The recent retirement from active service of Comrade Sani Baba Mohammed has continued to reverberate within the national and international trade union bodies because of his inestimable contributions to the struggle for workers’ rights and universal access to quality public service across the world.
Until his retirement, Sani Baba was the Regional Secretary for Africa (1) at the Public Services International (PSI), a global trade union federation of more than 700 trade unions representing 30 million workers in 154 countries with head office in Paris, France.
Before his meritorious international stint with PSI, Sani Baba had an illustrious career in trade union administration in Nigeria spanning over three decades. He was first employed as the organizing secretary of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and later promoted to the position of state secretary. He served in this position in Kaduna, Benue, Bauchi, and Kano states, among other chapters. He was also an overseer of the Zamfara State Chapter in the early 2000s.
Through hard work and dexterity, Sani Baba got promoted to the enviable position of pioneer head of the newly created Education and Training Department of NULGE in 2000. He conducted his duties with vigour and dexterity, which accelerated various reforms in the training needs of members and staff of the union. Indeed, his versatility and resourcefulness in trade union administration are second to none.
Significantly, his expertise and acumen swiftly propelled him to the international limelight, and soon afterward, he was sought after by some international labour organizations.
It was at this stage of his career that the leadership of NULGE allowed him to showcase his talent on the international stage, and he was seconded to PSI as subregional secretary overseeing English-speaking West African states. It was on the global stage that he initiated various strategies that facilitated the admission of various trade unions in Nigeria and Africa to become affiliates of the PSI.
These affiliations helped tremendously in the areas of capacity-building programmes on tax administration, water supply, waste management, collective bargaining, and entrepreneurship. Remarkably, he was later promoted to the prime position of Regional Secretary (I) in charge of Africa due to his superlative performance on the world stage. The promotion allowed him the opportunity to participate in the annual International Labour Organization (ILO) conferences and travel widely around the globe.
Our paths crossed about two decades ago when the former Deputy National President of NULGE, the late Umaru Mohammad Bakori (of blessed memory), introduced me to him as a novice and newly appointed State Secretary of the Union, often referred to as Eaglets. Since then, Sani Baba has never shred his responsibilities in guiding me through the murky waters of trade union administration.
He always reminded me of his steadfastness in the five principles of life, which he always emphasizes as variables for a successful career in NULGE administration. They include discipline, patience, hard work, organization, and resilience.
Another contribution to my success was his push for me to further my studies, which resulted in my gaining admission to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. Many comrades like me have testimonies of his immense contributions to the development of an active struggle to emancipate workers from the shackles of domination by employers of labour.
He helped assiduously awaken the spirit of the working class to unite in unison and contribute towards improved productivity. He specifically facilitated and pioneered core issues for the demands of local government administration, such as strategies of tax collection, synergy and teamwork, waste management, and improving the capacity of workers as an engine room for the implementation of policies and programmes of government.
Also, the training programmes he initiated and approved by the leadership of NULGE helped optimally reveal officials of the union at various levels on core issues such as the rudiments of collective bargaining, workplace ethics, and organizing strategies.
Sani Baba was among the officials of the Union who produced the position of NULGE on the late Etsu-Nupe Umaru Sanda Ndayako’s-led Federal Government Committee on the restructuring of local government administration in the country in 2003.
The position paper helped tremendously in bringing to the fore the full potential of local government as the third tier of government to accelerate grassroots development nationwide if given full autonomy to operate without subtle interference by the state governments.
The paper also exposed the narratives about direct interference in the local government administration, particularly by state governments, which adversely affected LG operations. PSI also participated actively in all national and zonal advocacy campaign for full autonomy of LG.
Furthermore, Sani Baba was also among the think tank team of selected technocrats drawn by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to develop a framework for the take-up of the Congress Education and Training programmes in 2000.
Alongside technocrats of the Congress such as Comrade Salihu Lukman, Comrade Baba Aye, and others, the team developed modules for education and training action that helped galvanize union leaders to the basic knowledge on how to organize members, protect their rights and welfare, as well as how to contribute towards enhancing productivity in the workplace. The framework helped to reposition the NLC as a hub for workers’ capacity development for improved productivity.
His contribution was aptly captured by the late National President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel mni, who averred that “Sani Baba is the reservoir of knowledge; he speaks with high intellect and is largely endowed with the requisite acumen to deliver high-profile lectures on collective bargaining strategies, settlement of disputes in the workplace, as well as how to organize workers to strengthen the bargaining power of trade unions.”
Despite his prominence, Sani Baba maintained a simple and modest lifestyle. His generosity and philanthropic attributes have helped many indigents, especially orphans and the elderly. Let me not forget his amazing wives, worthy of mention is Hajia Bara’atu Mohammed, Hajiya Zainab, and his lovely children who are surely behind the success recorded. Without her role in the family, Sani Baba wouldn’t have made the mark.
I wish he would find time in retirement to write a memoir to enable younger ones like me to get a glimpse of his amazing successes and tap into the reservoir of his knowledge. Most of those who have worked with him, such as Comrades Jennifer Besong, Muyiwa Cole, Ake Abugu, Aleru Suleiman, Peter Ene Comrade Ganiyu Adebayo, Adamu Ibrahim, Kabiru Yusuf, and Sir John Ungoro, will agree with me that only documented literature will capture and unveil Sani Baba’s enigma.
On this note, I extend my appeal to other veteran labour leaders such as Comrade John Odah, Comrade Abdul Wahid Umar, Comrade Issa Aremu, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, our dear President General of NULGE Comrade Akeem Ambali Olatunji and other notable veterans to share their experiences, world views, lessons, and wisdom with us and future labour activists. This will connect us to our veterans and provide us with a source of inspiration. Please write now.
Sani Baba has retired but is not tired of continuing to contribute to national development. Being one of his admirers, I humbly pray may the retirement open doors of newfound purposes to continue to serve humanity.
Once more, I wish you a joyous retirement and good health, sir.
Comrade Jamilu Mustapha wrote from Damaturu, Yobe State.
