Nigeria has been a country with successful leaders who possess good leading traits and skills. Indeed, they were leaders in leadership. Leaders with credible economic value, good social interactions and accountabilities. However, these went into extinction as result of god-fatherism, ethnicity, religious, language differences and the likes. Many Nigerians are lost in the nightmare of good leadership because of the level of its destruction.
Fortunately, the traits of the past leaders who were occupied with the ideology of “hardmen” that sacrificed their lives, health and feelings for their subject can be said to have been regained with the three rare gems of our time. The trio are leaders that give not to take, that serve not to be served, that are just in their leadership, irrespective of their ethnicity, religious and language differences. This is enough proof for the rebirth of good leadership in Nigeria.
Hence, I will not hesitate to list the three gems of our time in person of Governor of Borno see, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, and the former Governor of Osun state and current Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who answered the call of serving their fatherland with the mindset of having better Nigeria.
Prof. Zulum is a leader who stands for his people even with the last drop of his blood. He personally inspects checkpoints for his people to be secure. He is a man who believes in a threat free community, a society that people can sleep peacefully. He is free of ethnic prejudice, religious bigotry and language superiority. He displayed these traits with an an Igbo woman who has been a teacher for several years without promotion and was promoted as assistant to the head of the school and compensated by the governor.
Aregbesola is a leader that wants his people to be educated. When he was the governor, he provided medium for peaceful and comfortable environment for learning. He introduced modern technology to standardise their education by providing them with iPads which was the first government school with such facilities. He also equipped the laboratory for science students. Dr. Pantami is a leader who ensures justice in his leadership, irrespective of the zones and states. When he was the Director General (DG) of National Information Technology and Digital Agency (NITDA), he established headquarters in all 36 states and numerous units in different institutions of the country and corporate headquarter at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja for the benefit of the masses.
Currently, the minister of communication and digital economy is mandated to digitalise the country in cybersecurity, advancing and improving the standard of the country to compete with the digital world. Also, apart from placing the people first in discharging their duties, they have regard for one another and take their talk crucial because they know it will count on their image. The glee derived from carrying out their duties serves as impetus on their administration. Therefore they are not only carrying out their duties but also motivating and mentoring millions of people.
These are leaders that educate those willing and encourage those that are not willing, intervene in their problems by providing solution for their betterment and thus achieve their goal. They are leaders who lead by example, who place their followers’ problems first. They interact with the lowest of their people to know and solve their immediate problems and offering their leadership to enable individuals enjoy the dividends of democracy.
All in all, the ability to strive for excellence in exercising their duties has been their identity which gives hope that “Nigeria go better”, that is, a time will come to see the Nigeria of our dream. To this end, they have been identified within and outside the country for their good governance; Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum has been awarded the best governor of year 2020. Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, was singled out for recognition by the Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD), organisers of the Africa Digital Heroes Award, who conferred him with the ICT Industry Hero Award 2019. Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was invested with the award of Nigeria’s Governor of the year in Education by African Education Monitor Magazine in 2016.
Taufeeq (mnim), researcher, animal production professional, writes via [email protected]
