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  • When was Tinubu sleeping?

    When was Tinubu sleeping?

    (What a week it has been of fulsome and certainly eminently deserved applause across partisan divides for National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his 65th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, I reproduce today an abridged version of a piece I published as Chief Press Secretary to the governor, in the This Day newspaper of July 8, 2001, at least to give one perspective on the no easy path traversed by the Jagaban Borgu on the path to today’s still unfolding glory.)

    Again and again, one confronts the view in media commentaries and private conversation that the Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has at last woken up to the responsibilities of his office after a long slumber. The impression created sounds rather funny. It is as if Governor Bola Tinubu simply went to sleep after assuming office in 1999 and governance in Lagos State promptly proceeded on vacation. While deep in sleep, Governor Tinubu must have projected himself astrally into space, visited the abode of the gods and obtained a magic wand to enable him perform dazzling acts of abracadabra.

    It will be recalled that barely a month after he assumed office as Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu came under a heavy barrage of savage criticisms from impatient analysts and vengeful political opponents desperately seeking to draw blood. They accused him of lethargy and non-performance and wondered why he could not follow in the action-laden footsteps of Marwa or Jakande. The cartoonists had a field day chastising Tinubu for the innumerable pot holes and veritable craters that characterized Lagos roads, the skyscrapers of refuse heaps that had embarrassingly become the trade mark of the centre of excellence and the high crime rate resulting in the untimely demise of scores of innocent citizens.

    The critics would give no quarters. It did not matter to them that the bad roads, refuse heaps, water scarcity, high crime rate and other problems were inherited from successive regimes by the Tinubu administration. Lagos State vividly illustrates the dilemma and herculean challenges confronted by Nigeria’s public office holders in the post-IBB/Abacha/Abubakar era. The most populous, ethnically heterogeneous, economically strategic and politically viable in the country, Lagos State was left to decay to an unimaginable degree during the wasted years of the military locusts. Any meaningful effort to re-build Lagos State and address the cause rather than the symptoms of problems in the post-military dispensation could therefore not be a rushed affair. It required deep thinking; careful planning and systematic, focused implementation of well thought out policies which might not yield discernible fruit in the short run. This was the challenge Tinubu set for himself while displaying a rare and courageous willingness to sacrifice short term populist acclaim in the larger public interest.

    Today, Tinubu’s decision to choose the higher moral ground of statesmanship rather than petty political partisanship appears at last to be yielding results. Even his severest critics are now singing a more refreshing, up-beat tune. As his various programmes crystallize, mature and bear fruits, the public is becoming increasingly more appreciative of the governor’s vision and sense of mission. What I find personally very interesting is the new surge of support in the state even for policies which only a while ago were derided as being unnecessarily inconvenient and burdensome for the individual. I refer to policies such as the intensive demolition of illegal structures that obstruct drainage channels, construction of road demarcations to enforce traffic discipline and the introduction of measures to enhance safety of vehicles on Lagos roads among several others.

    Even as the opinion writers, analysts and editorialists laud Tinubu’s performance, however, most of them still insist that he slept for too long before waking up. Indeed, they seem to suggest he would have continued sleeping but for the cacophony of their virulent criticism. None of these critics has thought it fit to own up to what was obviously a grave error of judgement on their part. None has graciously admitted that Senator Tinubu was probably right after all in taking his time to lay a solid foundation for the successful and effective delivery of his programmes.

    I find it necessary to challenge and correct this erroneous notion at least for the records. When, I ask once more, was Tinubu sleeping? Was he sleeping when even as governor elect, he had commenced exploratory talks with energy firms in the United States for the revolutionary Independent Power Project (IPP) that has broken the back of monopoly in the country’s energy sector? Have we forgotten the spate of ethnic and communal clashes instigated in Lagos State in the early period of the administration with the aim of derailing our nascent democracy? Was Tinubu sleeping when he held scores of meetings with various ethnic, cultural and communal groups to soothe frayed nerves and restore peace? It is so easy to lose sight of the fact that without an alert and responsive governor at Alausa, the enemies of democracy could have succeeded in their plot destabilize the entire country through sponsored disaffection and violence in a sensitive cultural melting pot like Lagos.

