He then used his contacts with the MacArthur Foundation of USA to source seed money for the loan scheme.

The result of these collaborative efforts by ASUU and the University Management is the introduction of a computer loan scheme which has resulted in many staff members (both academics and non-academics) owning their computers, which in turn has meant improved efficiency and productivity in the system.

Thus, Musa Abdullahi had helped the system by supporting an initiative by a union. Similarly, he supported the efforts by the University Branch of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) for loan schemes that enabled many junior and senior staff to secure motor cycles and essential commodities. His administration had always been willing and ready to support initiatives by staff and students unions, especially those aimed at improving the welfare of staff members and enhancing efficiency and productivity in the system.

Recognizing and tapping the best in each person: Professor Abdullahi also had the gift of recognizing and tapping the best in each person. While some people are usually drawn to the weaknesses inherent in individuals, Abdullahi used to be attracted to the good sides of human beings. Not only that, he also had the ability to bring out the best of these good sides and to suppress whatever weaknesses there might be. This unusual ability of Musa Abdullahi ensured that any team he worked with performed at it optimum best - since he was able to tap the best from each member of the team.

There are many instances to support this, but one case would suffice. When Musa Abdullahi decided to appoint a renowned critic as Director of Academic Planning in 1999, some people told him that he had made a mistake, and that he would not be able to tolerate the person for more than three months. These people were utterly proven wrong when the person served in the Musa Abdullahi team for the whole five-year duration of its tenure. Not only that, Musa Abdullahi's administration and the University benefitted tremendously from the positive contributions of the person in question. With the support and encouragement he got from Musa Abdullahi, the Director of Academic Planning brought about many innovations that have changed the methods, processes and tools of teaching, learning and research in the University. The system has been the better for it.

Accepting and encouraging criticism: Another leadership quality displayed by Musa Abdullahi was his ability to accept and encourage criticisms even if they run counter to his personal views. There were instances too numerous to mention where Professor Abdullahi, as Vice-Chancellor and chief executive dropped or modified his stands on issues due to superior arguments by others. These had happened at virtually all levels-including Council, Senate, Congregation and Management meetings. One instance at a Management meeting clearly illustrates the type of person he was. As Vice-Chancellor, Musa Abdullahi tabled a written proposal on a particular issue before his management team for consideration and input. The then Director of Academic Planning critically reacted to the submission, virtually condemning it completely. One of the Principal Officers present took offence to this and drew the attention of the Director that he was part of management, and that he should be supporting the Vice-Chancellor, not condemning his submissions.

Musa Abdullahi immediately responded to the Principal Officer's comments. He reminded the Principal Officer that internal criticism was an important point of strength for any system, and that any system that did not provide for such internal criticisms was bound to fail since the chief executive would be misled into making blunders. He then reiterated the need for all members of management to take critical look at issues, no matter who initiated them. As a result of this, all issues were critically examined. In some cases, we even went to the extent of appointing devil's advocates on some critical issues so as to have clear understanding of all their aspects and implications.

Generous and selfless: Anyone who had had close contact with Professor Musa Abdullahi agrees that he was very generous and made many sacrifices. A postgraduate student he supervised recalled that he used to provide them with free materials, sometimes personally paying for snacks, photocopying and other expenses. Prior to the review of the travelling allowances of Vice-Chancellors, he used to claim the usual allowances for professors. Whenever he went to Abuja during that period he had to use his personal money to pay for his accommodation as the allowances he had collected from the University were grossly inadequate. This shows how selfless he was.

However, he never sacrificed the rights of others. As an administrator he ensured that all staff members and students get whatever was due to them. He used to interpret all contentious issues to the benefit of the persons involved. If there is any leeway (or window of opportunity, as he used to say) that favours the person, Musa Abdullahi would choose it over others that were not so favourable.

Resource mobiliser and prudent financial manager: The five-year tenure of Musa Abdullahi as the VC of BUK coincided with one of the worst periods in the Nigerian university system. Funds for capital projects were not released for at least three of the five years. The monthly recurrent funds received were not even enough for the payment of staff salaries. A number of universities had to resort to paying only certain percentages of staff salaries or borrowing from banks to top up each month. Due to Musa Abdullahi's ability to mobilize financial and other resources from other sources, Bayero University was able to fare better than most other universities. Staff salaries were paid in full without borrowing from any financial institutions, even though the monthly releases from Government were usually below 80% of the actual needs.

Utilities and other services were also attended to. More importantly, however, Musa Abdullahi was able to execute capital projects to a level unprecedented in the history of the University. This he was able to do with the financial and other types of support he sourced from within and outside Nigeria. He was able to mobilize the people and government of Kano State and other States, other individuals and organizations within and outside the country to come to the aid of the University. An endowment fund said to be one of the most successful in the Nigerian university system was launched. The case of the MacArthur Foundation has been mentioned earlier.

Professor Musa Abdullahi was also a prudent manager of financial resources. Due to this prudence and adherence to all financial processes, rules and regulations, the University was able to satisfy the high standards required by the MacArthur Foundation. Evidence of this prudence has been supplied by a number of bodies, but we shall mention only two instances. Some years ago, the Education Tax /Trust Fund (ETF) provided special grants of N25 million each to some universities for the automation of Colleges of Medicine. The consultants that came to inspect the items purchased by Bayero University were surprised by the quantity and quality of the items purchased with the money. They confessed that some universities were not able to get more than half of the items purchased by the University. Similarly, when the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Scheme (NDIC) made a grant of N10 million for the purchase of computers and accessories for the Centre of Information Technology, the Chief Executive Office of the Scheme expressed his surprise and appreciation about the quantity and quality of the items purchased with the funds.

Conclusion

In conclusion, then, the Nigerian university system and the country in general have lost an extraordinary leader in the person of Professor Musa Abdullahi. He was a generous and selfless leader who was able to achieve a lot by galvanising those around him-taking the best each could offer and harnessing these towards achieving the common good. He was a person who had positively impacted all those he had come into contact with. If any sign of his greatness is needed, one only needs to consider the fact he was one of the few leaders able to retain his followership long after leaving office. For all these and more, we pray to Allah the Almighty to grant him eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus and to forgive whatever human weaknesses he might have exhibited in life, amen.

However, Professor Musa Abdullahi needs more than our prayers. There is the need to build upon his massive achievements. Leaders within our university system and everywhere else need to emulate his highly successful style of leadership. They need to be leaders, not rulers, as Danmasanin Kano reminds us constantly.

Happenings at the three places where Musa Abdullahi left his recent marks are very encouraging. At the Bayero University Kano, for example, the current administration has not only retained his work in many areas, it has built upon it. The resource mobilization and capital project developments efforts started by Musa Abdullahi have been taken to greater heights. A number of innovations introduced by his administration have also been institutionalized and are being improved upon.

The University of Jos has also institutionalized some of the innovations brought to it by Professor Musa Abdullahi when he served as Pro-Chancellor and Council Chairman. It is my belief that the Secretariat of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors would also build on the achievements of, and innovations by, Professor Musa Abdullahi.

(Concluded)

Muhammad Yahuza Bello, a Professor of Mathematics at the Bayero University Kano, served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) under Professor Musa Abdullahi from 1999 to 2003.