Calls for Urgent Reforms to Save SABMF from Collapse
Urges Sultan of Sokoto, Emir of Kano, Shehu of Borno to Intervene
Raises Concerns Over Proposed Northern Security Trust Fund
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A former insider at the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF), Murtala Abubakar, has alleged that the foundation has been transformed into a “one-man estate” under the control of a self-appointed life chairman, warning that its original vision has been abandoned.
In a statement titled “The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation: A Legacy in Peril,” Abubakar accused former Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, and some former governors serving on the Board of Trustees of taking control of the foundation and deviating from its founding objectives.
According to him, the foundation was established in 2009 by the 19 Northern States Governors and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a non-governmental organisation to preserve the legacy of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello through programmes focused on education, healthcare, youth empowerment, vocational training and regional development.
He said the foundation was officially launched at Murtala Muhammed Square in Kaduna in October 2009 with an appeal fund and several flagship initiatives.
Abubakar, however, alleged that political disagreements among northern governors and elders at the inception of the foundation created a leadership vacuum that was later exploited.
He claimed that the Northern Governors’ Forum, under the leadership of Dr. Aliyu, initially registered the organisation with placeholder trustees pending broader consultations but that the arrangement was never regularised.
According to him, the original plan was for a Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer to be recruited through a competitive process for a fixed tenure, after which the placeholder trustees would relinquish their positions once northern elders reached a consensus on the foundation’s leadership.
“That never happened,” he stated.
Abubakar further alleged that Dr. Aliyu later returned to the Corporate Affairs Commission to alter the composition of the Board of Trustees, dissolved the advisory committee, replaced the Managing Director/CEO structure with a Director-General appointed at the discretion of the board, and assumed the position of Life Chairman.
He argued that these actions undermined the principles of transparency, accountability and due process upon which the foundation was established.
While acknowledging that the foundation still operates a scholarship programme, Abubakar alleged that complaints have been raised over its administration and maintained that many of the organisation’s broader development objectives had been replaced by ceremonial activities, recognition awards and political networking.
Drawing comparisons with the ongoing leadership crisis within the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Abubakar claimed that similar governance issues were responsible for the dispute, including allegations of financial mismanagement and unilateral control of the organisation’s affairs.
He also expressed concern that the proposed Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF), expected to manage substantial financial contributions from northern states, could face similar governance challenges if adequate accountability mechanisms are not established.
To prevent what he described as “authoritarian capture,” Abubakar recommended fixed, non-renewable tenures for the trust fund’s leadership, competitive recruitment of an executive secretary, quarterly forensic audits and stronger oversight powers for the Northern Governors’ Forum.
He also called for the immediate democratisation of the SABMF Board of Trustees, restoration of the Managing Director/CEO model, a comprehensive forensic audit of the foundation’s activities since its establishment, and intervention by northern traditional and religious leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto, the Shehu of Borno and the Emir of Kano.
“Sir Ahmadu Bello was no accumulator of wealth or abuser of power. He was a leader who believed in service, unity and the development of his people. The foundation that bears his name was meant to perpetuate those values, not become a vehicle for one man’s ambition,” Abubakar said.
He urged stakeholders to act urgently to restore confidence in the foundation and preserve its founding ideals.
As of the time of filing this report, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and the management of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation had not responded to the allegations.
