I told them they had just brought his corpse to Ajiya’s house (the house of one of the six kingmakers in the area); that was how I broke the news to them. The first Prime Minister was from Bauchi State. Balewa’s father Yakubu Dan Zala was of Gere ethnicity, and his mother Fatima Inna was half Gere half Fulani. We remained in our house here in Bauchi. When you came out, they would give you employment, a vehicle and a furnished three-bedroom flat. Didn’t the family insist that he must be buried where he wanted to be buried? The name of his birthplace was appended to Abubakar’s name (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa). I did not even cry. By the time I got there, they had started the funeral prayer and there was no way I could start discussing that with anybody, so I just let it be. God made it so and made them (victims of January 1966 coup) sacrifice their lives for this country, so it is a big history and I am proud of that. I would say yes. The question is about leadership. It’s the 54th anniversary of the coup this year, what do you think about the coup? So, with these kinds of hiccups and the destruction of esprit de corps in the army, things started to go awry. If you look at herdsmen and farmers’ crises, it used to be with bows and arrows and machetes. Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, the man who claimed to be the son of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, has been exposed as not only a name dropper but also from Yoruba. I can’t do that because my father didn’t bring me up that way. Ga Jawabin Mai Girma Firaministan Nageriya Na Farko, Alhaji Sir. Nigeria was beautiful. I remember his friend from Gombe, Mallam Jauro, who has also passed on. Visit www.atbu.edu.ng. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa : biography 1912 – January 15, 1966 Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE (December 1912 – January 15, 1966) was a Nigerian politician, and the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria. They had hopes because they had developmental plans and were implementing them religiously but, along the way, things just stopped moving. He was his father’s only child. The name of his birthplace was appended to Abubakar’s name (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa). Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa wasn’t corrupt and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello wasn’t corrupt either; they didn’t find anything against them, so, what more did they want? You could travel from here (Bauchi) to Lagos at night; you wouldn’t be afraid of anything. TODAY SIR. What was Nigeria like while you were growing up? Do you remember crying when you heard about his death? Since I got there and they had already started the process of burial, there was nothing else I could do. He was his father’s only child. Something is wrong somewhere. How Tafawa Balewa’s widow was abandoned after husband’s death. Did that stop a coup? People tried to come together but, after that, the politics became something else: ‘If I don’t get it, let everybody lose it.’ That was how Nigeria got to this state. Have you forgiven the people who killed your dad? I know some of those houses that are still here till today in Bauchi. How was life after the death of your dad? He was his father’s only child. Gone. From Bashir Abdullahi El-bash Here is the speech of the first prime minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Sir. They will be somewhere in Bauchi or even far away from Bauchi. They are not the ones doing the fighting. Well, around 1982-83, my child was interested in joining the Nigerian Army and even passed the test. When your father was in office, he had people from other regions working very closely with him but now, Nigerians, especially those in the South, feel the appointments of heads of security agencies are skewed to favour the North. Tafawa Balewa's Son Set To Drag PDP To Court 6 years ago read comments by Legit.ng Dr Abdul Jelil, the son of Nigeria’s First Republic Prime Minister, the late Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa has vowed to drag the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to court for being denied the Presidential form . Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, son of Nigeria's first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa has been kidnapped by suspected kidnappers. These insurgents have come out with sophisticated weapons and they are even ready to take on the Nigerian Army. The only thing I do when I think about him is to pray for him. And it has continued. Where did they see Nigeria in the future at that time? My father didn’t sleep; he had very little sleep because he always had a late night with his circle of advisers, ministers and the others as they tried to get Nigeria working. If you asked him, he would say it was because if they, the founding fathers, could not hold Nigeria together, then what would happen after them? But before, it was neglected. Cikakken jawabin mai girma Firaministan Nageriya, Alhaji Sir. I saw her trying to perform her ablutions in preparation for prayers but the other kids started crying and I went out. But today’s politicians are known to amass wealth. I learnt that even the then Prime Minister of England told him to come and stay with him in his ship but he didn’t. If you travel, for instance, from here to Kano, just don’t speed. Kindly Share This Story: By Charles Agwam. If your father was to witness the situation in Nigeria now, what do you think would be his reaction? Balewa’s father Yakubu Dan Zala was of Gere ethnicity, and … Originally a trained teacher, he became a vocal leader for Northern interest as one of the few educated Nigerians of his time. Usman Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is the 60-year-old son of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. There was no change. As a Muslim, I don’t hold a grudge against anybody. The security under the Federal Government has not fared very well because the head of a security agency will just take the entire money and put it in his pocket, simple. I won’t say they didn’t succeed because they brought Nigeria into a very unpromising situation and up till now, the effects are still there – issues Christians, Muslims, North, East, South, and so on, have against one another are the foundation of our problems today as a nation. That was when I broke the news to them at home. Another time was when I was travelling to Jos and a crisis erupted. