By Peter Uzoho
Labour leader, Mr. Issa Aremu, yesterday joined numerous Nigerians to mourn the late first civilian Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, amid glowing eulogies.
The late Musa died last Monday and was buried the same day according to Islamic rites.
Aremu, in a tribute yesterday to late Musa, said Nigeria, Africa and the progressive world have lost an audacious, principled, and selfless man.
According to him, “I bear posthumous witness that Nigeria, Africa and the progressive world have lost an audacious, principled, and selfless statesman. He commendably stood for good principles in governance.
“He never cheaply fell for corruption. On the contrary, he stood for all that was good-integrity and service to the downtrodden-the talakawa in public service.
“Balarabe Musa never sermonised against corruption, he lived on incorruptibility and integrity. His house was ever wide open to all. He was also an educated philosopher, a statesman, an avid reader and intellectual debater.”
Aremu said Musa’s weakness was too much of principles and not political opportunism.
The Labour leader said he had been privileged to engage with Musa for over 40 years as a student, journalist and trade union activist, adding that: “He was my political mentor as a budding progressive politician with amazing memory and recollections.”
He added that the late Kaduna State governor was the first to endorse his candidature as the Labour Party candidate for Kwara State governorship election in 2019.
Aremu prayed God to grant the late “progressive statesman eternal grace and mercy than he was generously blessed and comfort his comradely family to cope with the challenges of death of a loved one like Alhaji Balarabe Musa.”
