Legend rates the mythical phoenix as the bird that never dies, kill it today and it will rise again someday in the future. If you attempt to annihilate it through burning it to ashes, don’t be surprise that long after you have gone and your memory forgotten, the bird will emerge from the ashes of its fiery grave.
Something close to that is the picture we have of Mallam Ahmed Moyo Jaji who has been a towering figure in Nigerian politics for almost two decade. For people that often listen to political analysis on TVC, LTV, AIT, and read same in the Daily Independent, This Day, The Punch Newspapers, the name and voice and style of Mallam Ahmed Moyo Jaji will be familiar, Jaji is a democrat, an administrator, brilliant, resourceful, focused and dedicated leader. He appeared to have gone into terminal oblivion after his tenure as secretary of the LCDA.
For a while it appeared as if Jaji, had come to the end of the road. If you are forsaken by the party you helped to build into a formidable octopus where else do you go? Everything looked bleak until the former governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN) appointed Mallam Ahmed Jaji Executive Secretary for Ojodu Local Government Council Development Area in Lagos state after the expiration of voted Local Government Chairmen.
The choice rattles many who do not understand or rather underestimated the staying nature of Jaji.
This is not the first time that Moyo Jaji has been recognised, and appointed into political office for his incisive understanding of political quagmires; In 2002, the political Jagaban’ of our time recognized his acumen by enlisting him among the transition committee members, for the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area.
If Governor Emeritus, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed one into a position, and Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) immediate past Governor of Lagos State repeated the same kind of appointment to same person in a higher capacity, a decade later, such a person must have something to offer.
An insight into the life and passion of Mallam Moyo Jaji is as much for those who have had personal encounters with him as it is for those who haven’t. The perspective offered us the opportunity to observe what an inspiration his life is.
Jaji is truly a remarkable figure with a big heart, and self-effacing, down-to- earth personal style that gives no indication of his accomplishments as an administrator of Ojodu LCGA. Since destiny took me to him in the 90’s I have never ceased to wonder about his forthrightness. But on a closer look after many years of close association with Jaji I can tell you without any iota of doubt that those who want to hide facts or sweep the truth under the carpet would not want to go near him. Jaji doesn’t know how to bend the rules. And as they say truth is bitter. If we have more people like him at the helm of affairs perhaps we would be talking about a different Nigeria today.
Jaji is very friendly and kind to a fault. He always go the extra mile to assist others, even at his own inconvenience. When I met Mallam Jaji the other day, hear what he said: The race for the chairmanship seat for the Ojodu LCDA is not about me but about availing the people of the council the benefit of the experiences i gained in my working life as an administrator acquired and married to my experience during my tenure as executive secretary of the LCDA. Our achievements during the short span of our tenure are verifiable for all to see. I shall bring to bear these avalanches of past experience especially as a former Executive Secretary of the council to bear in the discharge of my responsibilities as chairman of the council.
We as a people must learn to develop leadership and nurture it to fruition and encourage those who would have been able to fill the space and bring back dividends to us. We must not be the crabs that pull themselves down thereby leaving no opportunity for any of them to see the outside world. Granted that some politicians have failed to render desirable services to their people it must be remembered that some politicians have done their modest best to fight the cause of their people by bringing development closer to them at the grassroots in addition to enhancing human life.