• Latest
  • Trending
I will be calling you Bola Ige please- Balarabe Musa, By Awa Bamiji

I will be calling you Bola Ige please- Balarabe Musa, By Awa Bamiji

November 15, 2020
Nigerians await results, NAWOJ tells new Service Chiefs

Nigerians await results, NAWOJ tells new Service Chiefs

January 27, 2021
What I discussed with Buhari- Makinde

What I discussed with Buhari- Makinde

January 27, 2021
COVID-19:FG directs civil servants on GL 12 and below to work from home till end of February

COVID-19:FG directs civil servants on GL 12 and below to work from home till end of February

January 27, 2021
We are investigating alleged high-handedness of Amotekun, says Makinde

Herdsmen crisis: Makinde deploys 200 Amotekun personnel to Ibarapa, Oke Ogun

January 27, 2021
Osoba is a ‘political bat’, says Adebanjo, Afenifere leader

Why Tinubu is afraid to speak on herdsmen crisis, Adebanjo, Afenifere leader

January 27, 2021
Those smearing my name are fighting for personal, selfish interests- Dankaka, FCC boss

Those smearing my name are fighting for personal, selfish interests- Dankaka, FCC boss

January 27, 2021
Oyo health insurance boss advises against self medication to save cost

Oyo health insurance boss advises against self medication to save cost

January 27, 2021
How farmers, herders’ skirmishes can be stopped – DAWN DG

How farmers, herders’ skirmishes can be stopped – DAWN DG

January 27, 2021
We are investigating alleged high-handedness of Amotekun, says Makinde

It’s unpatriotic to play politics with security situation in Ibarapa,Oke Ogun, Oyo govt tells Dare, opposition

January 27, 2021
Court orders final forfeiture of $669,248 linked to ex-Zamfara governor

Court orders final forfeiture of $669,248 linked to ex-Zamfara governor

January 27, 2021
Court jails pastor for lying against church founder

Court orders alleged witches to heal three-year-old

January 27, 2021
My encounter with Bola Tinubu- Sunday Igboho

My encounter with Bola Tinubu- Sunday Igboho

January 26, 2021
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
Thursday, January 28, 2021
  • Login
Newspeakonline
  • News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • World
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
  • Opinion
  • Interview
  • Newspeak ExclusivesNew
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • World
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
  • Opinion
  • Interview
  • Newspeak ExclusivesNew
No Result
View All Result
Newspeak
Home Opinion

I will be calling you Bola Ige please- Balarabe Musa, By Awa Bamiji

Akinwande Soji-Ojo by Akinwande Soji-Ojo
November 15, 2020
in Opinion
Reading Time: 4 min
0
I will be calling you Bola Ige please- Balarabe Musa, By Awa Bamiji
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram
UBA Banner 533×166
FirstBank Dec29

It sounds funny but it is the reality of life. Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, was a Progressive to the core and he was the Governor of Kaduna State at a time the Late Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige was at the helm of affairs as his in old Oyo State (1979 – 1983).

Though, the former was impeached for political reason and he didn’t bother to influence the turn of events out of principle.

RelatedPosts

Sunday Igboho and the spirit of Ogbori Elemoso, By Festus Adedayo

Is diaspora now about rubbishing those at home? By Prof Toyin Falola

Governments: Take concrete steps to reverse trends of shrinking and closing civic spaces in Nigeria, By Tola Winjobi

Members of his political, People’s Redemption Party (PRP) were minority in the Kaduna State of Assembly, and the leadership of the major political party saw this vulnerability in him and used it against him.

He saw the impeachment coming his way but he believed so much in principle. Therefore, despite being in control of the state’s treasury, which could be easily deployed to lobby majority members of the opposition party in the state Assembly. He decided not to use the tax payers’ monies for such venture for his personal gain, at the expense of people that voted him into power.

Ironically, the majority in Kaduna State and Nigeria at large didn’t feel the same with his “sit down look approach,’ because they all felt cheated. They later referred to him as a man of special honour (Akanda Eda) till now.

Today, the name Balarabe Musa, remains a political reference point of progressive leadership, not only in Kaduna State, but in the entire Northern region, and Nigeria at large.

As a young activist, he was my role model and anytime political events brought us together, he would make sure we discuss the real Nigerian politics.

When it comes to national mobilisation for any political functions, especially in the South West region, he believed I would be deeply involved in such an event because of my strategic position in the Nigerian Civil Societies from decades ago.