    Was Tinubu sleeping when he introduced the Private Sector Participation (PSP) scheme in refuse management that not only generated 10,000 new jobs but also decisively addressed the refuse problem in the state? Was he sleeping when he introduced   novel schemes like the Highway Managers and Drain Ducks with a combined strength of 7,000 workers to keep the highways clean as well as clear drainage channels in the state? Was he sleeping when in his first year in office, he recruited 3,000 new graduates into the civil service? Was it a sleeping governor who in his first year in office supplied close to 100,000 pairs of desks and chairs to primary and secondary schools, rehabilitated 41 secondary school buildings at a cost of N51 million, constructed wall fences in 17 schools to enhance security and supplied biology, chemistry and physics equipment worth N20 million to 25 secondary schools?

    Was he sleeping when he paid N99 million as NECO examination fees for 90,000 SSS III students and N50 million as bursary award to over 5,000 students in tertiary institutions as well as Lagos State law students? And these were all in his first 12 months in office. By the end of his first 365 days as chief helmsman of Lagos State, Senator Tinubu had rehabilitated over 500 pot-hole infested roads, modernized the refuse dump sites at Solous, Olusosun and Abule Egba,  purchased sophisticated equipment worth over N300 million for the state’s hospitals. His administration had initiated comprehensive judicial sector reforms including enhancing welfare of judicial officers, upgrading and modernizing court facilities as well as establishment of the Office of the Public Offender (OPD) to provide free legal services to indigent persons as well as the Citizen Mediation Centre (CMC) as an alternative and faster dispute resolution mechanism. All these could certainly not have been accomplished without the governor and his team consistently burning the midnight oil.

    It will be recalled that the Tinubu administration inherited a budgetary outlay of less than N15 billion. This was raised to N19 billion in the 1999 budget and then N43 billion in the Y2000 budget. This unprecedented quantum budgetary leap is a function of the herculean challenges the governor has set for his administration. A less ambitious governor could easily have set himself a less demanding agenda.

  • Tinubu, Ambode commended over Neighbourhood Security Corps

    Tinubu, Ambode commended over Neighbourhood Security Corps

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have been congratulated over the inauguration of Lagos Niegbourhood Security Corps which has been on the drawing board since the tenure of Tinubu as governor of the state.

    In a congratulatory message to the governor, the Police Assistance Committee (PAC) commended the initiative of the establishment of the corps designed to assist and complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the areas of the prevention and combating of crimes and ensuring the protection of lives and properties within Lagos  State through information and intelligence gathering, a similar function the PAC has been performing all over Nigeria in the past two decades.

    In the message signed by its Director General, Dr. Martins John Oni, the PAC expressed its readiness to always share its wealth of experience and impart its vast knowledge in community policing acquired overtime through international exposure with the newly created Neighborhood Safety Corps through a workable synergy and regular participation in our seminars  and workshops organized from time to time amongst stakeholders on security matters.

    The PAC commended the choice of DIG Israel Ajao (rtd), a seasoned police officer ,as the Chairman, Board of Neighborhood Safety Corps, describing him as a well-tested and trusted police officer who can make the corps to achieve its objectives and ensure discipline within the organization, stressing that the corps should collaborate effectively with other security agencies to work towards secure communities in Lagos State by  constantly sharing information and intelligence with the agencies.

  • Ex lawmaker salutes Tinubu

    Ex lawmaker salutes Tinubu

    An ex- Lagos lawmaker and wife of  popular Juju musician, King Sunny Ade, Hon. Adejoke Risikat Adegeye has congratulated the  national leader of the APC  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his chain of remarkable achievements in Nigeria’s politics.

    Hon. Risikat Adegeye  averred that Asiwaju Tinubu has done so much to help in the development of democracy and serve as stabilising factor for the survival of good governance.

