One of Nigeria’s virtuous elder statesmen, Bamangar Tukur, has not only been instrumental in nurturing the present democratic dispensation right from 1998, he has also helped a great deal in stabilising it with his fatherly counsel. As he quits active partisan politics, Nigerians celebrate the noble virtues of a man who has undoubtedly lit a guiding lamp for future leaders, writes SAM NWOKORO.
“The mouth of a good man speaketh wisdom, but that of the fool breeds forth trouble” (Proverbs 13:3)
If there is any living Nigerian politician which history books would not omit as a peacemaker, it is certainly the immediate past National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur. Both fellow party men and opposition peers revere his peaceful nature. His adventure in politics and public affairs has been very engaging and of utilitarian value.
Though his forage into politics transcended the Second Republic (1979-83), it is worthy of reckon that throughout his political life, Tukur has led a hassle-free political life: no scandals, no messing around. He has no records of having tampered with public funds. He has never been known to have flirted with political associations that were less than pan-Nigerian.
Tukur is about one of the most detribalised elder statesmen in the country whose pronouncements douse tension rather than exacerbate it with garrulous gaffes as is the behaviour of politicians nowadays. He goes down in history as one of the few remaining Nigerian sages who did not see politics as a profession, but as a virtuous and responsible tool for accessing quality leadership for the goodness of humanity. It may not be an exaggeration to use the following adjectives to describe the gamut of his entire political life: popular, focused, development-oriented, detribalised, honest, pan-African, frank, strategic and always vindicated.
Political career
The politician’s interest in politics dates back to 1959 when he contested a seat in the Northern House of Representatives as an independent candidate. Though he lost the election, it was on October 23, 1982, after retiring from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that he was nominated to contest the 1983 gubernatorial election in the old Gongola State on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). On October 1, 1983, he was inaugurated as the Governor of Gongola, with Mr. David Barau as his deputy. His administration lasted for only three months, as the military took over power on December 31, 1983.
About 10 years later, Tukur joined the National Republican Convention (NRC) to bid for the presidency. On Saturday, August 1, 1992, the first round of the presidential primaries kicked off in Katsina for the presidential aspirants to test their popularity. It is noteworthy that from the analysis of the performances of the aspirants, Tukur made an impressive outing by topping the NRC. It was not until November 1993 that in a broadcast to the nation, President Ibrahim Babangida announced the cancellation of the results of the primaries, disqualified all the 23 aspirants and banned them from participating in politics and elections during the remaining part of the transition programme, allegedly for contravening Presidential Primary Electoral Decree No. 37 of 1992 with particular reference to Section 21, 22 and 23.
It was on Saturday, November 2, 1993 that he was sworn in as Federal Minister of Industry upon the take-over of General Sani Abacha. His tenure as Minister of Industry spanned for only 14 months up to Wednesday February 8, 1995 when General Abacha dissolved the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Within such a short time, he was able to conceive and establish some new projects, completed and commissioned some abandoned projects.
To an extent, Tukur could be described as one of the early administrators that set the pace for the development of present-day Adamawa State, carved out in 1990 from Gongola.
He set up rural electrification boards, organised farmers into co-operative societies and was on the part of setting the state into industrial development before the army struck in January 1984.
National service
Many may not have known till now that the Tin Can Island port in Lagos was the brainchild of Tukur when he was the General Manager and CEO of NPA. He envisioned that the old Roro port has become inadequate to handle the marine traffic on Lagos ports. Thus that Nigeria even can attempt to handle cargo traffic in Lagos ports, whether by concession or by any means is due to the same vision.
It was not only at the NPA that Tukur has been of utility value in Nigeria. When he was appointed to head the Technical Committee to see to the revitalisation of the railways, Tukur’s recommendation to former President Goodluck Jonathan that foreign investors be scouted to bring in needed capital for effective rail transportation has been proved to be the only effective method of reactivating the rail system. Consequently, some good investors from China to Canada has since been on the cards for consideration.
Said PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, about the erstwhile PDP chairman: “Tukur is a veritable asset to the nation. He is a forthright, frank elder statesmen. He is a nationalist, non-tribal and passionate about the progress of the party (PDP) and the nation.”
Also, President Muhammadu Buhari has eulogised the former PDP former national chairman as a patriotic nationalist.
