It was the legendary football Manager and Coach, Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) who must have first accurately captured Bafarawa’s school of thought in his masterpiece then; when he wrote that ‘Contrary to opinion of many people, leaders are not born. Leaders are made, and they are made by efforts and hard work’. Hence, from the foregoing of this pre-Bafarawa’s postulation; coupled with my own personal encounter with him later in life, I have no doubt in my mind that his today’s personality is a product of hard work and efforts. To a man who clocked 62 years of age last week, it can only be a story of efforts, efforts to surmount challenges and scale through hurdles of life. Preceding what is now seen as a life worthy of admiration and emulation.
To many of us who are his disciples, we not only regard him as a life coach but a master of the game, be it in business or politics. H.E. Alhaji (Dr)Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa( The Garkuwan Sokoto) born on the 4th of October, 1954 in Bafarawa town, Isah local government of Sokoto State has demonstrated; and still demonstrating purposeful and visionary leadership traits over the years. Such that, we can not but wish him a long life in mastery of leadership, while we toe his indelible path. Evidently, goodwill messages and testimonies have been pouring in commemoration of this year’s birthday. First as a sign of recognition of his positive impacts on the larger society and two, as payback time by those who have been directly touched by his milk of human kindness, a category where I belong to.
A self-made man and an advocate of one Nigeria, Bafarawa represents a rare breed of 21st political idealist who thinks public interests ahead of other considerations, including self. At any given opportunity, this political icon emphasizes on the homily of national unity, fairness and equitable distribution of national wealth to whoever finds himself a position of authority. Little wonder these nationalistic spirits prompted Bafarawa to take a shot at the nation’s presidency in 2007. This, he attempted on the platform of the Democratic People’s Party, (DPP) a party he founded on the tripod of economic welfarism, social populism and democratic liberalism to correct certain errors in our political space as a country. Before setting a political record as the first to serve two consecutive terms as executive governor of the caliphate state, (1999-2007) Bafarawa had initially cut his political teeth at the lowest rung of the society when he was elected as a Councilor. At a tender age during the Second Republic, he was seen vying for the seat of his federal constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of Great Nigerian Peoples Party, GNPP in 1979. Unfortunately, the odds that prevented his 2007 presidential bid also stopped his emergence.
Between 1994 and 1995, he was elected by his people to represent them at the National Constitutional Conference put together by the military junta headed by the no nonsense late Gen Sani Abacha. To him, the confab was like a much awaited opportunity to reassure his people at home that he was ready to serve them at a higher capacity. From that point, the voting populace in Sokoto was astonished by the quality representation demonstrated by Bafarawa while the gathering lasted. Like the proverbial golden fish that has no hiding place, ordinary masses, youth groups, market women, labour unions, traditional institutions and political stakeholders began a search which eventually gave birth to Bafarawa as a governor.
It must not be forgotten also how Bafarawa actively participated in the processes that led to the formation and registration of the defunct United Nigerian Congress Party, (UNCP) in 1997 as well as the All Peoples Party, (APP) IN 1998. Due to credible and objective opposition mounted by the likes of Bafarawa; APP was able to bestride Nigeria’s political environment as a checkmate platform to the Olusegun Obasanjo-led People’s Democratic Party, (PDP). In conjunction with others, Bafarawa from the opposition flank kept sustaining the soul of the nation’s nascent democracy of the time.
Available records indicate that Sokoto State was landmarked for speedy infrastructural developments and in other key sectors. Many of his giant strides still remain unprecedented in Sokoto, even ten years after leaving office. For instance, the state witnessed a massive rural electrification project and rural road construction to the delight of the masses, linking the Sokoto hinterlands to its mainland. At the last count, over 1,000 kilometers of roads were constructed in his first tenure, while close to 35 villages and settlements witnessed electrification within the same period. Another key area was the education sector where his government made education affordable for children of Sokoto middleclass and downtrodden, regardless of their religion or tribe. The cumulative outcome of these efforts in this sector was recorded when over 10,000 out-of-school children returned to school between1999-2003. With collaborative efforts, Sokoto under Bafarawa scored many firsts and got several awards of recognition on public health initiatives in the fight against Malaria fever, Polio, VVF, Meningitis, Tuberculosis and HiV/AIDS; taking the lead ahead of other states in northern Nigeria.
Also, the former governor ensured a peaceful co-existence among shades of ethnic communities domicile in his domain, thereby standing Sokoto out as a tension-free state in the entire North despite pockets of post-Sharia implementation skirmishes that greeted the region then.
Bafarawa through a dint of hard work had established himself in the business world before entering into politics. Few among his conglomerates before his political height are; Bafarawa Flour Mills, Bafarawa Oil Company and Dalhatu Investment Ltd where thousands of Nigerians of various ages and skilled are gainfully employed. This, he posited in one of his media interviews in October 2005 when he clarified that, ‘I was a wealthy businessman before I became a governor. I sold my house in Aso Drive in Abuja in 1999 to the Federal Government of Nigeria. They were then looking for a house for the former President of Niger, who is now deceased’ He had added that, ‘I used some of the money I realized from the sale of the house to pay for the London house, while I saved the rest of the money’. On his anti-corruption credentials, Bafarawa narrated how he initiated transparency in the federal/state/local government monthly allocations. He said, ‘I was the one who told the then Minister of Finance to start publishing monthly allocations to States and Local Governments. Before now, governors always complained that they did not have enough money to run their states because the Federal Government was shortchanging them. Now the information is there for the public’. Astonishingly, in 2007 at the end of his second tenure, he left behind a whooping N12Billion despite the lean resource allocation to his state then. Interestingly, he remains among the very few State Executives who refused to run to the Senate to ‘hide’ as he has NOTHING to hide!
Now that Bafarawa is back in the mainstream politics as a member of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) the interests of his Sokoto constituents and Nigerians at large have continued to determine direction of his political actions and stepss. In his current fold or wherever he finds himself, he is no doubt a force to reckon with at home and in national politics, especially as Nigerians begin to warm up for the 2019 general elections. It is on this note that I join millions of Bafarawa’s believers in wishing him happy 62nd birthday in good health and long life so that he won’t stop contributing his quota to our national development.
Written By:
Dr Daniel D. Kokong [MB;BS, FWACS, FICS, MBA]
Rayfield Jos, Plateau State
(email:dankokong@yahoo.com)
