If I could travel to Minna, Niger State privately to seek his support for an educational foundation project I was working on in 2008; invariably, I should have the courage and the honor to identify with him openly and to join thoughts with other well-wishers to wish him a happy birthday and good health as he celebrates his 78th Birthday.
As every one of us, he is not perfect. He is human. He built the Third Main Land Bridge and the Federal Capital Territory. He vanquished the shantytown called Maroko and in its place, a marvel of the African continent emerges - Lekki Phase One and Two. With Lekki in the making, there was massive spending on infrastructure and property development, leading to a massive expansion in the job market.
He picked two Esan (Ishan) guys to Chair the newly formed two political parties - SPD (Cheif Anthony Anenin) and NRC (Chief Tom Ikimin). Today, the Esan tribe is marginalized at the federal level and at the state level.
He had a powerful executive team made of industry titans and technocrats. On the side, he created the Council of Economic Advisory headed by Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, an erudite Economist from the University of Ife. The Co-Chair of the council was Chief Hasan Adamu (hope I got his name right) the Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria at the time. It was made up of fearless and independent-minded Nigerians.
From Imo State, he brought in Chu Okongwu Ph.D. Economics (Harvard), the inventor of the Imo Formular when he was the Commissioner of Finance in Imo State, to head his Commerce Department at the national level. Also, he brought in Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, the IMF renown Economist who resurrected the near-comatose Economy of South East Asia countries, to manage his Finance.
And from the University of Ibadan, he brought in Dr. Olu Agunloye, the MIT Wizkid as the premier CEO of the newly formed Federal Road Safety Commission. A commission that would issue you a speeding ticket along Benin-Ore Road, but would direct you to go Kaduna to make the required payment. It was a deterrent to secure compliance with speed limits by drivers. And it works. But that culture is over now.
Also, he brought in the ace scholar, Professor Bolaji Akinyeme to manage his External Affairs Ministry - the guy who would later initiate and collaborate with India and Brazile to form a group called the Concert of Medium Powers. Nigeria, though under a Military dispensation was a force to be reckoned with at the global stage.
There was also Olu Falae as the Secretary to the Federal Government and later as a Minister. My favorite of all his men was Mamman Kontagora, the Minister of Works. He was my man of the year in 1985. And also the man of the year for the Newswatch Magazine. Once, he made the Newswatch Magazine's cover and he was reported to have spent a whole night along a highway in the middle of nowhere during an inspection tour of some of the highways undergoing construction under his Ministry. Those were IBB's men.
There is no denying the fact that IBB made a huge blunder, abdicating on his obligation to allow the free and fair presidential election that he conducted to evolve into declaring the clear winner, MKO Abiola as the President-elect. And that remains a sad chapter in our political history, which no one can erase. He is either a student or a victim of the topsy turvy that defines the Nigerian leadership struggle.
In spite of everything, IBB knows Nigerians more than anyone else of his generation or professional background. Of all the Presidents and Heads of State, we have had since independence he is head and shoulder above all of them in terms of performance and accomplishment. Above all, he was never afraid or resentful of powerful and independent-minded intellectuals. No matter their religious background or tribal affiliations, he was unconditionally disposed to working with them. And that's what I love the most about him. Happy birthday, Sir. The Lord is your strength. And may your days be long and free of ill-health. Amen.
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