By Kasim Afegbua
For obvious reasons, Muhammad Babangida, the first son of the most talked about Nigerian in the history of Nigeria, the indomitable General IBB marked his glorious forty years on earth on Thursday, 2nd February, 2012 in what typifies the humility of a family that has since become role model to many.

He was his ebullient self, in his urbane outlook, with numerous friends coming around to share the glory of the day with him and members of his family. Whether Muhammad will be able to develop the strong valve like his father, is another discussion for the future, but so far, he has shown the discipline of a good upbringing and the sound mind of a knowledgeable Nigerian.

Muhammad comes across as a young man with very strong convictions about life. He is self opinionated and highly cerebral in his delivery when it comes to oratory. With a Doctorate Degree, not Honorary, the young man has done well for himself in terms of educating his mind and orientating his future, preparing himself for the several leadership positions he has found himself.

As Chairman and Chief Executive of several blue-chip organizations, Muhammad has continued to acquire experience that is preparing him for the future.

And like the prodigy of the Babangida Empire, he has gained knowledge through parental guidance and counseling right from his formative years up till this present time. Like a disciplined child whose respect for humanity is as profound as the religion which nurtures him, Muhammad is a delight any day when one is privileged to interact with him.

There is something peculiarly unique about the Babangidas; that is humility and respect for mankind. For those who are not too close to the family, this conclusion might be far-fetched or seemingly patronizing, but the truth is simply that the family of General IBB is a humble one with distinctive characteristics that are very unusual with privileged families all over the world.

In all my years of close monitoring of the Babangidas, I have neither heard nor seen where any of the children is seen misbehaving or exhibiting anti-social behaviour in flagrant violation of any code of ethics or dogmas. When in public, they represent an essential brand that any parent would be proud of. When in private, they exhibit the morality of trained minds that are well conscious of life’s fleeting moments.

In whatever situation they find themselves, one will easily notice the vintage posture of Muhammad with his siblings. Having gone through several moments of media bashing as a result of his father’s intervention in the political leadership of the country, and having seen the worst of betrayals and subterfuges, Muhammad just like his siblings, has developed thick skin to cope with life’s verisimilitude with a strong belief that someday, history will vindicate the family in areas where they have been grossly misrepresented. And typical of history’s enduring curative nuance, they have been vindicated on several fronts.

Chairman Moha as we generously refer to him is not one that is carried away with the rarefied life that he grew up to appreciate. He carries no air around him and ever ready to give listening ears to those he comes across whether at the home front or at the work place. The way and manner he interacts with his numerous staff, creating the leadership edge to achieve set goals and objectives, has greatly impacted on his numerous achievements as a young entrepreneur.

As an employer of labour with over 5,000 staff spread across the country, Muhammad surely knows the syntax of good leadership and how to deploy his wealth of experience to manage this population of staff. Given to dilettante details to unknot seemingly unassailable issues, Muhammad’s introspection is self assuring and essentially useful in helping him to understand human behaviourism. Nurtured with an eye for the specifics, Muhammad is not given to frivolities.

He cuts the image of a man who understands his mission in life and he is driving that mission without allowing vicissitudes of life to distract him. For a man of his age, with a sound education, a good home, and profound upbringing, he is surely at home with the flip side of life, little wonder he does not allow his status as the son of a former president to get around him. His numerous friends could attest to this fact.

Muhammad’s dreams are as tall as his six feet height. Looking regale like a gazelle in his body built with a robust beauty that has become the signature of the Babangidas, Chairman Muha, represents the alter-ego of the mainstream IBB.  Those who belong to the IBB school of thought especially in politics would readily concede to the fact that the essential attributes of this unique Nigerian has effectively been impacted on Muhammad in readiness to wear the crown of leadership of the IBB progeny.

He may not have been in active politics, but his support for his father’s political exploits and interventions is remarkably useful in helping the vintage IBB form opinion about Nigerian politicians and their several idiosyncrasies.

Having been fully acquainted with political undercurrents in Nigerian, 2015 may present an opportunity for him to offer himself for public service in whatever position he might wish to represent the people of Niger State nay Nigeria. Even though he does not believe that it is only through politics that one can make a significant impact on the society, he cannot run away from playing politics by virtue of his father’s enormous political influence.

Those who have remained beneficiaries of his father’s large-heartedness and generosity may wittingly prevail on Muhammad to take a shot at any political office.

Muhammadu is as generous as his father but with a tinge of caution. He cannot possibly live the world of his father because he has already carved his own niche that will make him greater than his father.

He cuts the symbolism of two worlds; the height of his mother and the facial semblance of his father. For him to combine the attributes of these two great personages is an incentive that will mould him into a class of his own. What IBB did not achieve, Muhammadu will achieve.

Even though no two individuals would behave same way, Muha will surely improve on his father’s profile. His ability to manage all categories of persons is a virtue that is already worming him to the minds of people. He remains quintessentially accommodating like his parents and religiously attuned to any environment he finds himself.

During the days of the Ota Farmer, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his EFCC Czar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Muhammad’s patience and resilience was put to test. Having been invited by the operatives of the EFCC to answer to certain allegations, he came out stronger and exhibited an unimpeachable confidence of a man that has come of age. His father had told the public that as a growing up man, his son will need the baptism of the society to prepare him for the greater challenges of life.

It did happen and Moha came out looking more emboldened and determined to pursue his goals in life. He never wavered and remained his vintage self believing that life is full of curves and bends. Till date, and in line with the teachings of Islam, his relationship with people is defined within the precincts of the ideal. Conscious of human depravity, Muhammad treats everyone on his own merit depending on what the issues are.

With General IBB’s declaration of his decision to quit partisan politics at 70 plus, such a remarkable and exemplary statesmanly decision, Muhammad should get set to step into his father’s big shoes. He will learn to appreciate the giant size of his father’s shoes in terms of his political exploits and understanding of the social dynamics in the country.

And since he has lived to appreciate his parents from his formative years, he surely understands how to place his feet to fit the size of his father’s shoes. A thought just struck my sub-conscious, reminding me that Nigerians do not like to hear stuff like “I have no shoes when I was growing up, if I can make it, you too can make”.

Such verbiage has become polluted in the wake of several trials and tribulations confronting the country. Let me not talk about shoes here, else it becomes a necessary distraction.

But suffice it to say that Muhammad is an emerging phenomenon that will live the life that Almighty Allah has decreed for him. There is no pretension about this because he is simply not carried away by the trappings of power which he was born into and which he has lived till this day.

You are likely to see children of former Presidents messing around town in deliberate show of raw power and recklessness, not the Babangidas. They are simply unusual in their own conduct and live within acceptable code of ethics with strong moral values.

From the oldest of the family, Erelu Aisha Babangida-Shinkafi to the youngest, Hajia Halima, the four children of General IBB are simply extra-ordinary both in conduct and other positive manifestations. The closely knit relationship that exists in the family has remained the cutting edge, reason why the family will continue to be the talking point in Nigeria’s socio_political discourse.

Muhammad’s love for Polo sport is legendary. Having invested so much in the sport, he has also represented the country in several international Polo competitions and has been able to make an impression about the development of this wonderful sport. The attainment of age 40, the age of maturity and wisdom is a landmark achievement that will remain green in his memory.

In the typical Babangida fashion, the ceremony was lowly marked with prayers in the morning and guests were hosted later in the evening to a small dinner. When asked what his greatest achievement in life has been, he simply enthused; “the fact that I am being alive to celebrate this age”. That is the beginning of wisdom. Happy birthday, my Chairman. Many happy returns.