Tributes as Balarabe Musa, Kaduna ex-governor dies at 84

A former Kaduna State Governor, Balarabe Musa, died on Wednesday morning in Kaduna at the age of 84.

One of his sons, Kallamu BalarabeMusa, confirmed the death of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) at his residence in Kaduna.

One of his sons, Kallamu Balarabe-Musa, confirmed the death of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) at his residence in Kaduna.

He said that Musa will be buried by 4pm (Wednesday) after funeral prayer at the Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna.

The late Musa was born on August 21, 1936 in Kaya, Kaduna State. He studied at the Zaria Middle School from 1947 to 1952 and at the Institute of Administration, Zaria from 1952 to 1953.

Musa, who was an accounts clerk and a school teacher, held various managerial positions related to accountancy from 1960 to 1976, while studying at different colleges in London to gain additional qualifications.

He was elected governor of the old Kaduna State in 1979 on the platform of the PRP, a party founded by late Mallam Aminu Kano.

As governor, he was prevented from constituting a cabinet by the state House of Assembly dominated by the opposition National Party of Nigeria (NPN) members.

Eventually the House impeached him in June 1981, making him the first Nigerian state governor ever to be impeached.

He was the PRP candidate for the presidency in the 2003 elections, and later Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP).

On August 31, 2010, Balarabe-Musa quit active politics due to health issues and announced his immediate resignation from the chairmanship of the PRP.

Musa, in a last interview he granted on October 4, said that the aspirations of Nigeria could be achieved if both the leadership and followers resolved to play their part in earnest nation building.

“Honestly, the country has not fared well at 60. It is very disappointing that this is where we are. But, things can be better; we can still achieve the dreams of the founding fathers if we all play our role in nation building,” he said.

He urged leaders to always make the welfare and well-being of the people the focus of their policies and programmes.

The former governor stressed that political and economic restructuring of the country was key for progress “We need to restructure the country politically and economically.

We need to ensure that power actually resides with the people.

The economic and political models we are currently operating only empower a few. Governments must be structured to impact positively on the masses,” he had said.

Following the announcement of his death, tributes have continued to pour in from eminent Nigerians.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his reaction described the late Alh. Balarabe Musa as a patriot, whose death he received with deep shock.

In a release signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi on Wednesday, Obasanjo said the late former governor of Kaduna State had unwavering belief in a greater Nigeria.

“And, he accordingly gave the best of his remarkable talent and ability in pursuit of this goal,” Obasanjo was quoted as having said, adding further that the late politician re-affirmed himself as one of Nigeria’s most articulate governors during the second republic.

“Despite his latter impeachment as the governor of Kaduna State in 1981, he contested an elective office for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) where he ran as presidential candidate in the 2003 election which unfortunately he lost.

“The late Alhaji Balarabe Musa will be remembered for his invaluable contribution to Nigeria’s political evolution. He brought renewed activism, verve and resourcefulness to bear on the nation’s polity,” disclosed.

Also, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed shock over the death of the second republic governor of old Kaduna State.

Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the governor said this in a statement on Wednesday in Kaduna.

“Alhaji Balarabe Musa will be remembered as a progressive politician who tried in his time as governor to expand the horizons of opportunity for ordinary people.

“He made notable contributions towards industrialising the state, as a leader, he demonstrated at the ballot box, the capacity of a political party devoted to the protection of the interest of ordinary people to acquire power democratically.

“As a private citizen, he projected the qualities of principled politics, decency, integrity, consistency and commitment to improving the lives of our ‘talakawa’ in Kaduna State and Nigeria.

“In spite of the setback of his unwarranted impeachment from the office of the governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa remained steadfast to his principles and spoke his mind often, helping to project a radical voice in public discourse in defense of democracy, and to advance social justice,’’ he said.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State in his message condoled with the family of the late politician.

In a statement issued in Kano on Wednesday by Abba Anwar, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ganduje described the death of the former governor as a great loss to Nigeria; to democracy and to the downtrodden.

“We received with shock and sadness, the death of the Second Republic governor of the old Kaduna State, Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, who passed away when Nigeria needed him the most.