    She noted that the national leader of the APC has earned a place in history as one of the most spectacular politicians who effected monumental democracy.

    ‘’At 65, Asiwaju is comparatively still young and our prayer is that Allah should grant our  leader good health to continue in his good work, most of which is impacting positively on people’s lives.

  • Ikpeazu congratulates Tinubu at 65

    Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has congratulated the National Leader of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 65th birthday.

    In a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, Ikpeazu described Tinubu ‘’as a leader who has inspired many with his life and leadership style, our prayer is that you continue in good health and strength to continue to inspire us, live fearlessly, be as much bold and confident as ever.

    ‘’Governor Ikpeazu and his family are praying to God to grant good health and peace to Asiwaju for him to continue to champion the cause of the voiceless and down trodden in our country for many years to come,’’ the statement added.

  • Tinubu: A colossus at 65

    Tinubu: A colossus at 65

    A man of great character and deep convictions, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has evolved, over the years, as a shining phenomenon and a towering figure in the nation’s socio-political landscape.

    This is indeed a most critical time in our nation, Nigeria when burning issues of leadership are gaining more recognition given the various problems that we have had to contend with. In the light of the prevailing economic recession, excruciating poverty, mass unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure and poor social service delivery as thrown up by decades of bad leadership and chronic character deficit, Nigerian people are clearly in dire need of true and time-tested leaders with deep intellectual clarity, strong ideological conviction, consuming organizational acumen as well as a knack for national and international solidarity.

    At 65, what has continued to endear Asiwaju Tinubu to his teeming political associates, business partners and grassroots admirers is his formidable strength of character, which obviously flows from his clarity of purpose and Spartan determination to bequeath the world around him with enduring legacies of noble exploits. Convictions are deep-held beliefs based on a commitment to one’s purpose. It gives a person a sense of direction as well as a commensurate influence on people and events around him. The whole essence of having highly influential and inspirational leaders like Asiwaju Tinubu in a Country like ours is to enable them inspire, motivate and empower other people to take action and effect change.

    In the last three decades that I have had the privilege to relate with him personally as a co-traveller in the murky waters of Nigerian politics, Asiwaju has never stopped to amaze me with his charismatic energy and his profound conviction on the need to positively transform our dear nation before things are allowed to go beyond remedy. And indeed, he has always demonstrated the excellent capacity to translate this lofty dream to reality.

    Exemplary leaders like Asiwaju Tinubu are rare to come by. They are often thrown up by national challenges and the global anxieties of their time. Wherever they find themselves and at any epochal event in the course of history, their sterling leadership qualities glow radiantly as their shining traits illuminate the abounding darkness. Needless to say, Tinubu is not of the common breed. He is a resolute fighter, a highly intelligent strategist, extremely diligent grassroots mobilizer and an unrepentant lover of the people. He is of course the great avatar of our time, the national enigma whose thoughts and actions continue to show the light in our stormy sail to the shores of freedom and progress as a nation and as a people.

    As a Distinguished Senator in the short-lived Third Republic, Tinubu was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Banking, Appropriation and Currency. In the twilight of the unlawful annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, where the Nigerian people gave their mandate, in a free and fair atmosphere, to Chief M.K.O Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the election, Asiwaju Tinubu emerged in the Senate as the most articulate voice against the military junta and a rallying point for pro-democracy activists within and outside of Nigeria..

    In the protracted struggle for the enthronement of democracy and demilitarization of the nation’s political space, Tinubu, a founding member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), played a most profound role as a financier and strategic bridge among notable local and international pro-democracy formations as the demand for greater networking and campaigns emerged.

    As a consistent and unrepentant apostle of the June 12 movement, Tinubu, the great political fighter, was exposed to various forms of molestation, arrests, harassment, threats to life and brutalization in the hands of the ruthless machinery of the General Sanni Abacha regime, before he finally resolved to go into exile and lend a more articulate voice to the struggle in the foreign domain.

