What Nigeria’s political class and public opinion analysts had not seriously given a thought was that Nigerians deserved to have a young, dynamic and educated person with proven integrity to provide the much-desired leadership that has for long eluded the nation especially in this information age.
The fact remains that the much-desired reforms that have been yearned for will only materialise if midwifed by a patriotic and transparently honest leader.
Nigerians should realise that gone are the days when we had to tolerate reluctant personalities for leadership positions in the country. We cannot afford to further vest the management of the legacies and control of the affairs of the Nigerian State in the hands of ‘Not my will’ crusaders. Neither should we as a united Nigerian people allow the apostles of ‘step-aside’ to toy with our fortune and future in the current dispensation. With this, we should not see the presidential journey of Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, a former lecturer and Executive Governor of Katsina State, as an accident or the mode of his ascension to the office of President as an aberration.
He remains the first President to have previously held the office of a state governor. Even as a governor, he towered above his contemporaries in being an astute administrator, a disciplined leader and someone to be trusted with the nation’s treasury. That lends credence to why we should appreciate the courage and sincerity of purpose of this personality in rising to the sacred national duty.
The President has kept faith with his words of being a ‘servant leader’ so far so good. Within a month of his assumption of duty, he has demonstrated to the entire world that “he who calls for equity must come with clean hands” – as he a made a record again of being the first Nigerian President to have publicly declared his assets. It is cheering that for once, we have a President that obeys court judgments. He returned the seized allocated funds of local governments to the Lagos State Government. Nigerian academics should also be assured of prosperous days ahead for return of sanity to the ivory towers, Mr. President has made possible the reinstatement of the 49 sacked UNILORIN dons.
The entire nation should be hopeful of a boost in the economy, preparatory to becoming one of the best 20 economies by 2020, with the pace Yar’ Adua is going now at the helm of affairs. The reversal of the sale of our refineries also speaks volumes. The President needs to be commended on his painstaking efforts of constituting an electoral reform panel whose membership comprises respected, trusted and tested Nigerians. His decisive action in halting the proposed redenomination of the naira due to contravention of sections 19 (1) and (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act is another case for reference.
The President’s promise to declare a national emergency on the power sector in the country was welcomed but the anticipated action in that regard is yet to materialise. The general belief of Nigerians for many years is that there has been a conspiracy among a few Nigerians at the highest level to feed fat on the nation by paying lip-service to the overhauling of the nation’s energy sector. Little wonder why all strategic measures aimed at revamping the ills inherent in the sector coupled with the huge funds so far pumped into it have failed to yield positive results. At this time in the history of the nation, all eyes are on Yar’ Adua whether he will join the cabal to perpetrate the ‘evil exploits’.
Political stability and viable economic development of any nation depend largely on endurable democracy and assured state of security to lives and property. As the electoral processes of April 2007 ushering in the new political office-holders was met with general condemnation as being grievously manipulated, one has to praise the sincerity of the President for his public acknowledgement of this fact. More importantly, while one may appreciate his courage and large heart of promptly constituting an electoral reform panel, it is only hoped that the recommendations of the panel will not suffer the same fate as the past ones like the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission’s report.
I am not hesitant to state that Yar’ Adua has started on a good note; he has demonstrated to us that a teacher is methodical in his approach of situations that confront him. He has taught the entire nation some great lessons that actions speak louder than voice, and that any man can be himself inasmuch as he means well in whatever position he finds himself. He has not only shown that a leader should be above board but has gone further to assert himself with humility as a people’s President, a defender of the nation’s constitution and a respecter of constituted authorities.
Tomorrow, September 6, 2007, will make his first 100 days in office. Within the period, he has proved to be a modest leader, a workaholic and silent achiever. From his modest achievements which have earned him the confidence of Nigerians, we must have further learnt that we must not underestimate the capabilities of anyone merely by his outward look or the group he associates with. Our basis for criticism of individuals henceforth should be in reference to a previous opportunity of service to the public, among others.
By Ayo Onatola
ayoonatola@yahoo.com
