Leadership (Abuja)
Samuel Aruwan
18 October 2009
Kaduna — It was rare moment of soul-searching, sober reflection and eulogies yesterday when prominent leaders of the North gathered in Kaduna to launch the Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation. On the occasion, there was a clear consensus that the late premier remained the region's greatest leader and a model to be emulated by the current crop of leaders.
The foundation was instituted in memory of the first premier of the defunct Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sarduana of Sokoto, 1909 - 1966. The launch, under the auspices of the Northern Governors' Forum, represented one of the most important gatherings of Northern leaders and some Southern political associates in recent times.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY checks reveal that over N5 billion was realised at the launch.
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, in his address, praised the late premier as a dedicated and selfless leader who committed all his life to the development and progress of not only the Northern region but the country at large.
Yar'Adua, who was represented by Yayale Ahmed, Secretary to Government of the Federation, added that Sir Ahmadu Bello by all accounts of stewardship distinguished his leadership by its compelling transparency and service for the collective betterment of the region. He was a teacher-cum-politician who led by example, he said.
Eulogising the late premier as a great leader with foresight and vision, Yar'Adua further noted that he was the "most accomplished leader our nation had ever known", adding that he was an icon in his own right and epitome of humility and service to humanity.
In his address on behalf of the Northern Governors' Forum, its chairman and governor of Niger State, Dr. Mua'zu Babangida Aliyu, said that the launching was a special one because it would afford the governors the opportunity to search their souls with a view to collectively re-enacting the sense of purpose and dedication to duty needed for the socio-political and economic development of the Northern region as a people and as a nation.
He also said that it was an occasion to reflect on their individual and collective roles in the task of nation-building.
He said: "We also need a moment like this to remind ourselves that, as leaders, fame, greatness, peace of mind and everlasting happiness only come from how we use our positions to impart and impact positively on the lives of the majority of the people we serve, and not by using our positions to take care of ourselves, our families and associates at the expense of the people.
"If I was asked, in a nutshell that was the distinguishing feature and the hallmark of Sardauna and the source of his everlasting influence on the socio-political history of this country - the ability and capacity to serve the people selflessly."
On the focus and agenda of the foundation, he further stated: "We give gratitude to Allah for making it possible for us to witness the birth of Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation. As you may be aware, the Foundation's main interest is the promotion of good governance and responsible leadership for the overall development of Nigeria, and especially the Northern states where there are acute socio-economic disadvantages, in line with the vision and aspirations of Sir Ahmadu Bello.
"It will dedicate its efforts towards promoting socio-economic activities that will transform the lives of the people of the Northern states in particular and Nigerians in general by paying attention to agriculture, education, resuscitation of ailing industries, eradication of poverty, destitution and street-begging, which are dangerous dimensions in the North. Other areas of attention will be youth and women empowerment through skills and entrepreneurial development schemes. We must take our children out of the streets into the classroom."
According to the Niger State governor, "the activities of the foundation will be funded by the proceeds from its investments in partnership with reputable agencies and organisations, especially in real estate/property development as well as from endowment assets and donations.
"It will also rely on extensive collaboration, linkages and networking with individuals, corporate bodies and international agencies with shared vision and values. We therefore call on all good-spirited individuals to donate their inheritance and assets generously to the foundation, which will be managed wisely and with transparency consistent with international practice."
Replying critics of the initiative on the alleged purported mismanagement of funds, Aliyu who was full of optimism added: "We have our honour and integrity to protect in this endeavour; hence we shall ensure that sound mechanisms are put in place for the prudent, efficient and transparent management of the foundation and the funds accruing to it. We shall leave no one in doubt about the safety and management of the funds to be generated from this event and subsequently. We shall pursue the objectives of the foundation to their logical conclusions, while ensuring that funds are judiciously deployed to intervention efforts in the areas of priorities." Morality and equity must be added into the body polity of the country as exemplified by the Sir Ahmadu Bello, he stated.
General Yakubu Gowon, who was the chairman of the occasion, flanked by former President Shehu Shagari, stated that Sardauna was a great leader. According to Gowon, he was "a man who was a great leader and pillar whose image looms large in our history. We must research deep into his leadership style. He possessed high value of leadership and was a true chief servant." Shagari for his part said: "He taught me in school in 1931 and has many qualities but one thing he taught me was punctuality. In his lifetime you could not be late and see him; he was very strict to time and discipline and please try and emulate him in ways you can."