    As Governor of Lagos State on the platform of the Alliance of Democracy (AD), Tinubu made large investments in education, health care delivery, housing schemes, massive road construction, integrated rural development, agricultural production, construction of novel digital centres, the beautification of open spaces and loops across the State, the development of the State work force for greater productivity as well as the promotion of progressive taxation, which steadily augmented the State’s internally generated revenue from its initial N600 million in 1999 to N10 Billion in 2007 when he left office as the Chief Executive Officer of the State.

    Today, it is worthy of note that the years of Tinubu’s selfless sacrifice and foresightedness as Governor of Lagos State laid the optimum foundation for the enviable pedigree for which Lagos is now known as Africa’ model megacity, a great hub of commercial activities, a preferred investors’ destination, a haven of tourist ecstasies, a melting pot for regional and international diplomacy and, of late, an emerging corridor for commercial oil and solid mineral exploration and production.

    During his administration in Lagos State, Tinubu did not only reposition the organized private sector as the dynamo of the commanding heights of the Lagos economy, he created an enabling regulatory environment for huge local and foreign investment, with a view to ensuring that Lagosians were not at the mercy of the market forces as the private sector thrived to the delight of all. Tinubu computerized the land administration regime, introduced a centralised pay roll system for Civil servants in Lagos State, Tinubu revolutionised the justice sector through the computerisation of Court recording system as well as the establishment of the Office of Public Defender (OPD) and the novel Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC). These policy innovations, among others, soon became benchmarks in the nation’s public sector, to the extent that even the Federal Government and other States in the federation had to understudy and follow the Lagos examples in order to conform to global best practices in public administration.

    The most outstanding in the array of his heroic exploits so far is the prominent roles he played in galvanizing the opposition forces in the country together, which eventually culminated in the formation of the All Progressives Congress, preparatory to the 2015 Presidential election. For the first time in the nation’s chequered political history, an opposition party (APC) deposed the ruling party (PDP) at the centre in a democratic election and to the chagrin and admiration of the world. With due recognition of the noble efforts of other prominent figures who contributed to APC’s electoral victory in the 2015 presidential election, this feat would not have been attained if not for the undying conviction, selflessness, clear vision, political sagacity as well as the resolute leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    At a time when many political gladiators were not too certain that the ‘almighty’ PDP could be dislodged at the centre given the latter’s several years of romance with federal powers and control assess to Government apparatus which it had consistently used to manipulate the electoral process over the years in defiance of the popular wish of Nigerians, Asiwaju, more than anyone, was damn sure that the employment of the right strategies in an atmosphere of unity and clarity of purpose would ultimately lead to a resounding victory. Today, this has turned out to be a reality and the rest of course is history.

    Yuri Smartin (1987) argued that the success of a political leader “is determined by the accuracy with which he sizes up any situation either within his country or beyond its borders, by his ability to work out the right strategy and tactics for struggle and by his links with the masses.” The Nigerian experience over the years have shown that only visionary leaders with great intellectual viguor, profound strategy, strong influence and consuming organizational skills like Asiwaju Tinubu can rescue the Country from the crisis of economic dislocation and political miasma that it is engulfed in. Nevertheless, they need not occupy a political office, they don’t have to be great Orators; they don’t even have to be the most brilliant scholars or the wealthiest businessmen in their community, but their superior moral influence, social persuasiveness, strength of character and undiluted commitment to the common cause of humanity would stand them out in all fronts, no matter the challenges they have had to contend with.

    The Tinubu’s example had brought home the self-evident truth that leadership is all about strong, noble and honourable character and conviction. If you don’t have solid convictions, you don’t deserve to have followers. If you keep vacillating in order to please people, if you keep sacrificing your belief system in order to be accepted, you are not a leader-you are a compromiser. In the Tinubu’s school of politics, leadership is far different from manipulating people. It is about inspiring them. Leadership is not about controlling others, it is about serving them. To Asiwaju Tinubu, leadership is not about gaining power over people, it is about empowering them. Of course, it was this positive outlook and stoic philosophical principle that informed his political ideology, affiliation and actions over the years. To this extent, every conscious effort to severe his influence on the people by his detractors had consistently proved abortive. All of us may not agree with his uncompromising nature and indomitable spirit, his commitment to true federalism, good governance and democratic reconstruction. However, we cannot afford to ignore his moral superiority over the forces of retrogression as well as his profound influence on the forces of progress in Nigeria and the world at large.

