Tambuwal and quest for new order in 2015
In the same vein, it is a general believe that the failure of successive leadership in Nigeria followed the faulty pattern of leadership recruitment over the years. We have seen in this country, where people who are never prepared to lead but end up being the custodians of the destinies of millions of people at […]
In the same vein, it is a general believe that the failure of successive leadership in Nigeria followed the faulty pattern of leadership recruitment over the years. We have seen in this country, where people who are never prepared to lead but end up being the custodians of the destinies of millions of people at various levels of governance. The result is what we now have at our hands: insecurity, corruption, nepotism, crime, poverty, diseases etc.
Therefore, if we are serious about the new order of things in this country, we then must as a matter of necessity and urgency make it a duty upon ourselves all to begin to consider merit above all other things in choosing our leaders at all levels. We also must begin to identify potential leaders in our mist and prop them up for our good as is done in many societies which we look up today as so called models.
As for the presidency in 2015, and with the promise made by President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2011 in Addis Ababa Ethiopia while addressing the Nigerian community that he won’t contest the 2015 presidential election when he said: “I would have loved that the Nigerians in Diaspora vote this year, but to be frank with you, that is going to be difficult now. Presently, the law does not allow voting outside Nigeria, but I will work towards it by 2015, even though I will not be running for election”; I strongly believe that the person of Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal can be considered for the plum job base on merit.
At this juncture, I will like to make it crystal clear to all and sundry that, I do not know Tambuwal, I have never met him, and I don’t know anybody close to him and everything I know about him is what I heard from people or read in newspapers lest I be misunderstood but I consider this as my little contribution to the national discuss aim at finding a better and secured future for our dear country.
Many believe that in the last one year, Tambuwal has demonstrated an unequal ability, capacity and zeal that is required of any leader in steering the affairs of the Green chamber despite many obstacles in his way.
First, the Sokoto born lawyer is 46 years old and by 2015 he will still be less than 50 years that is 49 years. This gives him great advantage as a young and energetic man to saddle the responsibility of the office of the President and even if he gets two terms he will still leave office without attaining 60 years of age.
Secondly, the Speaker’s cosmopolitan nature and ability to reach out to people from all works of life puts him well ahead of many others. His election on June 6th 2011 is a testimony to this where he galvanized both PDP and opposition MPs to vote for him. Presently I am aware that of the many aides he appointed only two are from his native state of Sokoto where majority are southerners and even Christians. This makes him a highly detribalised fellow.
Speaker Tambuwal also recently made a history when he attended a church service in Rivers state during the thanksgiving organised by a member of the House, Barinada Mpigi, in his constituency.
Addressing the congregation from inside St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, Koroma, Tai Local Government Areas of Rivers State, he took time to explain to the mainly Christian congregation said that Islam is a religion that respects the sanctity of human life and places of worship and due deference to adherence of other faiths. He said that Prophet Muhammad placed high premium is his respect for churches and monasteries during his lifetime and enjoined his followers to do same. “In theory and orientation, Islam and Christianity are not antagonistic to each other,” Tambuwal pointed out.
It is worthy of note that this kind of outreach is lacking in Nigeria of today. In fact, it is what brought us to where we are. No wonder in his remarks at the occasion, Bishop of Ogoni Diocese of Anglican Communion, Right Reverend Solomon Gberegbara, commended Tambuwal for addressing the congregation of his church, saying for the first time in his Episcopal life, he listened to a Muslim address his congregation in church. Reverend Gberegbara described Tambuwal as an exceptional, and urged Nigerians to live in peace with one another for development.
Now, while the call for new generation of leadership may not be totally out of place; it is very necessary that our next president should be somebody who, though younger, has the capacity to reach out to the old generation, somebody who respect the elders and who the elders can also trust. Tambuwal fits into that clime.
It is on record that, the House has had its own share of negative publicity in the last one year no thanks to the Herman Hembe and Farouk Lawan bribery scandal. However, unlike in the past where such allegations of high level corruption stems from the top, this time around Tambuwal has been able to come out very clean and with his head up which is a testimony of his incorruptibility as a leader. Therefore, if corruption is the bane of Nigeria’s development, then we truly need an incorruptible leader like Tambuwal as President in 2015. And if power must return to the north in the next dispensation, it must be handed over to only those who merit it, those who rally everybody around, those who will unite us and return us to the good old days of Sir, Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto when tribe and religion played no role among northerners.
While I hope and pray that God in His infinite mercy will see Nigeria through this turbulent moment; I also want to use this opportunity to call on the Speaker to continue to leave abode board like Ceaser’s wife and ensure the passing of legislation that will transform Nigeria by putting food on the table of all Nigerians while we hope for the next best thing for Nigeria in 2015.
Nasir is of the Northern Youth League and wrote in from Unguwan Rimi, Kaduna