•Princess ADEREMI ADEBOWALE, S.A TO Gov. SANWO-OLU
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not only remained continually “relevant”, but has, in fact, “dominated” to this day, local, regional and national politics. His political influence can be felt as far as other West African countries. And this I set down as positive truth…Unexpectedly, when he entered politics, he took the polity by storm – in a journey that has taken him through the ill-fated Third Republic as a “Senator”, to the period spent in ‘Exile’ (consequent of his ‘pro-democracy activism’ upon the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election), all through to his emergence as “Executive Governor of Lagos State” and presently as the “National Leader” of the governing – All Progressives Congress, (APC) – party and Presidential Candidate for the party.
It is stale that Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is a man of great ambition, persuasive eloquence, and wide generosity; qualities which especially appeal presently to the classes from whom he is willing to draw his vast support. Undeniably, his dominance is certainly excessive, but I have no doubt that in public conduct as well as in speeches, he is desirous of doing good. Asiwaju’s Presidential ambition, though is the noblest kind, is boundless -and has set himself to realize his life-long ambition. In particular, that conception that regarded “ambition” as the guiding motive in his political career has been displayed by a more intimate and accurate knowledge of his life; this shows him to have been very little the creator of his own career, which was largely the result of circumstances outside his control. The influence of past events and the actions of others; the pressure of the national will and the natural superiority of his own Genius.
Sure, the country has experienced considerable policy and political change over the past years, regardless, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes that Nigeria still deserves the BEST any citizen can offer, needless to also add that he firmly believes he could make a difference and, undeniably, Nigerians deserves to see a difference. He once gave a poser when he asked emphatically: “For how long shall we continue to draw water from an empty well”? In essence, therefore, Asiwaju is fired by the ambition to be allowed to diversify the economy: Gold, for instance, is a good long-term investment to diversify Nigeria’s Minerals.
Pursue increased and radical Investment and Revenue Generation for the Nation. Propose some code of Laws to break the Shackles of Poverty.
Introduce new methods in tackling Insecurity and other related issues.Encourage Good Governance, Women Empowerment and Youth Development. More important than these facts, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu aims to bequeath a LEGACY of Prosperity, Happiness, Peace and Contentment to the succeeding generations.
To conclude this piece in line with our beginning thereof, yes, the Northerners are grateful for his contributions to the region, especially his staunch support for one of their sons, Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency hence, their reiterated slogan “It’s Pay Back Time”. However, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently reiterated that his Presidential Ambition is beyond “payback time”, or the “owambe merriment”…but revolves around the “Hard Work Ethics” he firmly believes in.So before you decide, #THINK! Is it Pay Back Time or Hard Work Time?
What is leadership if not about service, and who is a true leader if not one who attains the position of leadership with the primary intent and purpose to serve his fellow man to the best of his or her ability?
Greenleaf who in 1970 coined the term servant leadership noted that “The servant-leader is a servant first”. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first, then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. Such an individual is sharply different from one who is a leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power or to acquire material possessions.
It has often been said that one of our fundamental problems as a nation, doesn’t lie in our plurality (having over 300 distinct tribes), rather it lies in our failure in having consistent leadership. Although it is good t note that we have had our fair share of good leaders who through the complexities of leadership and governance have taken us one step closer to our promised land.
Lagos State is no exception in having its fair share of good leaders. As a matter of fact, in the last twenty-two years, Lagos has gone from being the previous capital of Nigeria, plagued with urban disorder to a city on a hill, widely cited as a good example of effective African governance. The symbol of Lagos as the flagship state in Nigeria today owns its status to the work, vision, and foresight of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the executive governor of Lagos state between 1999-2007.
Other than handpicking some of the best brains to helm the affairs at the Executive level, head of ministries and agencies in the state. As of 1999 financial, Lagos State was running consistently on an overdraft, not able to meet its obligations with an over-bloated payroll system.
Today, the Lagos story is a different one. Today Lagos is a major African financial center. Also, Lagos State is among the top ten of the world’s fastest-growing cities and urban areas with the fourth-highest GDP in Africa. In retrospect, the history of Lagos could have been a different one if not for the vision, doggedness, and foresight of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
As we approach another epoch in our democratic life, it is imperative that we cast all sentiments aside, in sight of something greater, and someone greater than our individual or collective sentiment in the interest of our collective destiny as a people although of plural values but sharing a common destiny.
The resume of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu speaks for itself. The facts, which are obvious to even the blind, speaks volume and the truth stands firm like a house firmly planted on a hill, that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the man to take us to the next phase of our national destiny.
Moving closer to the pivotal juncture where we will have to decide who leads us as a nation for the next four years, it beckons on us that we give the mantel of leadership to the person who truly is deserving of it. The person who understands that leadership is nothing short of service with the intent of influencing or directing collective efforts toward the achievement of some specific goals at minimum cost. Truth be told, no individual is more qualified to serve than the juggernaut himself who in all humility understands that power, position, and resource are not meant to be used for selfish gain but for the development of the state and the betterment of her people.
He has proven himself not only as a politician’s politician, but he is also a man of immense political clout and national appeal. Most importantly he is a man with the wind of legacy at his sail and the political will to make the right and possibly difficult decision that would deliver to us a prosperous nation to each and every Nigerian irrespective of his or her socio-economic status. A nation that we can collectively identify with and call ours.
