An haifi Abubakar Tafawa Balewa a watan Disambar shekara ta alif dari tara da sha biyu (1912) a jihar Bauchi a wancan zamanin, a yankin Arewa maso Gabashin Najeriya. Mahaifinsa, Balewa Yakubu Dan Zala, dan asalin Gere ne, mahaifiyarsa kuma Fatima Inna ‘yar Gere ce ita ma, amma asalinta Fulani ce. Mahaifinsa yana aiki a gidan hakimin garin Gere, da ke a yankin cikin masarautar Bauchi.
Ya kasance mutum mai ɗa’a da kuma asali kasancewar mahaifinsa ma’aikaci ne ga hakimin garin. Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Ɓalewa, mutum ne mai haƙuri, ladabi da biyayya, son haɗin kai tare kuma da cikakken kishin ƙasa wanda ya yi faɗa da zalunci. Mutum ne mai kunya, marar yawan magana, mai tsantseni da kuma gudun duniya.
Tafawa Ɓalewa, masani ne kuma fasihi ne kuma haziƙin mutum ne wanda Allah ya ɗaukaka shi a duniya. Shi ne mutumin da duniya ta yi wa laƙabi da Mai Maƙogwaron Zinaren Afirka, wato ‘Golden Voice of Africa’ a Turance saboda zunzurutun iya maganarsa a gaban jama’a. Malamin makaranta ne shi, marubuci, manomi, sannan kuma ɗan siyasa.
Karatunsa
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa ya fara karatunsa ne a makarantar Al’ƙur’ani
da ke Bauchi; a lokacin da Turawan mulkin mallaka suka fara yunkurin ilimantar da mutanen yankin Arewa, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa yana cikin yaran da aka tura makarantar Elementary ta Tafawa Balewa, bayan kammala karatun Al’ƙur’ani.
Daga nan ya wuce Makarantar Lardin Bauchi. Shi ma kamar sauran mutanen zamaninsa, ya yi karatu a Kwalejin Barewa wadda a lokacin ake kira da Katsina College, inda ya kasance dalibi mai lamba 145.
Kwalejin dai na da tazarar kilomita da dama daga Bauchi kuma ba ta kusa da tashar jirgin kasa ko kuma zirga-zirgar jama’a. Lokacin hutu, wanda shi ne sau biyu a duk shekara, Abubakar Tafawa balewa yana yin tattaki ne zuwa gida, tafiyar fiye da kilomita 400. Yakan yi tafiyar kilomita 40 a rana, kafin ya samu wurin hutawa a wani ƙauyen da ke kusa, wannan gabaɗaya tafiyar takan dauke shi kwanaki 10.
Kwalejin Katsina na da malamai ‘yan kasar Birtaniya, wadanda da yawansu sun yi karatu a manyan makarantun Burtaniya sannan suka halarci
Cambridge ko Oxford. An koyar da dalibai da Turanci, kuma magana wani muhimmin bangare ne na koyo ga daliban. Baya ga kwarewa a harshen Ingilishi wato Turanci, makarantar ta kasance filin horas da malamai da za a tura zuwa makarantun larduna da na tsakiya a cikin Lardunan Arewacin Najeriya.
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa ya yi karatunsa na shekara biyar wanda a shekarar 1933 ya koma Bauchi inda ya koyar a makarantar Middle School. Ya yi koyarwar a makarantar kuma ya tashi ya zama babban malamin makaranta. A shekarar 1941, ya samu sabani da wani matashi Aminu Kano, wanda aka tura shi makarantar a matsayin malami. Bayan tashin hankalin dalibai, binciken korafe-korafen daliban ya tuhumi shugaban makarantar, kuma a shekarar 1941 aka zabi Abubakar Balewa a matsayin sabon shugaban makarantar.
A cikin shekarar 1944, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa da wasu malamai masu ilimi a Lardunan Arewa aka zabe su yi karatu a kasashen waje a Cibiyar Ilimi ta Jami’ar London, wadda a yau ta zama wani bangare na Kwalejin Jami’ar London Bayan Abubakar Tafawa Balewa ya dawo Najeriya ya zama Sufeto na Makarantun gwamnatin mulkin mallaka sannan kuma ya shiga siyasa.
Harkokin siyasarsa
A lokacin yaƙin duniya na biyu ya nuna sha’awarsa ta shiga harkokin siyasa, inda ya kafa zauren tattaunawa na Bauchi Discussion Circle. Sannan daga bisani ya shiga siyasar malamai inda aka zaɓe shi mataimakin shugaban ƙungiyar malaman Arewa.
