Northern leaders on Tuesday reflected on the life and legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, late premier of Northern Nigeria and the Sardaunan of Sokoto, describing his assassination as a tragic turning point in the country’s history.
The leaders, drawn from the Arewa Consultative Forum (AFC), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), and other prominent northern groups, spoke at a press briefing in Kaduna to mark 60 years since Bello was killed during the January 15, 1966 military coup.
Speaking on behalf of the groups, Bashir Dalhatu, chairman of the board of trustees (BoT) of the ACF, said the values of integrity, unity and visionary leadership embodied by the late premier remain critical to Nigeria’s survival and progress.
“Today is exactly 60 years since Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardaunan Sokoto and some of his colleagues were murdered by rogue elements of the Nigerian military. “Those killings eventually plunged the country into series of crises including a thirty month civil war and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives”, Dalhatu said.
While acknowledging Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Dalhatu said Nigeria must also remember defining moments in its political history.
“Some versions of our history suggest that the nation has moved on from those tragic events.
“Indeed, we celebrate this day as Armed Forces Remembrance Day. The heroism and sacrifices of our men and women in the Armed Forces are worthy of celebrating.
“In the same spirit, key elements of our history are also worth remembering,” he said.
He added that people of northern Nigeria will continued to hold the Sardauna in high esteem because of his role in preparing the region for self government and independence.
“People of the North have a special place in their hearts for the Sardauna and his colleagues who made the supreme sacrifice sixty years ago.
Their roles in preparing the Northern Region for self government and ultimately independence have been captured by history as vital lessons in committed and visionary leadership,” Dalhatu said.
He described the late premier as a leader whose integrity and competence set enduring standards for governance.
“Although they were human and vulnerable as leaders, yet their commitment to the people, competence in governance and transparent integrity serve as unmatched standards for generations of leaders,” Dalhatu said.
Highlighting Bello’s developmental legacies, Dalhatu cited the establishment of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the massive investments in education.
“Sixty years after the Sardauna, the North looks with pride at the world class Ahmadu Bello University which his vision led him to establish. He started with just a handful of government schools yet died leaving behind hundreds of learning institutions that gave rich and poor equal access to education,” he said.
Dalhatu said the Sardauna governed with sensitivity to the plural nature of the North.
“He ran a compassionate administration that was transparently inclusive and fair to Christian and Muslim Northerners and instilled values of humility and unity,” he said.
Dalhatu expressed concern that most northerners today did not experience such leadership.
He lamented the current state of governance and social conditions in the region.
According to him, the name of the Sardauna sounds like a tale to millions of Northerners today because the North have no successors who sustained his records.
He reaffirmed the commitment of northern leaders to democratic development adding the region will assess itself as a key player in the growth and development of Nigeria’s democratic system.
Remembering Sir Ahmadu Bello: Northern leaders reflect on legacies, loss 60 years after