    • Bamidele is former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

  • Mandate Group prays for Tinubu

    As encomiums continue to pour in for the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, members of the Mandate Group have gathered in Lagos to pray for the foremost politician.

    The group, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganiyu Abayomi Badmus, converged on Excellence Hotel,  Ogba, Ikeja, to renew their loyalty for Tinubu and celebrate with him.

    Addressing reporters,  Badmus said the prayer was their spiritual contribution towards the 65th birthday celebration of their mentor and political leader.

    He urged Lagosians to support  Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to move the state to an enviable height.

    Badmus said: “It should be clear to doubting Thomasses that this man called Bola Tinubu is sent by God to liberate His children from poverty, bad leadership and political isolation.”

    Ex-Head of Service Sunny Ajose described perceived disloyalty by some members of the party as normal in a political setting, but he enjoined members to be committed to the ideals of Tinubu.

    He said: “We thank God that He gave us Tinubu at this time. The APC is  experiencing expansion and what you call dissenting voices may be expected. As a party, we remain one, strong, united and indissoluble under Tinubu.”

    The group’s Secretary,  Otunba Olasunkanmi Tijani,, said the need to celebrate Tinubu could not be overemphasised because of his achievements.

    “You cannot speak of politics in Nigeria today without special mention of Bola Tinubu. His achievements as a senator, governor and national party leader cannot be matched by anyone in Nigeria today. So, the party will continue to benefit from his wisdom and leadership. We shall continue to wax stronger,” he said.

    Dignitaries at the event included Special Adviser to Governor Ambode on Environment, Babatunde Hunpe; Commissioner for Environment, Babatunde Adejare; Special Adviser on Commerce, Adeyemi Olabinjo, ex-lawmaker Mrs. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, among others.

  • Tinubu thrilled by Ambode’s scorecard

    Tinubu thrilled by Ambode’s scorecard

    DESPITE the huge debt he inherited, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has performed well, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said yesterday.

    Tinubu, who was governor between 1999 and 2007, recommended Ambode for commendation.

    He spoke at the inauguration of a bridge linking Aboru and Abesan and five adjoining roads in the Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Authority of Alimosho Local Government Area in commemoration of his 65th birthday.

    Addressing a large crowd of residents, the former Lagos helmsman said: “I was worried when you (Ambode) took over, not about your credibility, character or capacity, but because however wise or smart a man is, if there is no resource to back the ideas, the production would be zero; progress would be zero.

    “When you (Ambode) took over, I know you inherited a burden of debt. The debt profile of Lagos was high. I was wondering how you will reengineer and face the challenges to make progress.

    “Today, I can see your report card; you have scored well, you have shown prudence, especially in the use of resources of the state.”

    Tinubu praised the governor for re-engineering the state’s financial structure, noting that Ambode did not betray the trust reposed in him.

    He said: “You didn’t disappoint us. Ambode is silently achieving, religiously executing and brilliantly giving results for Lagos State.

    “All over Lagos, we are seeing the results. At Oshodi, on our way down here, we can see what is happening there; that place is a construction site. It used to be a den of robbers. But what are going on there now are developmental activities for the benefit of the entire country.”

    Tinubu thanked Ambode for marking his birthday with the inauguration of projects, describing it as a reflection of a very good governor, who is a thinker and a doer.

    “Today, you (Ambode) have given me a good birthday present. This is a great opportunity for me to be very proud again,” Tinubu said.

    Ambode said the projects being inaugurated were parts of his administration’s drive of inclusiveness in the state’s growth.