An zaɓe shi a shekarar 1946 zuwa Majalisar Dokoki ta Arewa, da Majalisar Dokoki a 1947. A matsayinsa na ɗan majalisa, ya kasance mai fafutukar kare hakkin Arewacin Najeriya.
Ya goyi bayan jinkirin da Arewa ta samu na samun ‘yancin kai, bisa bin yarda da cewa yankunan arewa da na kudu ba daidai suke ba. A Majalisar Arewa, ya nemi ƙarin matsayi da nauyi a cikin Gwamnatin Native ga membobin masarautu masu ilimi.
Tare da Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, wanda ke rike da sarautar Sardaunan Sakkwato, sun ba da shawarar sauya Kungiyar al’adu, Jam’iyyar Mutanen Arewa, wanda ke nufin Majalisar Jama’ar Arewa (NPC) a Turanci, ta zama dandalin siyasa don amfani a matsayin dandalin kamfen yayin zaɓen alif 1951.
An zaɓi Ɓalewa mataimakin shugaban sabuwar jam’iyyar sannan daga baya ya yi murabus daga mukaminsa na shugaban makarantar sakandaren Bauchi. NPC ta sami rinjayen kuri’u ga Majalisar Dokokin yankin a 1951.
Ɓalewa yana cikin sabbin ‘yan majalisa a Kaduna. A karkashin sabon kundin tsarin mulki, kundin Macpherson na 1951, an aiwatar da tsarin kwalejin zaɓen inda aka zaɓi wasu ‘yan majalisun yankin zuwa Majalisar Wakilai ta Tarayya a Legas, kuma a tsakanin ‘yan majalisar tarayya, membobi uku daga kowane yanki za a naɗa ministocin tarayya. Ɓalewa yana cikin wadanda aka mika wa Legas kuma tare da Kashim Ibrahim da Muhammadu Ribaɗu aka ba su muƙamin ministoci.
Ɓalewa ya shiga gwamnati ne a shekarar 1952 a matsayin Ministan Ayyuka, daga baya ya zama Ministan Sufuri a lokacin da Najeriya ke komawa zuwa ga mulkin kai. A lokacin da yake aiki a ma’aikatar sufuri, dukkan sassan ruwa da na jirgin kasa an canza su zuwa kamfanoni kuma an tsara tsare-tsaren gadar kan Nijar kuma an tsara shirye-shiryen Dam din Kayinji.
A shekarar 1957, NPC ta lashe kuri’u masu yawa a Majalisar Wakilai ta Tarayya kuma Ɓalewa ya zama Babban Minista kuma ya naɗa Fira Minista. A wani bangare na shirinsa na hada kan kasar zuwa yunƙurin samun ‘yancin kai a shekarar 1960, ya kafa gwamnatin haɗaka tsakanin NPC da National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC), karkashin jagorancin Nnamdi Azikiwe sannan kuma ya gayyaci Action Group (AG) ), an kafa majalisar ministocin a 1957 a matsayin dukkan majalisar ministoci.
Matsayin Fira minista
Balewa ya ci gaba da rike mukamin Fira ministan Najeriya lokacin da Najeriya ta samu ‘yancin kai a 1960, sannan aka sake zaɓen sa 1964.
Gudunmawar gwamnatinsa
A matsayinsa na Fira Minista na Najeriya, ya taka muhimmiyar rawa a mulkin kasar da nahiyar Afirka. Ya bayar da gagarumar gudunmawa wajen gina ƙasa domin shi ya ɗora ta a tafarkin duk wani ci gaba da muke iya gani a yanzu. Gudunmawar da gwamnatin Sir Abubakar Tafawa Ɓalewa ta bayar abu ne mai wahalar ƙididdigewa, kasantuwar ita ce ta kafa tubalin duk wani ci gaba da ake iya gani yau a wannan ƙasa.
- Kafa jami’o’i huɗu na Nijeriya; Jama’ar Ahmadu Bello ta Zariya; Jami’ar Obafemi Awolowo; Jami’ar Nijeriya Nsukka da kuma Makarantar Tsaro ta Ƙasa (NDA) wadda take a matsayin jami’ar sojojin Nijeriya.
- A shekarar 1963 gwamnatinsa ta sabunta Kundin Tsarin Mulkin Nijeriya.
- A shekarar 1964 gwamnatinsa ta samar da dokar bayar da lambobin yabo domin girmama ’yan ƙasa da suka hidimtawa ƙasa.
- Ya kasance jagora mai mahimmanci wajen kafa kungiyar Haɗin Kan Afirka da kirkirar alakar hadin gwiwa tare da ƙasashen Afirka masu magana da Faransanci.
