Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), has urged northern leaders to reclaim the region’s core values of humility, unity and service, warning that the rising insecurity and socio-economic challenges threaten its stability and development.

His message, delivered by Colonel Lawal Gwadabe at the 2nd Hassan Katsina Memorial Conference, stressed the need for renewed purpose as the region battles mounting socio-economic and security challenges.

Babangida said the legacy of General Hassan should “rekindle our nostalgia for the development of Arewa” and “galvanize our current leaders for action, to reverse the challenges that is militating against the overall socio-economic development of Northern Nigeria.”

He praised the organisers for “showcasing the sacrifices of our past leaders particularly now that our country is grappling with numerous development challenges.”

He described General Hassan as a towering moral figure, noting that he “was an embodiment of great humility… just, humane, temperate and very sincere.” As Chief of Army Staff, Babangida recalled, he was “dignified and commanding,” shaping the careers of many who still uphold his values.

“The effect of that mentorship is the lasting example that is still with us today. We cherish and remember him always,” he added.

Babangida stressed that General Hassan’s compassion for the poor and his pursuit of educational reform remain relevant today.

The late general, he said, “devoted all his time post-military service to be their voices and to fight for their education and emancipation,” championing the transformation of the Almajiri system so children could “benefit from a modern Quranic education with its secular counterpart.”

Despite coming from a lineage of royalty, General Hassan, Babangida noted, lived with profound modesty: “He was born great yet his disposition throughout his life was edifyingly humble, correct and with an undisturbed serenity.”

He prayed Allah to continue to grant him eternal rest in Aljannah Firdausi.

The former president also highlighted General Hassan’s commitment to Northern economic revival. “He advocated for Northerners to embrace farming because that was our ancestral heritage and a vehicle for their economic empowerment,” Babangida said, recalling his tireless work against the Almajiri system and rising out-of-school population.

Babangida described the late general as “an honest and comprehensive statesman whose silent judgement of time has vindicated him.” He insisted that the North must reclaim these ideals to overcome its present challenges.

Professor Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training, reinforced the call for a Northern renaissance, warning that Nigeria now faces a “convergence of socio-economic and security challenges that threaten national stability, cohesion and long-term development,” stressing that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

Professor Sadique praised the late general as a model of national unity, saying he “was a detribalized and honest leader that loved to see the unity and oneness of Nigeria as a country.”

In their separate remarks, elder statesmen Professor Ango Abdullahi and General I.B.M. Haruna (rtd.) urged Nigerian leaders to remember “the sacrifice made by the late General to keep Nigeria united as well as the Northern Region.” (Daily Trust)