    Exactly a year ago, Ambode said he visited the community and saw the terrible state in which the road network was. He was touched.

    He said he directed the Public Works Corporation (PWC) to move to the site three weeks after his visit.

    Ambode said:  “This project is an indication that our government listens and responds to the needs of our people. We will continue to deliver first-class infrastructure to improve the lives of our people, boost the economy and create jobs for our youths. On your part, I urge you to take ownership and protect the infrastructure; use them appropriately so that they can serve you for a long time.

    “Beyond this, we are very grateful to the contractor on this project, Olalekan Adebiyi, who has deemed it necessary to contribute to the healthcare of this community by donating a Primary Healthcare Centre to the Alimosho people. Thank you very much, Mr. Adebiyi.

    “On our part, we have equipped the health centre and provided a brand new ambulance which will be stationed at this centre to respond to any emergency in the community. A certificate will be issued to the donor to enable him offset his tax obligations. We hope this will encourage other well-meaning Lagosians to take up Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities within their communities.

    “In addition to this, we are celebrating our mentor; a visionary leader, the brain behind the 21st Century Lagos, His Excellency, the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu today. We have decided to honour him by commissioning the construction of a network of roads within the boundaries of Lagos and Ogun states.”

    The roads include Church Street, Giwa Street, Victor Fagbemi Road, Ogunfayo Road, Ogundare Street, Salami Kazeem, all totalling 5.5km, with drainage, walkways and street lights. The roads will ease the pressure on the Abeokuta Expressway, linking residents with Iyana Ipaja, LASU-Iba Expressway, the governor said.

    Ambode identified many roads for rehabilitation, adding that work would begin next week on the listed roads to give the area a facelift.

    They include: 6.4km -Ikola Road with Odo Obasanjo Bridge (from Ipaja/Command to Ilo River); 1.75km  – Ogunseye Road (from Ajasa/Command to Ikola Road); 1.5km – Oko Filling Road (from AIT to Ilo River); 620m Osenatu Ilo road (from Ibari Road to Ilo River); 3.1km – Amikanle road  (from AIT to Ogunseye Road); 1.9km – Aina Aladi road  (from AIT to Ilo River) and 1.4km  – Aiyetoro Road with a bridge (from New Market/Ishefun Road intersection to Ilo River).

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said it was obvious that Ambode did not only start well, but he is doing well.

    He solicited the cooperation of the people to engender further dividends of democracy and good governance.

    The governor urged Ambode to continue the development of Alimosho, saying that there were many other roads and bridges requiring upgrade.

    Other guests at the event were Senators Solomon Olamilekan, Ganiu Solomon, Isiaka Adeleke and Bisi Yusuf.

  • Tinubu remains pathfinder of a rare breed, say Aregbesola, Osun Assembly

    Tinubu remains pathfinder of a rare breed, say Aregbesola, Osun Assembly

    OSUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the House of Assembly under the leadership of its Speaker, Najeem Salam, yesterday described All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as one rare breed of a pathfinder.

    Aregbesola and the assembly, in different statements, saluted Tinubu on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

    The governor specifically said history has already recorded Tinubu “as having found ways, where there were none and created opportunities for humanity, where many did not see any”.

    The Osun State governor’s message signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, recognised Tinubu’s immense contributions to the political and economic growth of Nigeria and Africa.

    It said Lagos began to emerge as a truly habitable state after what he described as “Tinubu’s mega-development vision”, adding that “the success story of Lagos has rubbed off on the Southwest, Nigeria and Africa”.

    Aregbesola said Tinubu’s capacity for talent hunt and leadership recruitment were unparalleled.

    According to him, the APC stalwart’s ability to spot the best hands for crucial assignments have elevated him to that pedestal of rare leader of men.

    “Today, we are celebrating a giant pathfinder; one whose contributions to Nigeria’s political and economic growth have provided development scholars serious models for academic studies.

