Awolowo was the most patriotic, enduring example of a leader —Balarabe

Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, in this interview with MUHAMMAD SABIU, speaks on the politics of Awo, among other issues. Excerpts: 

You had the privilege and opportunity of interacting with Chief Obafemi Awolowo when he was alive. What are the things you could recollect about him 30 years after his demise? 

I still remember him as the most legendary political leader of the progressive nature. I still remember him as someone who had achieved a lot for the development of the country so much that I feel if Chief Awolowo had been president of this country for only two years, Nigeria wouldn’t have been what it is today. Yes, this country could have advanced further than this.

Decades after his death, majority of Nigerians still speak glowingly of the man. What was unique about his brand of politics? 

The thing that was unique about his brand of politics was his dedication and the issue of free education. He was highly disciplined and he committed his personal resources for public interest. Like I said if he had been the president of Nigeria for only two years not four years, his achievements would have been greater than what we have seen today.

He is acknowledged as one of the arrowheads of progressive politics in the country. How would you recollect his contributions in that regard? 

I would recollect that though he was a partisan politician, he didn’t regard the partisan politics as a deciding factor in the political development of Nigeria as he preferred to subject the partisanship to national interest. He played that during the Second Republic. Awolowo supported any of the political parties he felt could win elections. The most legendary example was the case of Kaduna State. He identified that our party, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), was most capable of winning the gubernatorial election, and he directed his voters and his party, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), to vote for PRP in bringing about the much-needed peace and development. Interestingly, his decision was followed by the Nigeria People’s Party (NPP), and Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP). All the parties came together and supported the PRP and we eventually won. This was exemplary patriotism, exemplary political judgment, which has not been equalled in the politics of this country.

What are those factors you think made him stand out among his peers? 

The most important thing was his way of life. He was highly disciplined as a politician. He also committed his resources to public interest. This idea of free education if it had been followed like he wanted it, we wouldn’t have this gap between one section of the country and the other. Awolowo was not only interested in free education but he was equally interested in qualitative education. Unfortunately, the situation we have now is education for its own sake. Even those parts of the country that claim to be educationally advanced, if you look at their progressive, they are still backward.

With the benefit of hindsight, what do you think is the place of Awolowo in the history of the country? 

Awolowo is the most patriotic, the most enduring example of a leader this country has produced. If we have leaders like Awo ,certainly, the type of politics we have now money politics, wouldn’t have been the case. His politics, his desire for change and his constant desire to see that the progressives come together have not been followed. If his followers have remained faithful to his ideals, things would have been different. To me, his followers have not met his standards. I can give many examples but I will not. I have been associated with Awo since 1950. I belonged to the Northern Elements Peoples Union (NEPU) and right from that time, we have an understanding with Awo’s Action Group (AG), even though we did not go into an alliance with AG but with the National Congress for Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC). Even at that, most of our party members preferred we go into an alliance with the AG. But inspite of that, all the parties were united in one common goal; that is, national interest. We came together whenever an issue cropped up and we were like that up to the Second Republic.