BELLO, Ahmadu

The Sardauna of Sokoto by(Sonde Abah). ££ tfr^^ et a" tne education you can, but ™w M then, by God, do something!Don't 'just stand there, make something happen. It isn't easy, butifyou keep your nose to the grindstone and work at it, it's amaz ing how ina free society you can become asgreat as you wantto be."- LeeIacocca inhisautobiography. TheAmerican automobile manufacturer prob ably never heard much about Sir Ahmadu Bello. Oth erwise, Lee Iacocca might have eagerly used him asa veritable example of people who do something in deed; people who kept theirnose to the grindstone and workedtirelessly. As even some ofhis most implacable critics would readily admit, Ahmadu Bello, theSardauna of Sokoto and premierof the Northern Region worked ceaselessly at the goals hewas determinedto achieve, especially, inareas likethe promotionof the interests oftheNorth, a land headored passionately, and una bashedly till the end ofhis life. "Sardauna's hard work was legendary," de claredAlhaji Abdul Razaq (SAN) in TheDemocrat (newspaper) of 13 January 1995, "beginningat least from the 1940s, he slept for two or three hours a night. Aspremier, heeasily outpaced hissmall army ofpersonal aidesandregularly lost histemper when anyone failed to measure up ..." Accordingto Alhaji MuhammedJega, whowas hisprivate secretary 1963-1964, "theSardauna's days began at 4 am when he read the prayer munajatin shehu. After prayers, at 5 am he would meet his ministerswho departat 8am. Afterwhichhegoesto the office and work ...". According to some ofthose who were close to him, Sir Ahmadu Bello was deeply concerned over the fact that unlike the southern region, the North was lagging behind in many areas. He apparently saw this as a personal challenge that must be tackled with all his might and with utmost urgency. SirAhmadu Bello's leadershipqualitiesstarted to manifest early in his life. Born on 12June 1909 in Rabbah, Sokoto, he was the son of Ibrahim Mai Rabbah,and great, great grandson ofthat famous Is lamic scholar and founder ofthe Sokoto Caliphate, Shehu Usman dan Fodio. Between 1915 and 1917 the young Ahmadu had his Quranic education at home, then attended the Sokoto Middle School from 1917 to 1926. His next port of call was the famous Katsina training college (forerunner of the equally famous Balewa College). According to official record. Sir Ahmadu Bello was one of the school's prefects and "he handled his responsibilities in a way that left no one in doubt that hewasdestined to bea potentially great leader." He was also a games captain, "an excellent batsman and bowler in the cricket squad" and a "brilliant scholar who completed hiscoursewithflying colours". After graduating from thecollege. Sir Ahmadu returned to Sokoto in 1931 to work as a teacher at his almamater,Sokoto Middle School. He remained there until 1934when he was appointed the district head of Rabbah. Some five years later, he was crowned the Sardauna of Sokotoanddeployed toGusau, withthe responsibility ofoverseeing the affairs ofthe eastern division ofSokoto province, (made upof 14 of the47 districts inthe province). Barely one year later, Sir Ahmadu Bello re turnedto Sokotoas the chief secretaryto the Sokoto Native Authority and chiefadviser to the Sultan. In 1948, he wentto the United Kingdom fora course in local government administration "in order to become better equipped in the career he had chosen." By the time he returned to Nigeria, Bello was readyto make hay in the political arena. He made his debut in style and was elected as a member of the Northern Regional House of Assembly. He had barely wonthe election when he was appointed member of thecon-stitutionaldrafting committee (that is, as one of the representatives ofthe North). At about this time Bello was also made a member of the Northern Regional Development and Production Board. In 1951, he joined the executive council of the Northern Regional Government as minister of works and later,(after a cabinet reshuffle) as minister for local government and community development business of the Northern Region. As if to underline the measure of acceleration the Sardauna's political career had attained, the relatively young man was appointed the leader of delegation (of the northern team) to the Nigerian constitutional conference held in London in 1953 Barely a couple of months la.er, Bello was en throned as the president-general of the Northern People's Congress, a conservative political party which he co-founded. The NPC would later take charge of affairs until the nation attained independence in 1960. Bello,who had become the president of the Executive Council of the Northern Region in 1959 and was also knighted by the Queen of England, that year, was elected president of the World Muslim League. He also became the first chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello Universityin 1963. By the time he was killed during the Major Nzeogu-led coup d' etat of 15 January 1966 the Sardauna of Sokoto had established himself firmly as a patriot and unapologetic defender of the interests of his people, even as he promoted ethnic and religious harmony. In one of his Christmas messages,for example, he said:"here in Northern Nigeria we have people of many different races,tribes and religions who are knit together by common history, common interests and commonide as- the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us." He added: "I always remind