Senate President David Mark, in his address, also noted that the life and times of the late sage should be emulated, saying that the most important thing was not emotions and passion but that Sardauna should be honoured with dedicated service and justice and unity in accordance with the vision of the late premier.
Justice Mamman Nasir shared the same views in his opening remarks as chairman of the steering committee. Thrilling the mammoth crowd while giving an overview of the life and times of the late premier, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, Danmasanin Kano, said Sardauna was not a tribalist, stating that he united all the tribes of Northern Nigeria as one people and Yan Arewa. He noted that although he was a religious leader and a grand-child of the Sultan Bello, he was never a religious chauvinist but rather he accommodated people of different backgrounds, a trait sorely needed today.
At the launch which was televised and aired live, all the 19 Northern states pledged their significant donations, along with Edo,Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states, Kaduna State's government, aside money, donated 100 hectares of land at the Kaduna New City for the construction of the Foundation's office complex.
A civil rights activist, Comrade Shehu Sani, has argued that the foundation will yield nothing for the region has the region. He urged the region's governors to emulate the sound leadership of the late premier. According to Sani, in a press statement, "We respect the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and revered his unparallel sense of patriotism and selfless service.For the past ten years (1999-2009), the 19 Northern states have collected cumulatively over a trillion naira from the federation account.
"Logically what a trillion naira cannot achieve, 20 billion naira cannot achieve. We consider the so- called Sardauna Foundation/event as an assemblage of reactionaries and culprits in the socio-economic underdevelopment of Northern Nigeria; we view it as a roll-call of who is who in the years of sustained neglect, plunder and abuse of the region and its people.
"It is simply going to end as one of those usual periodic rituals of regalia, drum-beating and fist of indolence. Sardauna's name now is a ladder to fame and shield of taking responsibility. Northern leaders must take responsibilities for their years of failures, silence and collaboration in the underdevelopment of the North and Nigeria as a whole."
Textile workers also stormed the venue to register their plight.
The event had in attendance former heads of state including General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and former governors of Akwa Ibom and Lagos Obong Victor Attah and Ahmed Bola Tinubu Kano multimillionaire Alhaji Aminu Dantata as chief launcher donated the sum of N250 million to the foundation. In attendance also were all emirs, chiefs and religious leaders of the 19 Northern states
Bello was born in 1909 in Rabbah, in the present Sokoto State, to a district head and heir to the Sokoto Emirate. His great-grandfather was Sultan Bello, the founder of Sokoto and son of the revered Usman Dan Fodio. Ahmadu Bello received his education first at the Sokoto Provincial School, the only modern school at the time in the Sokoto province. Then, he proceeded to the Katsina Teacher's Training College. After spending five years at Katsina, he was appointed by the Sultan to become a teacher at the Sokoto Middle School, his former school which had undergone rapid transformation. In 1934, he was made the district head of Rabbah; four years later, he was promoted and sent to Gusau to become a divisional head. In 1938, he made an unsuccessful bid to become the new Sultan of Sokoto. The successful sultan immediately conferred upon Sir Bello the traditional, now honorary, title of "Sarduna", alternatively spelled "Sardauna", and elevated him to the Sokoto Native Authority Council. In 1948, he was offered a scholarship to study local government administration in England. Ahmadu Bello took the scholarship sensing he needed to shore up his knowledge about the process of governance.
After returning from England, he was nominated to represent the province of Sokoto in the regional House of Assembly. As a member of the assembly, he was a notable voice for Northern interest and embraced a style of consultation and consensus with the major representatives of the Northern emirates: Kano, Bornu and Sokoto. In the first elections held in Northern Nigeria in 1952, Sir Ahmadu Bello won a seat in the Northern House of Assembly, and became a member of the regional executive council as minister of works. Bello was successively minister of works, of local government, and of community development in the Northern Region.
In 1954, Bello became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria. In the 1959 independence elections, Bello led the NPC to win a plurality of the parliamentary seats. Bello's NPC forged an alliance with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons) to form Nigeria's first indigenous federal government which led to independence from Britain. In forming the 1960 independence federal government of Nigeria, Bello as president of the NPC chose to remain Premier of Northern Nigeria and devolved the position of Prime Minister to the deputy president of the NPC, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
Bello's greatest legacy was the modernisation and unification of the diverse peoples of Northern Nigeria. He was assassinated during a January 15, 1966, military coup which toppled Nigeria's post-independence government. He was still serving as Premier of Northern Nigeria at the time.
The Ahmadu Bello University is named after him. His portrait adorns Nigeria's N200 note, and he is survived by one child.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
