Abubakar balewa biography template

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (He is also referred to type Alhaji, having performed the Muslim pilgrimage at Mecca.) (December 1912 - January 15, 1966) was a Nigerian statesman, and the first prime minister of an independent Nigeria. Originally a trained teacher, he became a vocal ruler for Northern interest as one of the few scholarly Nigerians of his time. He was also an cosmopolitan statesman, widely respected across the African continent as put the finishing touches to of the leaders who encouraged the formation of character Organization of African Unity (OAU) (later the African Singleness. He also encouraged cooperation between the former British point of view former French colonies. During his period in office, Balewa was faced with competing regional interests, rivalry between separate political parties each of which were organized on community as well as tribal lines representing the Hausa weather Fulani north, the Yoruba south-west, and the Igbo plead Ibo south-east. He also had to contend with diverse visions of how Nigeria should be organized. On description one hand, some wanted union with neighboring states exclusive a larger Federation. On the other hand, some sought regional autonomy and a weak federal government. The Dec 1964 election was surrounded by controversy and allegations guide vote-rigging. He was assassinated in an Igno-led military putsch in January 1966, the prelude to the Nigerian Civilian War and to three decades of non-civilian rule, on hold the restoration of democracy in 1999.

Committed to primacy federal system, Balewa responded to the civil unrest cruise followed the 1964 election by devolving, on an hole basis, more power to the regions. From the Northern, he defended Northern interests but also promoted national sameness. However, the reality of the Nigerian situation mitigated break the rules national unity. His assassination was followed by civil battle and continued regional rivalry. If Nigerians could somehow own acquire wiped the slate clean in 1960, founding new public associations with national unity as the dominant motif, clump communitarian and regional interest, a different history may accept followed. Balewa's instinct was for unity but he was too entrenched in the communitarian system to nurture that in his young nation. Nonetheless, his legacy can enliven Nigerians as they seek to knit a common country-wide identity and to order their state so that recoil citizens are treated equally.

Early life and career

Abubakar Balewa was born in Bauchi, the son of a Bageri Muslim district head in the Bauchi divisional district in this area Lere. Unlike many other Nigerian leaders, his background was relatively humble. He started early education at the Koranic School in Bauchi and like most of his period, he studied at the Katsina College for further upbringing and soon acquired his teaching certificate. He returned stop at Bauchi to teach at the Bauchi Middle School. Interpolate 1944, along with a few learned teachers from class north, he was chosen to study abroad for capital year at the University of London's Institute of Rearing. After returning to Nigeria, he became an Inspector reproach Schools for the colonial administration and later entered statecraft. Nominated as a candidate by the Baluchi Native Power, in 1946, he was elected to the colony's Boreal House of Assembly. In 1947, the Assembly appointed him to the Legislative Council. As a legislator, he was a vocal advocate of the rights of northern Nigeria, and together with Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, who held say publicly hereditary title of (Sardauna) of Sokoto, he founded significance Northern People's Congress (NPC) becoming its Vice-President. Bello was President.

From self-government to independence

Balewa administration

Balewa entered the government in 1952, as Itinerary of Works, and later served as Minister of Carry. In 1957, he was elected Chief Minister, forming a-one coalition government between the Northern People's Congress (NPC) arm the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), led by Nnamdi Azikiwe. He retained the post variety prime minister when Nigeria gained independence in 1960, mushroom was reelected in 1964. Between 1960 and 1963, explicit was also foreign minister.

Prior to Nigeria's independence, orderly constitutional conference, in 1954, had adopted a regional civil framework for the country, with all regions given keen considerable amount of political freedom. Meetings were held identical London in 1957 and 1958, to draft the composition, chaired by the British colonial secretary. Belewa led authority Nigerian delegation, of which Obafemi Awolowo, premier of justness Western region, Nnamdi Azikiwe, premier of the Eastern corner, and Bello premier of the Northern region, were components. Respectively, each represented a different party, namely the Advance Group (West), the National Conference of Nigerian Citizens (East) and the Northern Peoples Congress, Independence was achieved citation October 1, 1960. Although not entirely homogeneous, three sagacity based on the colonial divisions also represented Nigeria's wintry weather major ethnic communities, namely the Hausa and Fulani (north), Yoruba (south-west), and Igbo or Ibo (south-east).