people of our firmly rooted policy in religious tolerance; (that)we have no intention off avouring one religion at the expense of another. Subject to the overriding need to preserve law and order, it is our determination that everyone should have absolute liberty to the dictates of his conscience". The area in which Bello continues to elicit extreme passions,however, was his uncompromising commitment to the affairs of his region.Unlike many of his contemporaries, the Sardauna of Sokoto was not all that eager to dabble into national politics.. And it so happened that while the Obafemi Awolowos,Nnamdi Azikiwes and AlvanIkokus were gallivantingacrossthe stage all over the land, Bello was content to remain alocalchampion,albeitade cidedly powerful one whose influence was not only larger than life,but in fact, remained a constant feature of the government of the day,led by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. "He could have easily become the prime minister, if he had wanted,"says a close political associate. "After all he had all that was necessary. He was charismatic,influential and enjoyed the massive support of not only of his people but the British colonial masters who, it must be noted, were very comfort able with him- infact, with the North generally,compared to the others. "Yet, despite all that,he elected not to join the fray (atthe national level). Instead, he remained in the background,giving active support to his friend (and class mate at the KatsinaTraining College)Sir AbubakarTafawa Balewa. But even at that, it was clear that (Bello) was the power behind the throne, the unseen hand in that government." Bello himself scarcely concealed the fact that his heart was firmly rooted in the North, even as he supported the federation, at least, in principle. In his now famous remark,the Sardauna reportedly said that"I would rather be called the Sultan of Sokoto than the president of Nigeria." Despite that, not a few people are willing to swear to his credentials as a nationalist. Writing in the New Nigerian newspaper of 16 January 1995, Mahmud Jega, one of Bello's for meraides, declared: "he was an avowed federalist; witness his independence day message to the nation in October 1960 in which he said interalia:"the government of which I am the head is solemnly pledged to support the independence constitution of Nigeria and to protect the federation against all divisionalistic forceswithin and outsidethecountry." This commitment obviously explains his seeming eagernesstoinfluencewhatwasgoingonat the federal level, evenashe remained inhis base, so muchso,in fact,thatitgraduallybecametheuniver sally accepted fact that whereas Balewa wasthe prime minister,Bellowasinfactthemancallingthe shots. Thebeliefwassopervasivethat righttillthedaythe duo(andother principal characters ofthatera)were killed inthe January 1966 coup,most people remained convincedthatBellowasthedefactoruler. "Regardingthis fabulous prince ofillustrious heritage called AhmaduBello,thewholeworlditself can testify (thathewas)onehellofawonderfulman," writesMohammedHassan-Tom in TheDemocrat of 13 August 1992."It wasnotbecauseof material wealth orenormous power of brute forceorguileortrickery thathebecamethemost forcefulleaderandpolitician of his time.It was rather by a strength flowing from the unity of feeling,thought and knowledge or of body, mind and spirit,that he thus came to be blessed with charisma and power. "So glaring andforceful wasthispowerthat friend and foealikesimplymeltedbeforehiswill.He will be blessed, not because ofhis will butbecause (heworked)fortheselfless,commongood.Hisworst denigrators and enemiesdidnot sparehim harsh words (which great person waseverspared?)but secretly, they shiveredbefore his force ofuniversalhuman loveandgoodwill." Alhaji Abdul Razaq(SAN)added:"He was verytolerant andaccommodating. Wheneverthere wasaministerialgang-upagainsta person,he saw through itandstoodfirmly forthe truthto prevail against theconspiracyevenintheabsence ofthevic tim. "He stoodby the truth. Hehadawonderful way ofdefusingpoliticalorsocialtensionwheneverit occurredinhis presence." Anotheraspect ofBello's life thatcontinues togenerate sundrydebateistherelationshipbetween himandanothernotablepolitician ofthatera,Mailam Aminu Kano.Although,they were in opposing camps (Kano was a progressive,while Bello was a conservative), a measure of similarity is obvious in their respective visions for the North- at least, to the extent that each of them campaigned for a strong united North where no man or woman would be oppressed. The similarities however end there. Dr Junaid Mohammed, a former member of the House of Representative, reported that the relationship between Bello and the late Mallam Aminu Kano did not only involve mutual respect but was extremely cordinal. Both men had essentially identical visions for the North. The only difference, he explained, was that whereas Aminu Kano could see beyond the North and tried to reconcile the intrest of North and that of the non-northan areas, Bello was not prepared to make those accommodations and reconciliation. Nonethless , Junaid added: " You do not necessarily need to become a prophet before you can clearly see or rather appreciate the achievements of the late premier which i must quickly add, is that Bello, unlike his contemporaries was a man who never considered religious barrier as a yardstick in pursuit of his policies and programmes".