On his way to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 60th Birthday Colloquium held at Eko Hotel in 2012, he told me point blank that up till that day, he found it difficult to believe that a whole Bola Ige, the sitting Attorney General of the Federation under former President Olusegun Obasanjo could be murdered in December 2001 and nothing happened till 2012.

“I will be calling you Bola Ige henceforth please, in appreciation of keeping the flag flying through the annual memorial symposium you young people always organise in his memory till date,” he told me.

As usual, he jettisoned the official car from the Protocol’s Office of the Governor which I was supposed to follow with my own car to the venue of event and joined me inside my car instead.

To him, it is highly rewarding for both of us to resume discussion on politics after a long break occasioned by the North and South distance that kept us apart.

His grudge against the APC was that neither President Muhammadu Buhari, with whom his political party-PRP teamed up with three consecutive times when he was contesting the presidential seat nor any of the ACNeader in the South West with whom he had a long relationship with since Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) days, remembered him as a political figure in the North, when they were forming the mega Party, All Progressives’ Congress in 2013/2014.

As a Student of history, I told him how prepared we were in the Civil Societies to ensure our dear ation, NIGERIA, experience change of Government he had been yearning for since assassination of Bola Ige.

On the issue of CPC merging with ACN and APGA, I made him realise that the quest for major political parties across the regions in Nigeria could be the only reason why they forgot about his party, which is a minority party in the process but I agreed totally with his personal position coupled with his long established goodwill.

I told him that his mistake was being too rigid. “Even, Daddy at home sometimes needs to beg his Wife or Children or all of them for the peace to reign.

“You know you were important but being neglected for the reason not known to you and you didn’t deem it fit to put a call across to register your interest as Politician?”

“Not too late,” I told him, in his hotel room in Abuja, in 2015, where I had gone to meet him all the way from Lagos State, to find out the reason he didn’t toe the lath of majority of the Nigerian Civil Societies, courtesy my personal sponsored trips. He said, it’s too late since he was not given the opportunity to be part of it from the beginning, he couldn’t join a moving train then.

Our friendship continued but our idealogies were different.

As a leader and youth in the Civil Societies, we were still discussing the possibilities of working together in the 2023 presidential election, before he kicked the bucket.

His being too rigid pitched him against the ruling party throughout

Adieu! My leader and mentor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa.

Being a tribute by Comrade Awa Bamiji, Executive President, Bola Ige Centre for Justice.

Related

Tags: Awa BamijiBalarabe Musa
Previous Post

#EndSARS: Court orders police to probe Davido, Tuface, Sam Adeyemi, Tiwa Savage, 46 others

Next Post

#EndSARS: Escapees during jailbreak threatening policemen with text messages, says Edo CP

Related Posts

Insecurity:Coalition urges FG to set up community, state, regional police

Insecurity:Coalition urges FG to set up community, state, regional police

January 3, 2021
Yoruba youths condemn murder of Olufon

Yoruba youths condemn murder of Olufon

December 25, 2020

Bola Ige memorial symposium holds December 17

December 16, 2020

Bola Ige memorial symposium holds December 17

November 20, 2020

Ex-Kaduna governor, Balarabe Musa dies at 84

November 11, 2020

Coalition condemns looting of rifles, ammunition in Lagos during #EndSARS unrest, warns against second phase of protest

November 9, 2020

Yoruba youths sue for peace among ethnic groups in Nigeria

October 26, 2020
Next Post
#EndSARS: Escapees during jailbreak threatening policemen with text messages, says Edo CP

#EndSARS: Escapees during jailbreak threatening policemen with text messages, says Edo CP

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Nigeria COVID-19 Live Update

NIGERIA

Confirmed
126,160
Deaths
1,543
Recovered
100,365
Active
24,252
Last updated: January 28, 2021 - 3:22 am (+01:00)

Global

Confirmed
101,433,090
+21,373
Deaths
2,184,120
+1,693
Recovered
73,323,416
Active
25,925,554
Last updated: January 28, 2021 - 3:22 am (+01:00)
Access Bank2020

Newspeakonline

© 2020 Newspeak & Associates
Optimized by IChannelTech.

Navigate Site

  • Breaking News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Interview
  • Newpeak Magazine
  • Newspeak Exclusives
  • Politics
  • COVID-19 Update

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • World
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
  • Opinion
  • Interview
  • Newspeak Exclusives

© 2020 Newspeak & Associates
Optimized by IChannelTech.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In