    “This is one Nigerian politician, whose politics is known to have impacted heavily on humanity. From Lagos, where God used him for the emergence of a new state, to Nigeria as a whole and indeed, the continent of Africa, where his influence continues to be felt, Tinubu manifests in our lives in all ramifications,” the statement said.

    The governor prayed for longer life for Tinubu just as he expressed the wish that his visions of a greater Nigeria and the Black race would continue to blossom.

    In a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the assembly described Tinubu as a quintessential, larger than life politician, with passion for democratic ideals and commitment to national development.

    It noted that the former governor is a man of many parts, a bridge-builder, philanthropist, master strategist and patriot, who in many ways, has raised the standard of civilisation and human dignity.

    The Assembly said Nigeria owes Tinubu a huge gratitude for his determination, consistency, doggedness, vision and fearless disposition in the strengthening and enthronement of good governance.

    The parliament noted that Tinubu, “who is acknowledged by friends and foe, far and near, as a rounded politician, pathfinder, investor, generous and people person, through his  extraordinarily large heart and unusual magnanimity of character, raised countless men from miry clay, produced several remarkable politicians and business leaders”.

    The statement noted that Tinubu’s warm disposition, visionary leadership and cares for the oppressed and the under-privileged had endeared him to all and sundry.

    The Assembly advised the celebrator to remain focus in the days and years ahead at ensuring that democracy, which he fought for, “is not left to drift or suffer any form of setback”.

    Wishing him many more years in good health, the assembly added that Tinubu’s many legacies and contributions to nation-building, party politics and wealth creation were eloquent testimonies of his great personality as a distinguished Nigerian and pan-Africanist.

  • Buhari: Tinubu help in unseating an incumbent

    Buhari: Tinubu help in unseating an incumbent

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday described former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a politician whose foray into politics ushered in a better understanding of building consensus to achieve historical feats, like unseating an incumbent government.

    He spoke in a statement felicitating with Tinubu on his 65th birthday.

    In the statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari joined members of the APC, political and business associates of the Asiwaju, his friends and family members in celebrating another milestone in the life of the great leader.

    The President believed that Asiwaju raised the bar for many political leaders across the country as a two-term governor of Lagos State and also bequeathed a style of leadership that completely altered the landscape of the commercial capital.

    Noting his pleasant and intellectually enriching encounters with the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom over the years, the President re-affirmed that the nation has benefitted a lot from the personal sacrifices, political experience and intellectual foresight of the APC chieftain, and still stands to gain more.

    Buhari prayed that the almighty God would grant the Asiwaju good health, longer life and more wisdom to serve his country and humanity.

     

  • Tinubu:  A colossus at 65

    Tinubu:  A colossus at 65

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

     

    Questions have always been asked, over the centuries, about the secret ingredients that make up the pot pourri of political leadership, especially with regard to those who dictate the affairs of men and materials. While William Shakespeare, the literary icon opined that: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” the led majority often looks out for certain outstanding character traits in people who epitomise their collective dreams. They identify more easily with those who have the capacity and capability to articulate enduring solutions to their most nagging and intractable challenges; more so, leaders whose life trajectories have followed the inspiring path of zero-to-hero.

    One man whose legion of friends, fans and political associates, here in Nigeria and beyond our shores, would today doff their hats for, click and raise their glasses to toast to his 65 chequered years of resilience and resourcefulness, is none other than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As they celebrate with the man some love to call ‘the master strategist’, and others ‘the game-changer’, one cannot but take a sober moment to drink from the fountain of his illustrious life. In so doing, one comes in humility to glean lasting lessons in character, courage, charisma, confidence, candour and compassion (the 6C principles). Others come in a mixed milleu of humility, honesty, integrity, decisiveness, responsibility, passion, reliability and dependability.