Tukur played active role in the formation of PDP, right from its formative years as a political association called the Patriotic Front, later the G34, with Tukur, Solomon Lar, Alex Ekwueme, Orji Uzor Kalu, Jerry Gana, Audu Ogbeh, Bola Ige, Ibrahim Mantu Olu Falae, and a host of other senior progressive citizens. When he became the national chairman of the party, he held the party through one of its most tortuous crises period. He maintained that for the PDP to effectively advertise itself as a democratic party, it has to, of necessity, keep to its own rules in order to achieve internal democratic process.
By every analysis, Tukur is a vindicated man because he foresaw the desperation with which the opposition APC wanted to win the 2015 elections. But it appeared some parochial interests in the PDP who placed their personal ambition above the party’s ensured Tukur’s admonitions were not heeded. A man of integrity that he was, he quietly left the party, even before the NEC of PDP could disgrace him with a sack.
Since after the 2015 elections, PDP hawks and apparatchik have discovered what Tukur foresaw earlier on. Yet, not one to flirt about like a pupil in politics, Tukur still harbours good sentiments about the party. “It is time for the opposition because it is a democracy and it is the people who decide who they want to vote for, and that is what the people have done. Sure, the PDP will rediscover itself. I am sure about that. It is their own party and they can find out what has gone wrong,” he has said.
Pan-Africanist
Tukur’s contribution to the development of African economies can be deciphered from the numerous treatises and suggestions he has presented to many African heads of government on how to grow. He is of the view that African governments should embrace plurality, downplay ethnic and tribal politics and be less dependent on foreign aid. As an astute businessman who has nurtured some thriving homegrown products and services, Tukur believes that with good governance and less corruption, African economies can effectively tap what they have to grow.
As chairman of the African Business Roundtable, a pan-African think tank, this octogenarian has been able to nudge many African states to embrace regional economic integration. This blueprint that emanated from the think tank since the 1990s has yielded the adoption of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, the EU-African Partnership agreement which tends to grow commerce between Africa and EU countries in more favourable terms to African economies, opening markets to African businesses to contusive export quotas and product standards. Tukur has been involved in many phases of these negotiations as mover of the African Business Roundtable on the private platform or as government moderator as a reputable businessman.
Life of service
Tukur has spent a larger part of his life in service to humanity. Born September 15, 1935 at Gamboro Local Government Area of present day Adamawa State, to the late Hamman Tukur Wakili Chamba (1890-1966), he attended Islamic Arabic School (1958-1959) where his early stoic life of prudence and honesty were shaped. He later attended Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) from 1958 to 1959 where he studied Accountancy and Public Finance; and the Northwest Polytechnic, London, where he studied Marine Transportation, Economics and Statistics. Between 1956 and 1966, he was at Pittsburg University, United States of America where he studied Public Administration and International Relations.
His first stint at public service was at Adamawa Public Service Commission (then under Gongola), then as Accountant/Supervisor at Adamawa Native Authority where he was secretary in charge of all departmental projects.
His also served the nation at Federal Ministry of Trade and Industries in the former Northern Region, Nigerian Ports Authority (1960) shortly before independence. By 1975, he had become the General Manager/CEO of the NPA during which he did a lot expansion of ports facilities and even recommended for a third seaport in Lagos before the Murtala Mohammed regime was overthrown in 1976. He retired from the NPA in 1982 after 22 years of meritorious service.
By all accounts, it seemed no living Nigerian has spent so long a time in the service of the nation as much as Tukur had. Little wonder the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, did not fail to recognise this fact in the congratulatory message the party sent to the octogenarian: “The Acting National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party , Uche Secondus, on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the PDP family nationwide felicitates with one of our founding fathers, an astute leader, quintessential democrat, the former National Chairman of our great party, Alhaji Bamangar Tukur (CON), Tafida Adamawa, as he turns 80 years.
“Indeed, we give thanks to Almighty God who in his benevolence has kept you in good health and sound mind as you continue in your selfless service to mankind, our dear fatherland. The PDP family is ever grateful to you for your numerous sacrifices and contributions to our great party where you remain a fountain of inspiration to many. Despite your towering attainments in business and politics, you have kept faith as an epitome of hard work, honesty, humility and service, qualities with which you immensely impacted our great party during your tenure as National chairman.”
That says it all about the noble pedigree of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.