By Prof Hassan A. Saliu
Mallam Ibrahim Muazzam, who is alive and well, is a popular name at Bayero University, Kano. For many years, he remained a household name, particularly in the Department of Political Science, where his longevity of service made him a highly respected lecturer with rich institutional memory. He tolerates everyone and holds people in high regard, including his former students who later became his colleagues and have grown phenomenally in their chosen fields. He has no envy in his nature. One might think that he placed himself on a higher moral pedestal and allowed that to guide his relationships with people in his former Department. He hardly bothers about people’s idiosyncrasies and readily forgives others for their transgressions. That was my impression over my seven years as a student, including my doctoral training in his former Department.
At that time, he was a Marxist, and he remains one till today, unlike a few others who have recanted their Marxist convictions and adopted a liberal outlook. However, he did not look it during our days in the university except in his mode of dressing – shirts, trousers, modern slippers and sandals. He hardly wore a cap. He could easily pass for a student except for his frame and advanced age. The taste of the pudding is in the eating. When one engages with him on Marxism, his depth shows irresistibly, with chronological orderliness and cocksureness.
His office was a meeting point of sorts. All manner of students converged there for one thing or the other. He maintains, even up till now, a well-developed personal library which he deliberately invested in and has made available to students and other general users, from which they borrow or photocopy materials for use and return to him. Mallam may have lost some materials because some students failed to keep their promise to return borrowed items. Hardly can one mention any text, especially Marxist-related, that he does not have. He will say he has it. That shows his level of commitment to academic and related matters.
At Bayero University, Kano, Mallam Muazzam was a detribalised lecturer who welcomed all students to his office. He made time for everyone and was willing to discuss any topic under the sun with any student. He showed signs of being an all-rounder during his service years. Although his areas of specialisation are Political Economy, Philosophy and Nigerian Politics, he was still very useful to me when I was working on an aspect of Nigeria’s foreign policy for my doctoral programme in the Department.
He served as my reader and painstakingly went through my drafts. He inspired me throughout my PhD programme. His office also served as a cooling-off centre for me after I had been drilled by my supervisor and was fagged out trying to make my project turn out well. It eventually did. He was always assuring me that I could do it.
Mallam Ibrahim Muazzam speaking at the 2018 Marxism and Africa Conference at Nasarawa State University, Keffi
In a show of solidarity, he attended my viva conducted by the late Prof. Julius Okolo from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, on 20 February, 1995. The defence could have been held in October 1994, less than three years on the programme and two months after the submission of my thesis, but for a prolonged ASUU strike. At a certain point, Mallam Muazzam had to leave the HOD’s office where the defence was held in protest against the manner of conducting it by the Professor from Sokoto. Mallam thought that he should have been more traditional in his approach, but Prof. Okolo chose to be non-conventional in carrying out his assignment. He prepared ten questions for me on that occasion. There was no way I could have answered any of the questions without making a journey into the entire project. The external examiner later confessed that he had to go through that route because there was nothing substantially wrong with my thesis. He then had to resort to the approach in order to prove that I was the author of the thesis. For instance, he asked me questions on my objectives of the study and where and how I achieved them. Upon reflection, one can remark now that all the concerns expressed by Mallam Muazzam were later addressed by the external examiner using his own approach.
His mode of lecturing was unique. He taught my set some courses. For instance, he co-taught Introduction to Political Science in the 1984/1985 session at the undergraduate level, as was the practice then. He later taught us African Political Thought and Classical Political Thought in our final year during the 1986/1987 session. I opted for the former, and I want to believe I did very well in the course. He would come to class with a small piece of paper and dictate notes. He was punctual, but he did not usually exhaust the full lecture time. Indeed, some latecomers would sometimes meet him on his way out of the lecture hall. His lectures were very sharp, short and impactful.
Mallam Muazzam is very conversant with the history of every part of Nigeria. He was fond of discussing Ilorin politics with me, especially the Saraki phenomenon. From the way he engaged with the issues, one could tell that he followed the trajectory of the phenomenon and Ilorin history in general.
As a philosopher, he is very deep and can be considered a kind of encyclopedia on the Marxist tradition in Nigeria. His knowledge of both the classical and the African variants of philosophy is profound. Little wonder he made an excellent presentation at the Keffi Conference on Marxism, prompting participants to ask whether he came from one of the known southern universities. He was, of course, groomed and bred at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and delivered to Bayero University, Kano, where he transmitted the knowledge acquired. His analysis and effortless recall of pioneer Marxists and leading labour leaders in Nigeria were accurate and quite revealing.
He retired in 2020 from Bayero University, Kano, after training many of us, and I am sure he is very happy about the impact we are making in our various sectors of the political economy in the country and elsewhere. I suspect that the indigent students who were assisted by him to complete their programmes at Bayero University, Kano, are among the people he is proud of after leaving the service. Until his retirement, he enjoyed considerable respect among the rank and file of lecturers in his Faculty. He was a popular and regular speaker at numerous public outings involving staff and students at Bayero University, Kano, and outside the campus.
I used to visit Bayero University, Kano, quite often, but no longer because of the exigencies of the time and some environmental factors, including concerns about safety and cost. Those factors have naturally created a gap in our relationship. Now, our only way to reach each other is by phone.
As the advert shows, a book will be launched in his honour later this week at Mambayya House. He deserves the honour and even more. I urge his former students and those who have benefited from him in one way or the other to attend it. Mallam Muazzam deserves this honour.
May Allah prolong his life in peace and good health.
Thank you, Sir, our teacher!
The author is of the Department of Political Science at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria
