A man of unusual authority and having gravitas of a statesman. The three regions then were composed of diverse cultural groups. When Tafawa Balewa visited The U.S. in 1961, he had an aura of superiority around himself and carried himself majestically to the delight of the blacks and the amazement of the whites. Tafawa Balewa village takes its name from two corrupted Fulani words: “Tafari” (rock) and Baleri (black). As a legislator, he was a vocal advocate of the rights of Northern Nigeria. Balewa entered the government in 1952, as Minister of Works, and later served as Minister of Transport. Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE(1) (December 1912 â January 15, 1966) was a Nigerian politician, and the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria. He started his early education at the Koranic School in Bauchi and like most of his contemporaries, he studied at the Barewa College for further education and soon acquired his teaching certificate. Egba and Ijebu have no ancestral relationship. The circumstances of his death still remain unresolved. Students were taught in English, and speech was an important part of learning for the students. Its headquarters is in the town of Tafawa Balewa. Under a new constitution, the Macpherson Constitution of 1951, an electoral college system was implemented whereby, some regional legislators were elected to the Federal House of Representatives in Lagos, and among the federal legislators, three members from each region would be appointed federal ministers with portfolio. [4] The College was several kilometers from Bauchi and was not close to a railway station nor other public transportation. In 1948 Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a man that was to later become the Prime Minister of Nigeria said, “Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite. His term in office was turbulent, with regional factionalism constantly threatening his government. [3] In 1944, Balewa and some other educated teachers in the Northern Provinces were chosen to study abroad at the University of London's Institute of Education, which today forms part of University College London. [3] Like many of his contemporaries, he studied at Barewa College, then known as Katsina College, where he was student number 145. Ahmadu Rabah, later known as Ahmadu Bello, was student number 87 and was two years his senior, while Abubakar Imam was a year ahead of him. ", "Attackers kill 16, burn homes in north Nigeria town", "Christian Communities near Town in Nigeria Disappearing", "CONTROVERSY TRAILS SHIFT OF LG HQTRS IN BAUCHI", "16 die, 20 houses burnt down in northern Nigeria", "Will relocation of Tafawa Balewa LG headquarters guarantee peace? The bone of contention of the frequent clashes in the area has to do with the chieftaincy and ownership of Tafawa Balewa town. tobtap: tafa balewa is not fulani..he belong to a minority tribe in bauchi,gowon is beron,ibb is gwari and abdulsalam is hausa.. i think nigeria dont need to elect a president based on his tribe but based on merit and what such have to offer Tafawa Balewa is Sefawa, Gowon is Angas, IBB is Gwari while Abdulsalami is Nupe. [20], Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in December 1912 in Tafawa Balewa village. Balewa's father, Yakubu Dan Zala, was of Gere ethnicity,[1] and his mother Fatima Inna was of Gere and Fulani descent. [1] He was also awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from the New York University in July 1961. In 1941, he became acquainted with a young Aminu Kano, who was posted to the school as a teacher. He led a vocal protest against the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 and also entered into an alliance with Commonwealth ministers who wanted South Africa to leave the Commonwealth in 1961. During this period, Balewa developed a close relationship with K.O. In the Northern Assembly, he sought more roles and responsibility in the Native Administration for the educated members of the emirates.[3]. His body was discovered at a roadside near Lagos six days after he was ousted from office. Brought into the world a commoner in the north of colonial Nigeria, he had training as a teacher. For the person, see, "Nigeria's Forgotten Heroes: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Part 1)", "Christian Leaders in Nigeria Call Bauchi Violence Premeditated", "The Traditional Status of Tafawa Balewa Town", "Abubakar And Tafawa Balewa Town: A Tale Of Two Titans! A right honourable gentleman : Abubakar from the black rock : a narrative chronicle of the life and times of Nigeria's Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa by Trevor Clark ( Book ) The Man, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first prime minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1957-1966 ( Book ) [6], Shaihu Umar was staged as a play in the 1970s.[6]. The Sayawas have demanded a separate traditional ruler, which has led to attacks and counterattacks over the past two decades. "[13][7][14] Tafawa Balewa Local Council Headquarters was moved to Bununu District. Conversely however, if his official birthday of April 17, 1967 is indeed real, Abubakar […] He trekked for 40 kilometers a day, before finding a resting place at a nearby village. Balewa’s father Yakubu Dan Zala was of Gere ethnicity, and his mother Fatima Inna was half Gere half Fulani. However, as Prime Minister of Nigeria, he played important roles in the continent's formative indigenous rule. [4][5][6][7] An Associated Press story states, "The Sayawas are in the majority in the town and its surrounding villages, but their traditional rulers have been of the predominantly Muslim Fulani ethnic group. That same year, Buhari was gifted with double promotion on the same day by the govt of Tafawa Balewa. [2][3] The major ethnic groups are the Sayawa and Hausa/Fulani. The man felt that I was in a hurry and the young veiled Muslim woman who crossed the road caused some delay to my journey. Thereafter, he proceeded to Bauchi Provincial School. In total, the journey took him 10 days. Balewa was among the new legislators in Kaduna. Balewa's father, Yakubu Dan Zala, was of Gere ethnicity, and his mother Fatima Inna was of Gere and Fulani descent. 1965 was the last time Nigeria had a normal Christmas when both Christians and Muslims across the country celebrated the yuletide. In 1934, Balewa wrote Shaihu Umar, a novella about a pious Muslim in response to a request to promote Hausa literature by Rupert East, head of the colonial Translation Bureau. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, KBE PC (December 1912 – 15 January 1966) was a Nigerian politician who was the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria. Tafawa Balewa is a local government area in the Southern part of Bauchi State in northern Nigeria. Balewa retained the post as Prime Minister of Nigeria when Nigeria gained independence in 1960, and was reelected in 1964. In 1957, he was elected Chief Minister, forming a coalition government between the Northern People's Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), led by Nnamdi Azikiwe… In 2013, Hon. Balewa was the first and … The name of his birthplace was appended to Abubakar’s name (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa). Originally a trained teacher, he became a vocal leader for Northern interest as one of the few educated Nigerians of his time. Today, his portrait adorns the 5 Naira Note. Tafawa Balewa burbled with a certain eccentric charm and bubbled over with charisma in the U.S. Later on, this political environment influenced the Balewa administration. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912- January 15, 1966) was Nigeria’s first Prime Minister. Fulani settlers were to hterarily translate Pusji to Tafawa - Balewa, a Fulani word for black stone. "[1], The area has been known for sectarian and ethnic violence over the years. 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