By
Ibrahim G Lamara
The problem with our mainstream social media environment is that obsession with playing a blame game against sons of high profile people especially in Northern Nigeria where social envy is often strong. Some people may deride Shamsuddeen as beinv so pompous, unapologetic and too social; some may be made to believe Shamsuddeen was all the wrong guy that people think he is. That’s the reality of social media where everybody thinks he has the free reign to unleash his unbecoming tirade against Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad in a bid to dent his unblemished reputation. But out of sight is not out of mind, and those who know Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad can attest to this.
But, the other sides of Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad are hugely underrated due to vicious attacks he receives as a result of his strong social media presence. Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad has been a trailblazer when it comes to uplifting the youth and having positive impacts on the people, even those who he has never met with in person.
Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad is a rare gem who does not allow his public image to disconnect him from the mainstream society simply because he’s the son of a governor. This unassuming nature may have been the reason Shamsu has been undeterred by what people say about him because he never seeks public validation or expect anything in return for his altruistic service to the society from all walks of life.
Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad would have chosen to live below the radar, blissfully ignorant of the vicissitudes of life around him. He would have chosen to totally inoculate himself from the society by avoiding anything that has to do with the people his father has been ruling for years as is the case with a motley of first sons across the country. Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad would have chosen to only surround himself with the elites who nominally only interact with people who can add values to their lives, thereby ostracizing his people.
Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad is he is today simply because he has decided to engage with people, expressing his views as a law-abiding Nigeria irrespective of whose is gored. Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad is he is today simply because he sees people as central to his strategic thinking in life, giving back to society, and helping people stand up on their feet.
I know Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad for over two decades, and one of the few things I can attest to about him is passionate tendency to make an impact without expecting anything in return. It is the trait of highly effective people who understand life and how helping people voluntarily also motivates us to grow up.
People should not make Shamsuddeen Bala as merely a social media guy who drives pleasure from expressing unapologetic views. He is a real influencer who not only dominates social media space for the fun of it, Shamsu learns, and is always open to honest criticism because it at least highlights the areas where the government needs work to silence the opposition.
As we get closer to the 2027 election, Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammed is already used to almost every sort of opposition research. They tried in to stop from growing; they tried in vain to vitiate his reputation because Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad is aggressively educated enough to know the rules of life which means you need enemies to grow, and enemies always make a person stronger as he would continue to work on personal lessons driven from the ways political antagonists think and behave, making it easier contain them in the long run.
Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad will continue to get in touch with his people one or another regardless of what people say behind his back. They can launch a vitriolic campaign misinformation against him; they can embark on a mission to pry into his private life and make him look bad, but as it is case in the grand scheme of things, Shamsuddeen Bala Muhammad always emerges stronger, and his obsession with actively engaging with his base, Shamsu is blazing a trail in Bauchi, and bequeathing a legacy that can will forever change people’s lives in Bauchi and beyond.
Ibrahim G Lamara writes from Azare, Bauchi State