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-5689805440782123"; It was regional then. But like I told you, I wasn’t in Lagos then. People are talking about him and all the good things that he did while he was alive. My father had four wives. We wanted to finish school and start working. That’s a different thing entirely; to me, a coup is a coup. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in late 1912 in Tafawa Balewa, North East State, (Bauchi) Nigeria. As students, upon your graduation, your state government would tell you not to go anywhere because they had employment for you. PROMOTE MUSIC; CONTACT US; ADVERTISE WITH US; More. So I learnt. That is just what comes to my mind always; the good that my father did. 2015: Tafawa Balewa’s son to drag PDP to court over presidential forms.. - Welcome to Talktalkcity Blog. It was during the interview that they saw his name – Tafawa Balewa, and I don’t know what problem they had with it because they denied him. People were going on trains. Tragedy As Metal Bridge Collapse In Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi / Wole Soyinka: Pa Ikhide Ikheloa Pays For 2 Seats On A … Join our Mastermind Group . google_ad_width = 300; It wasn't immediately clear if the man kidnapped was the same Jhalil. The bad roads did not start with this administration; they started long before it and haven’t been addressed. The … Published February 8, 2020 February 8, 2020. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE was a Nigerian politician, and the first prime minister of an independent Nigeria. Did any of his children join the Nigerian military? Join Now. That was what caused it. But when we came out of the same umbrella, the masses continued with their trade and the politicians came in looking for votes, so they tried to divide the people but it wasn’t as bad as it is now. Abu Bakr (Arabic: أبو بكر ‎) was a sahabi, one of the companions of Muhammad and the first Caliph of Islam.He was also Muhammad's father-in-law through Aisha.His real name was Abdullah or Abul-Kaaba and Abu Bakr was his kunya.. It is just prayer that I say or what more can I think? People had employment. Did it stop the deterioration? My mother said I should tell them to bring his body to where he wanted to be buried. They would save from their allowances. It was at the last minute that Shehu Shagari started bringing these things and Shagari was a minister in Sir Tafawa Balewa’s administration. Changing the heads of the security agencies is not a remedy for what’s going on. But some argue that the security under the Federal Government has not fared well. You can’t give me an AK-47 with two magazines and say I should face an anti-aircraft gun. Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Soyinka: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Son Says It May Be 'Unlawful' To Take Pic Of Man (36876 Views) . From there, they started looking for Major Okafor. I have a very strong will. I was the first person to break the news of my father’s death to my mother who was also here in Bauchi. My mother told me that my father had shown her where he wanted to be buried in the house and she asked me to inform them (at Ajiya’s house) when I went back there, if it would be possible. I don’t think they had any genuine reason for doing what they did. He said we should follow him because he saw my wife with a hijab. Somebody will steal N1bn, for what? He was a “cool figure” who preoccupied himself with integration of Nigeria’s over 250 ethnic groups as before and during his tenure. Where is Chukwuemeka Ojukwu now? He retired from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency in 2018 and is currently a farmer and businessman. When some of these politicians have resolved their issues, you would never see them again and they would have caused trouble for people. What are you going to do with N1bn? Even in those days in the First Republic, there was a federal police. That was what the Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi Decree was about, to try to unify the country. Inside, I saw people crying. Balewa's father, Mallam Yakubu, was a minor official in the Native Authority, part of the British colonial administration. Conversely however, if his official birthday of April 17, 1967 is indeed real, Abubakar Malami probably encountered Balewa as a historical piece. They can wipe out a whole village in minutes, before it is controlled. Abubakar Balewa was born late in 1912 in Bauchi, the son of a district head in the Bauchi divisional district of Lere. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE was a Nigerian politician, and the first prime minister of an independent Nigeria. I felt abnormal, but what would I do? Even those that killed some of them, where are they now? The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, ATBUTH, Bauchi, on Thursday said it has set up a probe panel to investigate alleged … Whenever I remember him, I just prayer for him. He was a “cool figure” who preoccupied himself with integration of Nigeria’s over 250 ethnic groups as before and during his tenure. Before, the Nigerian Army used to run away. That’s how deep the rot has gone. How can you contain a crisis that way? They copied what they were doing to get everybody involved but earlier on, everything was going on smoothly. Soyinka: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Son Says It May Be 'Unlawful' To Take Pic Of Man - Nairaland / General (2) - Nairaland. I know some people who were getting paid via the post office then, but all these are gone now. Some would starve themselves. Even in the Second Republic, people were at least decent. Then I turned back and left; I can’t remember exactly what happened again, but I remember taking someone’s bicycle and riding fast to our house. Many people even travelled at night. Abubakar Balewa was born late in 1912 in Bauchi, the son of a district head in the Bauchi divisional district of Lere. It cannot work. On the day the coup was carried out, I learnt that General Yakubu Gowon went to the State House around 5am because they were aware that something was going on. In the First Republic, the army was in disarray because some people took sides and this has