On a call for Kwankwaso presidency

Similarly, the country’s land is very fertile and it is no secret that agriculture was the backbone of its economy. In fact, it was the revenue from agriculture that was used to develop most of the country’s infrastructure and explore for petroleum.The country is also blessed with abundant human resources; its population is the largest […]

Similarly, the country’s land is very fertile and it is no secret that agriculture was the backbone of its economy. In fact, it was the revenue from agriculture that was used to develop most of the country’s infrastructure and explore for petroleum.
The country is also blessed with abundant human resources; its population is the largest in Africa and a considerable proportion has played their role in the country’s development. In fact, Nigerians have contributed, and continue to do so, in the development process of many countries of the world including the developed ones.
Many have recorded the good works of the country’s post-independence leaders who steered the affairs of their regions patriotically: Ahmadu Bello, the Sar-dauna of Sokoto in the North, Michael Okpara in the East, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the West and Chief Dennis Osadebey in the Mid-West.
These leaders did their best to administer and develop their regions exhibiting pat-riotism in what they said and did. They established educational institutions such as our premier universities in Ibadan, Ife, Nsukka and Zaria from where well-trained manpower in various fields of human endeavour was produced.
Products of these instit-utions are the ones that run the affairs of this country. But have they followed the steps of those great patriots? The reader should be the judge.
These patriotic leaders built and cemented rela-tionships between various ethnic groups to the extent that people crisscrossed the country and made places other than their original areas their homes; they mingled freely with their host communities and took up various vocations without hindrance from any quarter. They built and owned residences and some even became fully assimilated in the society.
This contributed immen-sely to the economic deve-lopment of the country. As a result of the social cohesion between various segments of the Nigerian society as well as the economic buoyancy, Nigeria was looked up to with administration by sister African nations. This resulted in the influx of citizens of various African nations who rushed in to eke a living. That could be termed the golden age of Nigeria.
The effect of the great work of the patriots has continued to be felt up to date because some of the edifices left by them testify to this fact.
Leaders of this country who came after those patriots remember them with nostalgia, with some claiming to be following in their footsteps; but are they? The country is drifting due to poor leadership. Leaders no longer exhibit true patriotism; tribalism and ethnicity are pervasive; there is widespread distrust between citizens.
The vogue presently is creation of tribal, ethnic and regional leaders who proudly identify themselves with their tribal, ethnic or regional groupings. Some of these leaders have gone to the extreme of calling for the disintegration of this country. If the trend is allowed to prevail, these tribal/ethnic leaders may actualize their dreams.
The way out of the problem is to have patriotic leaders that will follow the path of our first generation leaders who are ready and prepared to provide selfless and purposeful leadership. Many of us may, for obvious reasons, think that it is not possible to have patriotic leaders these days. But we do have them, although some have not been offered the opportunity to show their patriotism.
A patriot that has, how-ever, been on the political scene for some decades, presently a second term governor, is Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State. He is a patriot because he is concerned and worried about the welfare of his people. His first term and the current one testify to this assertion. He has proved to be a good administrator and I have no doubt that he would leave his marks when the modern history of Kano and indeed Nigeria is recorded. Kwankwaso is already receiving accolades for the good work he is doing in Kano State. Somebody that has not visited the state for the past six months would be amazed at the development that has taken place. Rehabilitation of existing roads as well as building new ones is presently going on in various parts of the state.
Housing estates for the state’s civil servants are currently going on to ease accommodation problems for the workers. Women are equally empowered financially to pursue various small scale trading activities. At the national level, Dr Kwankwaso has expressed his resentment of what goes on in the nation’s oil sector. He has boldly come out to oppose the onshore/offshore dichotomy where currently the oil producing states are unduly favoured against non-oil-producing states.
His position is that since the oil producing states enjoy 13 per cent derivation for damages done to their environment due to onshore production of oil, which is produced from their lands, there is no justification to say that only those states will enjoy revenues accruing to the nation from offshore oil, which lies in the sea and is supposed to be enjoyed by all states of the federation.
This stand shows that he is a true patriot and it is an indication that he would be fair and just to all, irrespective of ethnic background or political leanings. This quali-fies him to be a national leader. I firmly believe that he will make a good president.

Abubakar wrote from Unguwar Dosa, Kaduna.