Good-luck Jonathan’s emergence as our President is fortuitous. It was an act of divine intervention. It’s the first time that a man from a minority group has occupied the highest elective post in Nigeria.

    But, as the President of Nigeria, is President Goodluck Jonathan living up to our expectations? Has he shown seriousness and faithfulness in tackling our multifarious national problems? The truth is, President Jonathan is overwhelmed by the enormity of our national problems. We do not dispute the fact that he inherited most of the problems besetting our country. But, is he genuinely committed to finding solutions to them?

    In 2013, our public universities were closed for five months because universities’ lecturers went on strike to press for improved welfare conditions. Most Federal roads in the country are in state of disrepair. And, our hospitals which used to be consulting clinics during the regime of Mohammed Buhari have transformed to mortuaries.

    While our leaders embark on health tourism and pilgrimage in foreign countries to address the issues of their health, poor Nigerians die daily of curable diseases in our ill-equipped hospitals.

    Today, a large swathe of the north-eastern Nigerian has been overrun by Boko-Haram insurgents.

     

    • Chiedu Uche Okoye

    Uruowualu-Obosi, Anambra State.

     

  • CAF Award: Mikel not unfairly treated

    CAF Award: Mikel not unfairly treated

    SIR: The failure of Mikel Obi to win the African Footballer of the year 2013 again brings to the fore the character of the Nigerian society. Mile, a great distributor and defender, with a controversial start has been with the elite English club, Chelsea for over eight years during which he scored four goals. A favourite of manager Jose Mourinho, he is planted in the midfield to defend and to distribute balls to his strikers.

    I have often wondered why our protégé always fights shy of the goalpost. Face to face with goalkeeper, he would look for a colleague to strike. As a result of this, his team and this nation had lost many games due to the rigidity of the positioning of the player. I am not convinced, going by my little experience as a footballer at school and more importantly the chairman of IICC Shooting Stars in Coca House in the 70’s, that a defending midfielder cannot, or should not, attempt to strike at opponent’s goal. I was privileged to hire or retain star players like Segun Odegbami, Muda Lawal, Akande and a host of other stars including imports from Ghana. Muda who invariably played in the midfield also doubled as an adventurous striker. Of course Odegbami is an all time legend.

    Recently, part of my surprise was resolved by the unbelievable admittance of Mikel that he has always kept strictly to the order of his coach never to attempt to score goals. This is bewildering to say the least. I have seen and have encouraged all midfielders and indeed full-backs to enter the vital area and strike at the goal when the opportunity occurs. It is a miracle that a midfielder (striking or defending) of a leaving club like Chelsea could receive national acclaim for scoring four goals in eight years! What is he defending when his side has no goal advantage?

    Compare this with Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast who scores at least two goals in three matches and who on most occasions functions in the midfield. The goal tally of Toure and his aggressiveness and hunger must have had lasting impression on nominators or assessors. There is little to recommend in a midfielder who distributes his balls side ways and on many more occasions backward towards his defenders or keeper. How could you score a goal or help others to score a goal when 99% of your passes go negative? If you cannot score a gola direct by yourself, sending the balls forward will help your strikers or cause confusion with the vital box area.

    One other point that is persistently obvious in Mikel is that his shots lack power. His balls are so weak and nimble that any keeper can easily handle them with one hand. Obviously these are not the attributes of a continental hero. Apparently Mikel is the hero of Nigeria’s tabloid papers. He wins matches and trophies on the pages of the papers. By all means let us continue to be patriotic, but let us also be realistic. Was it an Anglo-French contest when our own Nwanwko Kano won the continental trophies several times, several years ago? Why will some Nigerians now equate Mikel’s failure to the preponderance of French speaking African countries in CAF?

    •Deji Fasuan,

    Afao-Ekiti.

     

  • Hayatou and CAF 2013 Awards

    Hayatou and CAF 2013 Awards

    SIR: The Confederation of African Football (CAF), last week in Lagos, honoured lovers of football and the men and women that exhibited sterling performance in the round leather game in the year 2013. It was a well attended event. It brought together the movers and shakers of the nation of Nigeria. The political lords, business moguls, sports administrators, entertainers and host of others greeted the event. The ceremony honoured those that the Issa Hayatou-led CAF asserted were distinguished personalities for their exploits for the year 2013.

    Prior to the event, billboards, posters and flyers all battle for space around the city of Lagos, adorning messages related to the event. The award dominated the pages of newspapers and programmes both on radio and television. The event was popular in Nigeria for one reason: Chelsea FC of England and Super Eagles of Nigeria mercurial midfielder, John Obi Mikel was amongst the three nominees for the exalted price of the African Player of the Year. Affirmatively, Mikel’s achievements in the year 2013 placed him above other nominees such as the Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester City FC of England midfielder, Yaya Toure and Galatasaray of Turkey Striker, Didier Drogba.

    In 2013, Mikel won the African Cup of Nations’ trophy with Nigeria, defeating Cote d’Ivoire in quarter final and also winning UEFA Europa League trophy with Chelsea. Both Toure and Drogba thus ended the year 2013 without wining a trophy.

    Alas, CAF, to the surprise of all, announced Toure as the African Player of the Year, placing Mikel as the runner up. Most lovers of football in Nigeria were shocked by the action of CAF. The graveyard silence that greeted the announcement of Toure as the winner was a testimony to the dissatisfaction of bigwigs that graced the occasion. To many opinion shapers, CAF was partial.