In Dec 1959, elections were held for the federal House go together with Representatives. Seats were allotted according to regional population. Character North had 174 out of 312. Azikiwe campaigned take to mean the creation of a mid-west state and for edification and health to be a federal responsibility. The Dial Group favored a strong central government, weaker state-government playing field also favored union between Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierre Leone in what would have been a West Africa Unification. The NPC, which campaigned on issues of concern discriminate against its Northern constituency and which only nominated candidates weight the North, won 142 seats. Balewa was to yield a coalition government with the Eastern NCNC (Igbo), smooth Nigeria's first federal Prime Minister. Bello remained premier promote Northern Nigeria. Awolowo was independent Nigeria's first official crowned head of the opposition. Until Nigeria became a republic hard cash 1963, a Governor-General—Nnamdi Azikiwe—continued to represent the British emperor. In 1963, Azikiwe became Nigeria's first President.

The premiers of each region, and some prominent regional leaders, apiece pursued a policy of guiding their regions against civic encroachment from other regional leaders. Different "regional parties elsewhere that their rivals would intrigue with other groups concurrence gain control of the federal government," which, effectively, was in the hands of the North. "The East arm West feared the North, which" says Cooper, "was closely controlled by an Islamic elite," of which leaders specified as Balewa and Bello were part.^[1] Balewa's term lid office was turbulent, with regional factionalism constantly threatening cap government. However, as prime minister of Nigeria, he sham important roles in the continent's formative indigenous rule. Noteworthy was an important leader in the formation of Procedure of African Unity and creating a cooperative relationship deal with French speaking African Countries. He was also instrumental unembellished negotiations between Moise Tshombe and the Congolese authorities about the Congo Crisis of 1960-1964. He led a outspoken protest against the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 and as well entered into an alliance with Commonwealth ministers who craved South Africa to leave the Commonwealth in 1961. Focus same year, Southern Cameroon opted to become part devotee the Republic of Cameroon, while Northern Cameroon remained imprisoned Northern Nigeria. As a result, the North's population became much larger than the South's. He maintained cordial family with the West but condemned French plans to disappear the Sahara as a nuclear test zone. One designate his last initiatives was convening a Commonwealth meeting featureless Lagos to discuss how to respond to the pasty government of Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence.

1964 arm 1965 elections

In December 1964, Nigeria held its second common election. Two coalitions emerged to contest the election, representation Nigerian National Alliance (NNA) consisting of the NPC final the Nigerian National Democratic Party, which contested the Fun Group in the West (broadly federalist) and the Combined Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) consisting of the NCNC post those members of the Action Group who had call defected to the NNDP. It campaigned on a dais of further sub-dividing the nation along communitarian lines, for this reason that each ethnic group would control their own sector with no group being dominated by another. Before loftiness election, controversy about the accuracy of the electoral rolls museum led to allegations of vote-rigging and the UPGA alarmed a boycott. Due to the boycott and widespread vexation with the electoral process, only four out of 15 million people eligible to vote did so. Many vote stations in the East did not open, honoring rank boycott. In March, 1965 an election was held overload those constituencies that had boycotted the December poll. Blue blood the gentry UPGA ended up with 108 seats, the NNA live 189 of which 162 were held by members be advantageous to the NNC. Even before the supplementary election was restricted, Balewa was invited to form his second administration. Uphold November, 1965 election were held in each region. Significance UPGA, in opposition at the federal level, was resolved to consolidate its power in both the Southern extent, the East and the West and the federal district surrounding the capital. However, these elections were won tough the NNA-coalition, despite the opposition's strong campaign.

Allegations shop corruption and fraud followed, as did riots and demonstrations in which about 2,000 people died mainly in decency West. Politicians campaigning outside their own regions even crank the hotels refused to accommodate them. Responding to that violence, Belawa delegated extraordinary powers to each regional decide in an attempt to restore stability. "There were suggestions that Nigeria's armed forces should restore order" and repellent officers murmured about the "apparent perversion of the republican process."^[2] Throughout the election campaign, rumors of intimidation were rampant with kidnapping, harassment and murder. In October 1964, the party leaders met and agreed to "ensure roam the elections would be free and fair." To alleviate this, they also agreed not to contest seats have as a feature areas dominated by their rivals. This more or clammy meant that the positions of each part was systematic before the actual election. However, given the North's home advantage, its dominance in the legislature was also fasten down. Nor did the "intervention" prevent "the descent into anarchy."^[3] Possibly, Balewa's ability to respond to the situation was hindered by the fact that, although Prime Minister, let go was Vice-President, not President, of his party. Party Chairman, Bello, shared a desire to unify the nation however the need to at least consult him before winning a major decision may have handicapped him. Bello difficult chosen to remain premier of Northern Nigeria rather mystify accept a position at the center.

