That Nigeria is in a crisis situation at the moment is no news. What is news is probably when Nigeria will come out of its self-inflicted injuries. Thus, every well meaning Nigerian is concerned with ideas, men and instruments that could facilitate the processes of moving Nigeria from the brink to the desired position. It is the dream of every patriotic Nigerian, especially those in the Diaspora, who have experienced responsible government and workable systems in their various places of abode, to see Nigeria transform into a modern state where the rule of law is practiced and the rights of the citizens are upheld. My search and research, however, have shown that the primary problem of the country is poor leadership and poor and ignorant citizens divided along tribal and religious lines that make it impossible for citizens to cohere and hold their leaders accountable. The Nigeria socio-political environment is polluted with ignorance and primordial sentiments that tend to disregard merit and glorify corruption, mediocrity and ineptitude.
But my earnest search has shown that Nigeria still has men of steel; men with intelligence and skills to move the country forward. Again, the problem here is that the men with the wherewithal to advance the interest of the nation are never given the opportunity to serve and when they are given the chance they are usually either constrained by political godfathers or contaminated by the corrupt system. But in reality, there are indeed some exceptions. And in my personal search in what I entitled Nigeria’s leadership search series, I have discovered that Nigeria still has men with pedigree, enviable qualities and the will to save the nation from collapse. This is what is giving me hope and succour whenever my thoughts dwell on Nigeria, my beloved country. Clearly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) current leadership has failed woefully in serving the nation. It has created problems that will cost the nation many years to solve yet, in the midst of this confusion and anomaly it is glad to note that there are still some individuals that have the leadership qualities, skills and will-power to work for their people. Thus, in this series, my searchlight has located Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the incumbent and the 20th governor of Kwara state, who so far has acquitted himself creditably in the service of his people since assuming the mantle of leadership in his home state in 2019.
Before venturing into the murky waters of partisan politics, Governor Abdulrazaq has had a successful career in business. He has business interests and investments in different sectors of the economy such as agriculture, construction, information technology, shipping and real estate and profitable investment outside the shores of the country. His company, NOPA Oil Services, was one of the first indigenous oil companies to invest in export and import of crude oil as well as importation of petroleum products. In addition to his business activities, AbdulRazaq is a philanthropist with special focus on the poorest of the poor and persons living with disabilities. He has given scholarships to many indigent citizens and provision of potable water for disadvantaged communities in Kwara state. Hundreds of women and youths have also benefited from his empowerment programmes, vocational training, provision of start-up capital for small-scale businesses and provision of tools, post vocational training. It is interesting to note that his philanthropy, like his business ventures, extends beyond the shores of Nigeria. Interestingly too, his interest in the vulnerable groups explains the dominance of youth and women in his cabinet. This indeed is my major interest in him as a leader. I discovered that in Nigeria one of the major problems is the lack of feeling for the masses, the poor and the vulnerable by those in authority for if the vulnerable and the downtrodden are cared for, then half of the problem of the nation is solved. I am elated that Alhaji Abdulrazaq has not deviated from tending to the less privileged. The perks of office have not distracted from this bounden duty of his.
Evidently, he is well acquainted with the challenges and potential of his state and so under his administration, significant attention has been paid to education, skills acquisition and capacity building to promote private initiatives and local technological inventions. His government has devised policies to promote Agriculture and agro-allied industries as well as the cottage industries to support the critical mass in the state. Again, he knows that Kwara state socio-political environment is characteristically multi-cultural. And to ensure social harmony, peaceful co-existence and peace among the diverse population of the over three million people the governor adopted open government that promotes accountability, responsiveness and inclusiveness. In doing this, he tried to create an interface for the government, the civil society groups and the citizens to have effective partnership that has proved effective in containing religious tension in the state.
In the light of the this, my candid advice to Nigerians, as the march to 2023 election continues, is for them to open their eyes and elect those who have distinguished themselves in their various endeavours, those who are driven by earnest desire for service, not tribal irredentists or religious bigots or jobless political pettifoggers who are coming for self enrichment and personal aggrandizement. And my sincere advice to leaders like Abdulrazaq, who are alive to their responsibilities, is for them to remain people-focused as they continue to deliver the dividend of democracy to the people.
Hajia Mohammed, an actress, social activist, politician, writes from London, UK via [email protected]