    Curiously, the shameful, partial CAF claimed that Ivorian Didier Drogba was the third African Best Player for the year 2013. Shockingly, the third best African player was not considered fit enough to be amongst the 11 African Best Players for the year 2013. Didier Drogba’s name was not mentioned by CAF amongst the line up of the 11 African players for the year 2013 that had the Nigerian Stephen Keshi as coach.

    As a striker, Drogba, the third African Best was not amongst the two strikers in the 11 African finest players for the year 2013. Nigeria’s Emenike and the Burkinabe, Pitopria, according to CAF, were the two best African strikers for the year 2013. Wasn’t that a big international shame exhibited by CAF?

    It is time for Hayatou to quit as CAF helmsman; he has out-lived his usefulness.

    • Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye,

    Magodo, Lagos.

  • NNPC blew the money, stupid!

    Nigerians are very ungrateful people, aren’t they? Unlike the Obasanjo years, Yuletide was wet with fuel and no one sapped wearied Nigerians with yet another fuel price hike as New Year present.

    To ensure the fuel wetness continues well into the far future, an organisation in its infinite operational wisdom, has maintained a strategic reserve for 32 days – even despite a daily petrol consumption of 40 million litres.

    And to further consolidate on product supply lines, this same corporation hurried to fix vandalised oil pipelines, undeterred by government bureaucracy, in the best tradition of a responsible and patriotic public corporation.

    Yet, some whistle blowers claim US $10.8 billion (N1.7 trillion) is missing from the Federation Account!

    That is why you must understand the palpable ire of Omar Farouk Ibrahim, in response to this national insolence and ingratitude!

    Dr. Omar, NNPC spokesperson, could not just understand all the fuss about the so-called “missing” money, when it is so clear his organisation has gone the extra mile to save the Jonathan Presidency avoidable embarrassment; and earned patriotic stripes for preventing the angry Nigerian rabble from storming the streets, reminiscent of January 2012.

    The Federal Government ought to have remitted subsidy to NNPC, if it really wanted steady supply of imported products, as witnessed without interruption throughout 2013. Since it was NNPC’s bounden and patriotic duty to keep fuel flowing, and the government was not forthcoming on subsidy payment, the firm just made adjustments for accommodation in its operational expenses. But instead of earning praise for its adaptable genius, it is accusations – baseless accusations – galore!

    Then, to be fair, the all-important strategic fuel reserve really ought to be commended. If NNPC had waited for the Federal Government bureaucracy, wouldn’t the reserves have dried up by now, the fuel queues all over again and everybody panicking and heating up the polity? For preventing this explosive tension, is it not better to hail NNPC for its strategic thinking, instead of nailing it for some phantom corruption charges, even as the books are still being reconciled?

    And then injustice of all injustices – the vandalised pipes! With increasing tales of oil theft, should NNPC dither, because it must tidy up some cosmetic books, and not hurry post-haste to fix the problem first and reconcile the books later? Verily, verily, I say unto you: patriotism is a thankless enterprise. But NNPC will not be deterred. We will continue to do our duty by our nation. That is the stuff of which true patriots are made.

    The above might well be the stream of consciousness of Dr. Ibrahim and other NNPC Ogas-at-the-top, as they wince under legitimate charges of playing hanky-panky with the nation’s cash.

    Still, it is curious that until CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi blew his whistle, NNPC had not told anyone it spent any money on operations; and it is doubtful if it would ever have, had Sanusi not blown his shrill whistle.

    It is even more curious Dr. Ibrahim did not state what was spent under what operational head until the loud noise had become louder.

    Indeed, patriotism is the last bastion of the scoundrel.

     

  • Sir Ahmadu Bello: 51 years after

    Sir Ahmadu Bello: 51 years after

    SIR: Tomorrow marks 51 years since Sardauna Ahmadu Bello was brutally asassinated alongside with his dear wife by soldiers who took over the reins of government.

    Ahmadu Bello will continue to be remembered by generations upon generations because of his selfless service to the northern region. It is on record that he paved the way for the development of the region during and after the keen struggle for the attainment of the country’s independence.

    Sardauna’s leadership greatly added value to the development of the region and its people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. He was one leader that embraced all the people of the north irrespective of their tribe or religion. No wonder he had in his kitchen cabinet, the likes of late Micheal Audu Buba, late Sunday Awoniyi, late Pastor David Lot and a host of others from minority tribes in the north. His motto was anchored on work and worship. The core civil service under his leadership devoted a lot of time to ensure that the north caught up with the rest of the country in development. It was based on this that the policy of manpower development was initiated. This saw the training of northerners in some of the world best schools especially in Britain.

    If the successive generations of northern leaders had carried on from where the late Sardauna Ahmadu Bello stopped, the north would have been a different story today and the kind of distrust and misgivings that is prevalent would have been history.

    What preoccupies the mindset of today’s northern leaders is accumulation of ill-gotten wealth to the detriment of the people. The late Sardauna did not believe in accumulation of wealth. At his death in the hands of the mutineers, he left behind only a mud house and no fat account in any bank.

    He laid the foundation for the building of a virile and cohesive north despite its heterogeneous nature with more than 200 ethnic nationalities. He also held the entire north under one umbrella despite the divergent tribes in the region.

    He did not condone any kind of misdemeanor. He deposed the then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi who was his bosom friend when he was found wanting in the discharge of his responsibility.

    Above all, he cared less about his personal comfort and that of his family. Today, he is being eulogised for his superlative performances as the first and only Premier produced by the north. Fifty-one years have gone by, but he is still fondly remembered by the old and the young.

    • Usman Santuraki,

    Jambutu, Jimeta-Yola.