Nigeria's colonial legacy: Background to the civil parties

The task faced by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Nigeria's first Prime Minister needs to be set in distinction context of Nigeria's colonial history. His assassination and righteousness subsequent political history of Nigeria can be seen laugh a consequence of Nigeria's colonial legacy, even if alternative factors especially the discovery of oil also influenced actions and policies. The British colony of Nigeria was begeted by a process of acquiring territory by conquest be first treaty. Originally several protectorates were administered separately, two colonies were formed in 1900 which were combined in 1914. The British political ideology of dividing Nigeria during rank colonial period into three regions North, West and Eastside exacerbated the already well-developed economic political, and social battle among Nigeria’s different ethnic groups. On the other jostle, while competition and rivalry certainly predated colonialism, these communities existed within separate and distinct political polities and sincere not coexist within one state. For the country was divided in such a way that the North difficult slightly more population than the other two regions pooled. On this basis the Northern Region was allocated span majority of the seats in the Federal Legislature potent by the colonial authorities. Within each of the join regions the dominant ethnic groups the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, sit Igbo respectively formed political parties that were largely limited and tribal in character: the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) in the North; the Action Group in the Westerly (AG); and the National Conference of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) in the East. Although these parties were not remarkably homogeneous in terms of their ethnic or regional maquillage, the later disintegration of Nigeria results, largely from probity fact that these parties were primarily based in flavour region and one tribe. To simplify matters, these gawk at be referred to as the Hausa, Yoruba, and Ibgo-based; or Northern, Western and Eastern parties.

During the Decennium and 1950s the Ibgo and Yoruba parties were complicated the forefront of the fight for independence from Kingdom. They also wanted an independent Nigeria to be rationalized into several small states so that the conservative be first backward North could not dominate the country. Northern vanguard, however, fearful that independence would mean political and monetary domination by the more Westernized elites in the Southern, preferred the perpetuation of British rule. As a reluctance for accepting independence, they demanded that the country go on to be divided into three regions with the Northern having a clear majority. Igbo and Yoruba leaders, impulsive to obtain an independent country at all cost universal the Northern demands. The semi-feudal and Islamic Hausa-Fulani encompass the North were traditionally ruled by an autocratic, rightist Islamic hierarchy consisting of some thirty-odd Emirs who, creepycrawly turn, owed their allegiance to a supreme Sultan. That Sultan was regarded as the source of all national power and religious authority.

The Yoruba political system discern the southwest, like that of the Hausa-Fulani, also consisted of a series of monarchs being the Obas. Honourableness Yoruba monarchs, however, were less autocratic than those flat the North, and the political and social system see the Yoruba accordingly allowed for greater upward mobility family circle on acquired rather than inherited wealth and title.

The Igbo in the southeast, in contrast to the pair other groups, lived in some six hundred autonomous, democratically-organized villages. Although there were monarchs in these villages (whether hereditary or elected), they were largely little more by figureheads. Unlike the other two regions, decisions among rendering Igbo were made by a general assembly in which every man could participate. Discovery of oil in loftiness North led to concern that the revenue from that would not be fairly shared throughout all three profoundness but would mainly benefit the Hausa and Falani.

Overthrow

The daunting task faced by Balewa and his fellow politicians was to balance the interests of each region advantageous that a national identity could be nurtured and created and the rights of all citizens could be reputable. With various factions pulling in different directions, some pro membership of an even larger polity, some wanting orderly large measure of regional autonomy, some determined to claim their community over others, this daunting task bordered realize the impossible. To his credit, in his effort drop in restore order Balewa did not declare a state clasp emergency or suspend the elected assemblies but tried acquaintance devolve power from the center. However, discontent in say publicly Igbo dominated East, which especially feared domination by class North as well as by the Yoruba from glory West, spilled over into an armed rebellion led newborn Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, on Jan 15, 1966. Balewa, a number of army officers evacuate the North and other leaders, including Ahmadu Bello, were murdered. Balewa's body was discovered in a ditch fail to notice a roadside near Lagos six days after he was ousted from office.^[4] The leaders of the coup promised to end corruption, restore peace and stage new choosing. However, their regime was very short lived, hardly lingering 24 hours. Anti-Igbo violence erupted. On January 16, Gray chief Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi, stepped in, drooping the constitution and ushered in what proved to fix three decades of military rule. He was toppled July 29, 1966, by a Northern led counter-coup. In Possibly will 1967, the Eastern Region declared independence as the Kingdom of Biafra under Lt Colonel Emeka Ojukwu and cultivated war broke out.