“Nigeria’s democracy was moulded by the likes of Malam Balarabe Musa. The unparalleled concern for the welfare of the poor placed him above many politicians in the country and the indelible marks he left behind during his leadership were enough reasons to explain his genuine love for the people,’’ Ganduje was quoted as having said.

The governor also extended his condolence to the government of Kaduna State, his friends, associates and well-wishers. Former President of the Senate, David Mark, described the demise of Alhaji Balarabe Musa, as a big blow to the struggle for the emancipation of the oppressed in the country.

Mark in a statement signed by his media aide, Paul Mumeh, said that the late politician was an uncommon activist and defender of the ordinary man. “Balarabe Musa was a great patriot.

He was an advocate for peace and justice. He was a voice for the voiceless. He was bluntly frank, courageous and steadfast.

He never shied away from fighting for justice. He called a spade its proper name,” Mark said.

The former Senate president said Nigeria had lost an honest and patriotic statesman.

He said that Balarabe Musa, until his death, remained one of the best and fertile minds amongst the political class. Mark said that the late politician departed the stage when his wealth of experience and knowledge was needed to navigate through the murky terrain of the Nigerian politics.

He said that history would be kind to Balarabe Musa, as he left fond memories and positive footprints in the sand of time.

Mark, who extended his condolences to the immediate family, government and people of Kaduna State, also prayed that the Almighty God grants the deceased eternal rest. Similarly, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu, described the death of Alhaji Balarabe Musa, as a huge loss to the nation.

Sen. Kalu in a condolence message admonished the family of the deceased to take solace in the fact that their late patriarch was a well-respected statesman, who placed the welfare and well-being of the people above selfish ambitions.

Extolling the virtues of the late politician, Sen. Kalu acknowledged the prominent roles Musa played as former chairman of the Coalition of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in enthroning and sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

He added that the former governor was a strong advocate of a just and fair society and urged the political class to emulate the remarkable and worthy leadership qualities of the late politician.

According to him, political office holders should use their positions to advance the cause of the people as exemplified by the late statesman.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere on Wednesday described the late Balarabe Musa as a progressive voice in northern Nigeria.

National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, made the assertion in an interview on Wednesday in Lagos, while reacting to the death of the former Kaduna governor.

Odumakin said that Balarabe stood for something and pursued it to his death. “Balarabe stood for something and it was not just about making money, and a lot of other things we see politicians doing today.

After he was impeached as the governor of Kaduna State, he has been contributing his own quota to the cause of the masses. Now death has come.

“Today, he has gone and when we talk about Balarabe Musa, people know what he stood for. He had an ideal which he pursued.

“It is not about making money that other people will take over when we die. What matters is the legacies we stood for while we were alive.

He was a progressive voice within the northern establishment. We have seen him throughout his life as a voice on the side of progress and that was what stood him out.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko, described the late Alhaji Balarabe Musa, as a dogged and rare democrat.

Sen. Wamakko, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Bashir Mani, said that Musa’s demise had left a wide vacuum too difficult to fill in the Nigerian political sphere.

He also described Musa as a core patriot and nationalist, saying that he recorded tremendous achievements while he was the governor of the old Kaduna State between October 1979 and June 1981.

According to him, Musa’s demise is a colossal loss, not only to his immediate family and Kaduna State, but also to the country in general.

The senator prayed Allah to grant the deceased ‘aljannat firdaus’ and his family, people and government of Kaduna State the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed deep grief over the death of the elder statesman, describing him as an outstanding democrat.

READ ALSO: Failed state: Nigeria’s situation is beyond Buhari’s control — Balarabe Musa

The party described Alhaji Balarabe Musa’s death as a huge national loss given his steadfastness, patriotic contributions and zeal in fighting for the unity, stability and development of our nation.

In a statement on Wednesday, party spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said “Alhaji Musa was a forthright leader, an embodiment of ideals, who spent better part of his life championing the entrenchment of justice, equity, fairness and rule of law in every sector of our national life, despite the challenges he faced.

“Our party commiserates with the Balarabe Musa family, the government and people of Kaduna state, as well as his friends and associates even as we pray that the Almighty God grants eternal repose to his soul and fortitude to the family and the nation at large, to bear this irreparable loss.”