As loyalists of the late Malam Aminu Kano drawn from diverse professions gathered in Kano last Sunday, April 17, to remember their political idol, BASHIR MOHAMMED articulates that it was a reminder of the relevance of his political ideologies to the present political system.
Known for his radical and uncompromising ideological view, the late Malam Aminu Kano was to politicians, a role model of excellence and unique political relevance, and to the masses, a formidable vanguard against tyranny, blatant persecution and injustice.
His mission on the establishment of the Northern Elements Progressives Union(NEPU) along with other competing political parties during the hey days of the first republic had exposed his penchant for fighting the exploitative and repressive colonial junta who had for decades stamped their imprimatur on the political landscape of the nation.
He had undoubtedly fought tooth and nail in sending the colonial and imperial guards packing at the time they ruled Nigeria at the expense of Nigerians, making everyone to express his or her servile obedience to their whims and caprices
He was a revered pugilist, when it comes to the issue of fighting injustice, and spitting venom on forces demonizing the down trodden masses with no justifiable reasons, choosing to die a pauper in order to put a stop to some politicians’ kleptomaniac disposition.
He was also believed and adored to be highly disciplined politicians who light his candles in both ends, knowing his onion that with positive position, Kano would be a leading pace-setter in the parlance of politics without bitterness.
It was however a matter of high responsibility, on the shoulders of his disciples, loyalists and admirers to organize a memorial lecture in his honour on annual basis, a monumental feat put on ground since the year 2001 by the Aminu Kano Centre for Research and Democratic studies, sustaining the tempo on annual basis.
This year’s memorial lecture was quite unique, interesting and spectacular, given the creme de la creme of high flying academics and notable political kingpins who had used the occasion n as launch-pad to exchange verbal salvos on issues one perceived to be right.
The first speaker, who is a renowned academic, Professor Sule Bello of the department of history, Ahamadu Bello University Zaria, started
his lecture entitled Aminu Kano’s Politics; a roadmap for social, economic and political change in Nigeria, by eulogizing the late Malam Aminu Kano for standing against injustice and repressive colonial junta.
According to him the formation of NEPU, NCCNC,and the AG of the late Obafemi Awolowo was mooted to liberate Nigeria from the crude and exploitative tendency of the gluttonous colonial and ip imperial warlords plundered the treasure-trove of Nigeria
He said it was as a result of the collaborative effort of other notable nationalists in Africa like Nnkurmah, Nyerere and others, that the region was rescued from the oppressive colonial bondage that had finally given birth to the independence of many African nations.
He said Nigerian politics today has taken a dismal dimension with the political elites embracing the innate culture of corruption, turning politics into a biggest money spinning business at the expense of national interest and pure democratic values and ethos
He however lamented that, the present crop of political elites had disastrously ruined the economy of the nation through various acts of theft and wanton brigandage in the name of representing their people at the Senate and House of representatives.
;He said in the present political dispensation there are some politicians who can be said to have wielded some considerable influence with prestige, decorum and honour in the way the late iconic political figure had wielded to the satisfaction of the masses.
Citing the example of the late Umaru Musa Yaraduwa and Alhaji Sule Lamido to buttress his point, the fire brand academic revealed that the duo had proven to be real disciples of the late Malam Aminu Kano at the time they had a stint at the helm of affairs.
His vituperative comment on the excesses of political elites at the top echelon of power had undoubtedly drawn the ire of some notable politicians during the one day memorial lecture who had totally disagreed with the professor’s claim that the present political elites had lost credibility and the ability and capacity to uphold the trust of their people.
launching his scathing attack on the claim and presentation of the renowned ABU scholar, a one time President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and now member representing Maigatari, Gagarawa, Sule Tankarkar and Gumel Federal constituency at the House of representatives, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Zorro disputed the professor’s claim that Sule Lamido is a replica of the late sage.
According to him, many known edifices built by the immediate governor of Jigawa state were not named after the late Malam Aminu Kano for him to be immortalized stressing that the erudite scholar was simply expressing his personal opinion like any other person.
He said emulating the good legacy of the late Malam Aminu Kano depends on one’s resolve to exhibit the good traits he had epitomized and religiously preached during his life.
But the heated exchange of political bouts took a an extraordinary dimension at the time the renowned woman political activist, Hajiya Najaatu Muhammad told the listening audience that she was born and bred by NEPU looking at her pedigree and the profile of her late father, who was popularly known as a staunch NEPU kingpin.
She berated the academics for bringing shame and disrepute to the academia for paying lip service to pure academic excellence in return for pecuniary gains which she added had jeopardized the future of many young and enterprising students all over the country.
Najaatu’s vituperative attack on scholars in the academia was met with severe rebuttal from the President, Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Isah Fagge who challenged her to produce an incontrovertible evidence to support her claim that academics in the Universities are extorting money from students before they were allowed to pass their examination.
Solomon Dalung, the fire brand Minister of Youth and Sports, took the centre stage analyzing the evil of corruption in a democratic set up which he described as a hydra-headed monster that had eaten deep into the body fabric of Nigeria as a nation-state.
It was however his contention that looters of the nation’s treasury had greatly ruined the quest for credible leadership at the time the political class are expected to lead by example, by lending credence to the issue of accountability, probity and trust.
According to him, no nation on the universe could ever excelled with corruption promoted to high heavens adding that corrupt elements in the corridors of power had carved a negative niche for themselves and are destined to be vilified by the verdict of history.
He however stated that Nigeria is currently endowed with a leader averse to sharp corrupt practices stressing that with the ferocious war against corruption, many notable kingpins in the business are undoubtedly on the way to the Gulag to cool their heels.
With the Aminu Kano annual memorial lecture turned into a theatre of trading polemics , blame and counter blame, the tension and furore generated by the heated debate was eventually doused as a result of the swift intervention of the governor of Katsina state, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari who had done justice to both the academics and the political elites.
It was however the contention of the former speaker that, the issue of leadership is all about honesty and the ability to live above board stressing that every man is a politician who can be judged by the way and manner one steer the affairs of his family.
The event came to a close with the remarks made by the deputy governor of Kano state, Professor Hafiz Abubakar who represented the governor of the state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, calling on the operators of the FM stations in Kano to lend credence to the problem of professional misconduct which had given birth to political dirty tricks.
Professor Abubakar told the audience that he was baring his mind on the issue of mudslinging over the Radio as his personal opinion not reflecting the official pronouncement of the Kano state government.
Pundits and analysts have concluded that the memorial lecture had opened the floodgate to the audience to take a stock and concentrate on the teaching of the man widely acclaimed as a stout defender of the masses who in the face of gruelling odds fought and died fighting the oppressive exploits of the gluttonous colonial masters on the one hand and the forces persecuting the common man on the other.