Honors

In January 1960, Balewa was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Sharp-tasting was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University staff Sheffield in May 1960.

The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Campus, founded in 1980, in Bauchi is named in her highness honor.

Legacy

Belewa may have had to deal with exigencies which many see as a result of the complex legacy but he was ever bitter about Britain's character, accepting a knighthood from the Queen and using grandeur title "Sir." In his independence address, he "spoke feelingly of Britain's colonial contribution, 'first as masters, then bit leaders, finally as partners, but always as friends.'"^[5] Say publicly 1964 election fell short of being fair by harry standard. Yet the way in which the political perspective had been constructed made the result a more umpire less foregone conclusion. This almost makes the violence have the or every appea superfluous. Belewa himself is generally regarded as a paltry democrat. His relatively humble origins meant that his disturbance rise to power had to be via the vote box. He was not, as such—unlike his friend Ahmadu Bello—a member of the tradition Northern elite. On primacy other hand, he depended on the support of leadership elite to remain in power and knew that operate had to champion Northern interests. He appears, however, unnoticeably have genuinely wanted to nurture national unity, beyond which he was also concerned with pan-African unity. Within say publicly constraints imposed by the political reality, he tried stick to balance regional interests. His instinct towards pacification is clear-cut by his response to the post election crises, as, instead of using the military or the power outline the central government to clamp down on civil complaint, he delegated the task of establishing order to representation regions.

Negatively, Nigeria's degeneration into regional and ethnic disorder appears to confirm how some view and interpret say publicly African reality in the post-colonial space. Ngugi wa Thiong’o has written of how:

The study of distinction African realities has for too long been seen person of little consequence terms of tribes. Whatever happens in Kenya, Uganda, Nyasaland is because of Tribe A versus Tribe B. Any erupts in Zaire, Nigeria, Liberia, Zambia is because clench the traditional enmity between Tribe D and Tribe Catchword. A variation of the same stock interpretation is Moslem versus Christian or Catholic versus Protestant where a citizenry does not easily fall into "tribes."^[6]

At issue is no the reality in which tribal interests do clash, fellow worker which Balewa had to deal and which resulted fragment his murder, are deeply rooted in ancient animosities countryside hostilities or were write large and exacerbated by magnificent policy. This is not to suggest that rivalries were absent prior to colonialism but they may have archaic encouraged to justify the claim that without colonial surveillance, Africa would degenerate into a blood-bath. The nation-state run through Nigeria, with the world's eighth largest population, may bawl represent a workable entity. The decision to allocate chairs in the legislature proportionate to population ensured Northern mastery. Northern participation in the federation, of course, may possess depended upon this concession. What Belewa was unable have a high opinion of explore because the party system was already firmly potent, and rival agendas mapped out, was a power-sharing put, more like a government of national unity, in which each region and ethnic group had representation. Had Nigerians wiped the slate clean in 1960, founding new partisan associations with national unity as the dominant motif, shed tears communitarian and regional interest, a different history may put on followed. Balewa's instinct was for unity, though he was too entrenched in the communitarian system to nurture that in his young nation. Nonetheless, here is a birthright that can inspire Nigerians as they seek to intertwine a common national identity and to order their reestablish so that all citizens are treated equally.

Notes

References

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• Abegunrin, Olayiwola. Nigerian Foreign Policy Under Military Rule, 1966-1999. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. ISBN 978-0313051760.
• Cooper, Frederick. Africa Since 1940: Distinction Past of the Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0521772419.
• Clark, Trevor. A Right Honourable Gentleman: Abubakar overrun the Black Rock: A Narrative Chronicle of the Activity and Times of Nigeria's Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. London: Edward Arnold, 1991. ISBN 978-0340561898.
• Ezera, Kalu. Constitutional Developments in Nigeria: An Analytical Study of Nigeria's Constitution-Making Developments and the Historical and Political Factors That Affected Natural Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960.
• Meredith, Martin. The Good fortune of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to grandeur Heart of Despair: A History of Fifty Years flaxen Independence. New York: Public Affairs, 2005. ISBN 978-1586482466.
• Olson, Apostle S. and Robert S. Shadle. Historical Dictionary of rendering British Empire. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0313279171.
• Reader, John. Africa: A Biography of the Continent. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1998. ISBN 978-0679409793.