The Academic Staff Union of Universities has mourned the death of former governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, who passed on at the age of 84 years.
The union described the late politician as a committed revolutionary who worked towards the transformation of Nigeria.
A press statement on Sunday signed by ASUU President Biodun Ogunyemi stated that the death of Balarabe Musa was another major loss to the family of left-wing political leaders in Nigeria and Africa.
The statement reads: “Balaraba Musa belonged in the league of Eskor Toyo of Nigeria, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Steve Biko of South Africa, and other leading African Revolutionaries.
“His subscription to the socialist ideology of putting the welfare and well being of the poor at the centre of governance made him unpopular with the ruling class reactionary element of his generation.
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“His radical politics and activism pitched him against the status quo politicians who did much to distract him from his socialist pathway for the development of Kaduna State (now Kaduna and Kastina states) in Nigeria and Africa.
“Balarabe Musa was a political disciple of Mallam Aminu Kano whose Talakawa agenda led to the founding of People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in 1978. When Musa was elected Governor of the old Kaduna State in 1979, he practised his socialist principles. This revolutionised education, health, housing, transportation, agriculture, and employment and brought about a quantum leap in the people’s quality of life.
“The Comrade’s uncompromising stance against institutionalised corruption and politics of profligacy and self-aggrandisement incurred the wrath of right-winged political classes who conspired to impeach him less than two years into his tenure. He, however, remained undaunted.
“Balarabe Musa remained focused as an Iconic leader of left-wing persuasion in Nigeria until he breathed his last– he was the chairman of the conference of political parties (CPP) of the fourth Republic as from 1999.
“The gates to his house were practically wide open to all for much of the day.
“He placed himself and his meagre resources at the disposal of whoever came his way for assistance. Comrade Musa was regarded as the ‘poorest former governor in the history of Nigeria’. This is a tragedy of the Nigerian condition where wealth and status are measured in material possessions acquired through primitive accumulation.”
The union said it had lost a great ally in Balarabe Musa’s death, stating that he was a major source of inspiration for the consolidation of ASUU principles. “He stood by the union all through the thick and thin of the 1980s to 1990s. He participated in our activities at very short notice,” it said.
It added,”As if to bid us farewell, Comrade Musa gave the last National Delegate Conference (NDC) lecture of our union at the Abubakar Tafawa Balawa University, Bauchi (ATBU) on 4th May 2018.
“His lecture, titled, ‘Ideology, Restructuring and the Liberation of Nigeria’, reminded us that to thoroughly and permanently liberate Nigeria from this bondage, we must totally change old and new philosophies and systems that support and promote the domination and control of one set of people by another set of people. That is the quintessential Balarabe Musa!
“His departure is a challenge to the people’s radical socialist movement in Nigeria to close ranks and unite the oppressed to form their own party; with the goal of fulfilling Balarabe’s vision of Nigeria as a free and united people living in a socialist country.”
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