continued. @sofson, we do not only help you get into the right Institution, we provided insightful tips to help you ace your time in school. In July 1974 she gave birth to another son, Abubakar, Olusegun Tafawa-Balewa for the Late Ambassador Balarabe Tafawa-Balewa. The disturbances in Nigeria today can be linked to what happened at that time. But you’ll have to sit down with the security agents to know the threat that Nigeria is facing. Sometime in 1970, I visited him and he told me a story. Many Nigerians, particularly southerners, believe northerners contribute to the problem of this country because they hardly criticise the government when one of them is the leader. The first Prime Minister was from Bauchi State. He wanted to know if everything was okay there. READ ALSO: Few multi-billionaires control Nigeria’s resources, unlike in 1960s –Yakasai. If you look at the terrorism in Borno State, it started as a small thing, but look at what has happened within a few years. The local chiefs, emirs and others tried to control it but now, all the traditional institutions are not there. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-5689805440782123"; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa would have been 107 years old, if he were alive today. You go through some channels. So, he said to her, “Don’t bother, it is Major (Don) Okafor that is taking me home.” So, I think it was from there that they knew the people involved. My prayer is for Nigeria to succeed. There was a time the Nigerian Air Force was grounded because they said they attempted a coup. An FCT High Court judge in Nyanya Abuja, Justice Peter Kekemeke on Thursday gave order that one Abdujalil Balewa should produce the originals of documents he seeks to tender in court to prove that he is the son of late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. I think that was what led to the counter-coup. She was a devoted Christian and took her faith seriously. I will never forget that because I was very scared; I could see places in flames and hear gunshots. After that, there were agitations from places like Benue, Middle Belt and so on and it has continued till today, except we have another conference. This is because the regions have been split into states. You have to follow up because if you are making progress, at least, the people are supposed to see changes. I don’t know if it is true that the last time they bought weapons for the army was during the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Around 8am or 9am, somebody came to inform me. We will be thankful if more (honour) comes. Abubakar Balewa was the son of a district head in the Bauchi divisional district of Lere. What do you think of your father’s legacy in the light of the current state of the country? google_ad_slot = "5984819487"; Apparently a young officer of the Nigerian Army at the time Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the Nigerian Prime Minister from 1957 – 1966, it goes without saying that President Muhammadu Buhari must know of Balewa, even if he didn’t know him. The university was established in 1980 as the Federal University of Technology, Bauchi. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s mother – Fatima Inna is a Fulani woman. google_ad_slot = "5984819487"; Do you think this is what is happening with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)? There was a time students were going to Britain for holidays. The army was strictly under the federation. Some of them started crying, so I went back for the funeral prayer. Even when they were just three, North, East and West, there were agitations and Mid-West was created. All these troubles, including religious and tribal conflicts are part of that. Copyright PUNCH. You can see that with the leadership of these days, that is where the problems lie. A school teacher, politician. During my father’s time, all the heads of defence establishments were from the East. So, how could the country move again? For some people, what they mean by restructuring is that all the powers of the Federal Government should be taken away to allow the states to have their own security, which is not possible, because the Federal Government has to be responsible for security. Someone told me there was a time he entered the Prime Minister’s ((Tafawa Balewa’s) office and saw a minister on his knees crying because of some bribes that he had taken somewhere. In the days of your father, we had federalism with each region managing their affairs and some people have been calling for restructuring to return the structure of the country to that, what is your view? Apparently a young officer of the Nigerian Army at the time Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the Nigerian Prime Minister from 1957 – 1966, it goes without saying that President Muhammadu Buhari must know of Balewa, even if he didn’t know him. While confirming the accident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, DSP Ahmed Wakil, said police deposited 20 corpses of the victims at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa … Do you think the government has done enough to honour the name of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and his family? As for restructuring the economy, I am for that; they will be giving the government at the centre royalties. The name of his birthplace was appended to Abubakar’s name (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa). ... Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa… These roads have been deteriorating for some time and nobody has done anything about it. If you are going to Abuja through Jos, you’ll almost faint if you get to a pothole. It was on the following day that we learnt about some of the things that happened. In July 1974 she gave birth to another son, Abubakar, Olusegun Tafawa-Balewa for the Late Ambassador Balarabe Tafawa-Balewa. It was then that I followed the convoy and when they entered Ajiya’s house, I also went in. Abubakar Balewa was the son of a district head in the Bauchi divisional district of Lere. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in the village of Tafawa Balewa in the modern Bauchi area of northeastern Nigeria. He said we shouldn’t go farther because it was a Christian axis. \ n Abubakar Tafawa is celebrating 55 years of death. 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