- Kafin samun ‘yancin kan Najeriya, taron tsarin mulki na shekarar 1954 ya amince da tsarin siyasar yankin na ƙasar, tare da baiwa dukkan yankuna ‘yanci na siyasa.
- Ya kuma kasance mai taimakawa wajen tattaunawa tsakanin Moise Tshombe da hukumomin Kongo yayin Rikicin Kongo na 1960 -zuwa 1964.
- Ya jagoranci zanga-zangar adawa da kisan Sharpeville na 1960 sannan kuma ya shiga kawance da ministocin Commonwealth wadanda ke son Afirka ta Kudu ta bar Commonwealth a 1961.
- A matsayin sa na Fira Ministan Najeriya, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, daga 1960 zuwa 1961, ya ninka matsayin mai ba da shawara kan Harkokin Waje na Najeriya.
- A shekarar 1961, gwamnatin Balewa ta kirkiri mukamin minista mai kula da harkokin ƙasashen waje da hulda da kasashen Commonwealth don fifita Jaja Wachuku wanda ya zama, daga 1961 zuwa 1965, Ministan Harkokin Waje na Najeriya da hulɗa da Ƙasashen Commonwealth, wanda daga baya ake kira Harkokin Waje.
Ƙalubalen gwamnatinsa
- Wa’adin mulkinsa ya kasance mai cike da rudani, inda bangaranci na yanki ke yi wa gwamnatinsa barazana.
- An tuhume shi da laifin cin amanar ƙasa da kuma hukunta daya daga cikin shugabannin yanki yammacin, Obafemi Awolowo, wannan ya haifar da zanga-zanga da yin Allah wadai daga dimbin magoya.
- Zaɓen 1965 ya haifar da munanan zanga-zanga. Ba da dadewa ba tarzoma da tashe-tashen hankula sun yi daidai da abin da ake ganin barna ce ta siyasa da kuma sakamakon zaɓe mai karfi ga abokan hamayyar Awolowo na yamma.
Lambobin yabo da girmamawa
- A shekarar 1952 ya zamo ministan ayyuka na Nijeriya
- A shekarar 1952 Sarauniya Elizabeth II, ta ba shi lambar yabo mai taken, OBE.
- Ya zama ministan sufuri a 1954, sannan ya zamo jagoran jam’iyyar NPC a majalisar wakilai ta ƙasa.
- A shekarar 1955 Sarauniya Elizabeth II, ta sake ba shi lambar yabo mai taken, CBE.
- Haka kuma a shekarar 1960 Sarauniya Elizabeth II, ta ba shi lambar yabo mai taken ‘Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire’ (KBE).
- A dai shekarar 1960 aka ba shi Digirin Girmamawa daga Jami’ar Sheffield, da ke ƙasar Ingila.
- Ya zamo Fira Ministan farko na Nijeriya bayan da ƙasar ta samu ‘yancin kai a shekarar 1960.
- A shekarar 1948 ya zama Mataimakin Shugaban Ƙungiyar Malaman Makaranta ‘Yan Arewa (Northern Teachers Association)
- 1948: Mataimakin Shugaban Ƙungiyar Malaman Makaranta ‘Yan Arewa (Northern Teachers Association)
- 1957: Shugaban Ministocin Nijeriya wato Firimiya (Prime minister).
- 1959: Ɗan Majalisar Dattawa ta Nijeriya.
Rasuwarsa
Wasu sojojin Nijeriya ‘yan ƙabilar Ibo suka sace Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Ɓalewa a ranar 15 ga watan Janairun shekarar 1966 tare kuma da kashe shi daga baya a yunƙurin su na hamɓarar da gwamnatinsa tare da wasu manyan ‘Yan siya da kuma sojoji daga yankunan Yamma da kuma Arewacin Nijeriya.
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Ɓalewa ya rasu ya bar mata huɗu; Jummai, Umma, Zainab da Laraba, tare da ’ya’ya 19. Daga cikin ‘ya’yan akwai Mukhtar, Sadiq, Hajiya Uwani, Umar, Ahmed, Haruna, Aminu, Hafsat, Amina, Zainab, Yalwa, Saude, Hajia Binta, Rabi, Ali, da kuma Hajia Talle Aishatu.
Manazarta
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, July 20). Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa | First Federal Prime Minister of Nigeria. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Jamilguestpalace. (2023, April 13). The impact of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa on Nigeria’s struggle for independence. Jamil Guest Palace.
Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa | Zaccheus Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries. (n.d.).
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.).