This is not to say that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself isn’t without his flaws and imperfection, as he is only human, however when all has been said and done, no other individual in the political and private space currently is more deserving of the mantel of leadership than Asiwaju himself not because he is the great Wizard of Oz but because he is a man who truly understands the meaning and depth of leadership. If you have anyone more qualified than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu please show me.
In 1992, his political career began on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (where he was a member of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua-led faction of the People’s Front). With the fall of the 3rd Republic, his career in the Upper Chamber was aborted. He was elected to the Senate from Lagos West Constituency. In 1999, he won the Alliance for Democracy (AD) Primaries for the Lagos State Gubernatorial election. Despite a keen contest with the Late Engr. Funsho Williams and Wahab Dosunmu, he was duly elected as “Executive Governor. In 2003, while other Southwest Governors were crushed in that year’s general elections, he was the “only” standing governor that survived the President Obasanjo-led tsunami on the geo-political zone. He later formed the Action Congress (AC). By 2006, his AC party had a strong presence in the Southwest (5 Governors, 15 Senators and 6 State Houses), Midwest (1 Governor) and North Central Regions (3 Senators). Its discernable power base and presence were more felt in Lagos, Edo, Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo, Bauchi, Plateau, Niger, Adamawa, Oyo and Osun states.
In 2007, the political Generalissimo solely reclaimed Ekiti, Osun, Edo and Ondo States, leading to the resurgence of a “dynamic” Southwest.
On the 21st of April 2007, in Nigeria’s National Assembly elections, the AC Party won 32 out of 380 seats in the House of Representatives and 6 out of 109 seats in the Senate. In 2010, the Action Congress changed its name to “Action Congress of Nigeria” (ACN). The ACN was formed via the merger of the faction from Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Justice Party (JP), the Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD) and several other minor Political parties.
By 2011, he finally succeeded in liberating Ogun and Oyo states. The same year, he was highly instrumental to “President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory in the general elections, just as he was chiefly behind his EXIT in 2015 General Elections.
[Of the Domino effect of the 2015 transcendent election] Gen. Muhammadu BUHARI explicitly confirmed at the 7th Annual Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium with the theme “Change: How it will Work” thus: “…Tinubu and others have shown exemplary leadership which is responsible for the success now credited to the party. Nigerians never thought the merger would be possible and rightly so given the political history of the country. But this merger, if there are two people responsible for it, they are Tinubu and Akande. They did it because their constituencies believed in them.”
He built Lagos beyond measure and has touched, transformed every sector in Lagos State. Many of his major achievements transversed Transportation, Agriculture, Education, Health, Environment and others. Some of these achievements in the transportation sector are Establishment and equipping of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Engage in the massive development of median barriers covering 26 kilometres on 40 major roads to curb indiscipline and penchant of the motorists, especially commercial drivers to violate traffic rules and regulations, Provision of traffic lights at over 100 intersections throughout the state, Introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit Scheme, BRT with about 280 high-capacity buses in the fleet of the scheme, Introduction of rider’s card for Okada commercial operators and
“Auto Reg” to track down stolen vehicles.In the education sector we have Provision of the free education system in all public primary and secondary schools in the state, Construction of over 500,000 chairs and benches for schools, Construction of four Millenium Secondary School prototypes, Set up the Special Committee for Rehabilitation of Public Schools, SCRPS, Upgrading of 9 public secondary schools to model college status.
Creation of 6 Educational Districts as part of post-primary education reforms and appointed Tutor-Generals for the Districts, Initiation of the Private Sector. In the Envitonment sector, we have Participation, PSP in waste management and appointment of seventeen mega waste companies to collect and dispose of refuse across the state, Rehabilitation of the three dumpsites at Olusosun, Soluyi and Abule Egba. Re-introduction of waste and litter bins and distribution of 1000 units of it across the state. Establishment and deployment of Emergency Flood Abatement Gang, EFAG to de-flood flood-prone areas and handle emergency cases, Establishment of the Drain Ducks to regularly remove silt and debris in drainage channels across the state, Reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise on the last Saturday and for the civil servants on the last Thursday of every month. The markets observe their sanitation every Thursday of the week, Restructuring and re-equipping of Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA to more effectively handle commercial and industrial waste Establishment of the Highway Managers – a private sector operator to manage highways, Establishment and equipping of KAI Brigade to enforce environmental laws.
In the Agriculture sector we have Introduction of Fish Farm Estate Scheme, Construction of an Animal Hospital, Oko Oba in Agege with a Livestock Input Quality Control Laboratory to test and certify the quality of livestock, Reactivation of the mechanical slaughter lines at the Abattoir and Lairage in Oko Oba, Rehabilitation of existing farm settlements in Ajara Badagry, Odongunyan and Imota in Ikorodu and Araga in Epe, Regular purchase of needed farm inputs by farmers at subsidized rates through the Agricultural Input Supply Authority, LAISA, Construction of a Cooperative Training Institute with 600 capacity hall and Increased the number of Agricultural Extension Officers.
PRINCESS ADEREMI ADEBOWALE
Special Adviser on Civic Engagement to Governor Sanwoolu
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