    Does he have all these qualities, or less, or even maybe more? That remains a knot for scholars in the political evolution of Nigeria to unravel. But for now, a few examples of the exhibition of these attributes would suffice. One is his uncanny ability to identify sterling leadership qualities in people, while others grope in the darkness of doubts and don’ts. Specifically, in 2007, when the gubernatorial market din swirled in Lagos over who would be his successor, he went for his erstwhile Chief of Staff, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Though many analysts felt he was then a political neophyte, as the governorship candidate of the Action Congress (AC), Tinubu knew that Lagos, with its increasing population and industrial/environmental challenges, needed a man who knew and stood by the rule of law like the wavy lines on his palms. History has since proved him right.

    And so it has been with the wave-making, world-renowned accountant, Akinwunmi Ambode, the visionary, vibrant and versatile incumbent governor of the Centre of Excellence, Lagos. When the coast was getting clear for political dreamers, jobbers and adventurers to throw their hats into the gubernatorial ring of the state in 2014,  few, if any, looked the way of Ambode. True, he may have traversed the civil service landscape as an auditor for not less than 13 local councils. Yes, he may also have risen to the enviable posts of Accountant General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance,  as part of his 27 years sojourn in the civil service,  but what has that got to do with the nitty-gritty of riding the wave crests of the murky waters of Nigeria’s brand of power and politics? In fact, the man looked too gentle to equate with the average political aggressor.

    Yet, again Tinubu saw in him the most capable and trusted professional to lift Lagos above the rising tide of the looming economic recession. He knew that Nigeria was on the verge of that, what with the dwindling oil revenue and after the restless run of ravenous locusts of the PDP-led government at the centre. But quite a few did not. As recent events have proven, and considering his remarkable achievements in infrastructural development, transportation, healthcare delivery, education, entertainment and tourism, within a short span of two years, even Tinubu’s most critical political opponents are openly asking about the magic wand. But as the Pidgin English parlance in Nigeria goes, ‘dey no dey buy am for market’.

    It is an unusual gift from God, given to a few men for the benefit of all. Indeed, great political leaders “analyse problems; identify the best solutions – not based on loyalty to political party, but rather on what is good and right and in the best interest of the nation as a whole.” Again, Tinubu’s open endorsement of the then All Peoples Congress (APC) candidate- and the current President Muhammadu Buhari  – will for eons stand him in good stead. Towards the tail-end of the Jonathan-led, administration, Nigeria’s ship of state was literally on the verge of collapse, buffeted on all sides by the wanton waves of the twin evils of corruption and the insidious culture of impunity. There were overtures from the PDP for Tinubu to use his political clout to swing political patronage in their favour but he stood his ground. Nigerians are the better for it today, not minding the temporary pains of the economic recession.

    It is in tandem with that patriotic zeal in him that he used his legendary political sagacity to resolve the impasse between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Federal Government over the inevitable increase in the pump price of petroleum products. With dwindling crude oil production, no thanks to the mindless mayhem unleashed by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), as well as a drastic drop in the choice of our oil by foreign countries, the price premium motor spirit jumped from N97per litre to N145 per litre. Such were his skills at negotiation and peace-making that neither NLC nor TUC could embark on mass demonstrations to protest the hike as it had happened under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Also, there is the case of reaching out to the young stock of politicians in Borno State, who had hitherto been mesmerised by the stranglehold of a power- poaching politician for upward of 16 years. It was on the invitation of the governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima. More violence would have reared its ugly head in the Boko Haram-bedevilled state, had he not single-handedly offered the olive branch to calm strained nerves.

    And in the South-West geo-political zone, where he hails from, Tinubu has become the respected rallying point, preaching peace, even across political divides. Little wonder that informed politicians from the well-informed axis now speak with one voice on burning national issues. He remains a critical catalyst for the socio-economic integration of the hugely blessed zone. History, therefore, beckons on him to continue to use his unique and uncommon political wisdom and wizardry to seek the best and the brightest for both state and country. He deserves all the accolades showered on him.  Anyone or group of people that ignores him as the march begins towards 2019 does so at their own peril. It is 65 big gbosas to Nigeria’s most revered political colossus, still standing tall at 65!