OpinionOPINION: B.A.T: THE PARAGON OF LEADERSHIP TRUDGES ON @ 62

OPINION: B.A.T: THE PARAGON OF LEADERSHIP TRUDGES ON @ 62

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“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader”- John Quincy Adams

In writing this piece I read through a book by Dottie Billington Ph.D with the title: Life Is an Attitude. The great book teaches how to become a better you by cultivating winning attitudes. It teaches that life is an attitude. It teaches that you have the power to grow forever better. The book is divided into nine parts I went through the topic Your Best Is Yet To Be in Part one and in Part two and three I touched the topics; Give Back, Generosity of Spirit, You Can Always Be Attractive, Go With The Flow, and concluded with Growing Means Risking in part six.

Putting together what I learnt from the book and interfacing it with what I have known about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the past 21 years, I have come to realize that being a potential and consummate leader is no tea party. It is not an event, it is not cultivated overnight, and it is not as easy as milking a cow. It is an attitude. It is in the system, inside the blood and it is a character. It needs time, perseverance, patience and grit to cultivate.

Glo

From his struggle for this democracy some characters are rubbishing today to his stewardship as the Governor of Lagos State for eight years, his struggle to recover stolen states from PDP and his struggle for a new Nigeria, I have come to believe Ralph Waldo Emerson’s postulation that: “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can seriously help another without helping himself”. Can anybody remember his strong commitment to the struggle for democracy in this country in the 90s? Can anybody remember that he and his wife were chased into exile to London throughout the time Abacha was in power? Did anybody know his personal commitment to the struggle? Did anybody know that he sold his personal belongings to continue to support the struggle for democracy during the dark days of militarism? Did anybody know that BAT and his family suffered monumental discomfort while in exile?

Asiwaju returned from exile to become the elected Governor of Lagos State for eight years. That he became the Governor of Lagos was not by happenstance. It was a reward for his efforts to liberate this country from its darkest chapters. He laid the foundation and kick-started the transformation of Lagos State for eight years. In 2007 he got a worthy successor, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola against all odds, against all protests, against all name callings, against all calculations, against all permutations and as a consequence of this Lagos has become a beauty to behold in Africa. Today Lagos has become investors’ destination and the most secured State in Nigeria. It has become Nigeria’s number one destination of choice for educated Nigerians seeking succor from economic hardship. It has opened its arms very wide and welcomed everybody.

Have we forgotten how BAT wrestled with former President Obasanjo and PDP to recover stolen states of Edo, Osun, Ekitti, Ogun and Oyo? If you are not close to BAT you may never know how these battles were fought and how the dangerous games were won and lost. It was one of the most difficult struggles that took endless time, monumental energy, excruciating legal fireworks, extensive travels and many nights of endless meetings to resolve. The struggle at once brought to bear the man’s infinite capacity to drive leadership no matter the cost. Growing means Risking!

The biggest struggle in Nigeria today is how to free Nigeria from the choking grips of PDP and its minions. The biggest battle is to turn Nigeria’s worsening fortune under the PDP around to make Nigerians feel the benefits of democracy. Again Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been in the forefront of this war, using his body to wage stones, bullets, missiles and bombs from the ruling party. PDP in recent times had boasted that it will rule Nigeria for sixty uninterrupted years, whether there is service delivery or not. Under our very eyes we saw impunity, mediocrity, sycophancy, waste, corruption, open stealing and evil and yet PDP and its agents asked us to go to hell. Today courtesy of BAT and his team in APC, PDP is facing the greatest challenge in history since 1999, the type never seen or known in the history of Nigeria.

In his own words BAT says “APC will alter Nigeria’s political landscape and balance of power” BAT as the opposition leader knows when to speak, he chooses his words carefully, and he chooses the time to drop it, the venue to deliver it and the audience to pick the punch line. When he described President Jonathan’s National Conference as a wingless eagle many never clearly understood him but time will tell. Except those without deep sense of history in Nigeria, BAT understands clearly that bringing the explosive issues of a National Conference very close to 2015 Presidential elections and granting 12 million naira bribe each to 492 delegates is a kite that cannot fly. Or did you not hear Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife asking for the 2015 Presidential elections to be shifted forward? Did you see how religious politics is creeping into the landscape? Have you seen how President Jonathan has continued to balkanize and divide the country along religious lines when he chose to visit Churches only leaving out the burning Northern part of Nigeria?

At the inauguration of a Church in Lagos BAT has warned that “ No nation has ever survived a religious war…. This is why the current religiously divisive politics our current leaders are playing will not augur well for our body politics. Religion has been elevated to a point where it is now used as a tool to curry and win votes…we must resist leaders who appeal to our religious sentiments because they want our votes”

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s best is yet to be in Nigeria. He has given all back to humanity. He has great generosity of spirit, BAT can always be attractive. BAT goes with the flow all the time. BAT knows always that Growing meaning Risking. Happy Birthday!

Written By Joe Igbokwe
Lagos

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