Basement Blogger

A Veritable Opinion Leader! We blaze the trail, and the World follows. It is Moving Forward. A pragmatic approach to Leadership and Public Service. Defined by Common Sense and Intuitive Instinct. It's about Policy Statements and knowing what works. Dedicated to the service of humanity. God's Goodness Lives in Me - Visionary, Creative, and Audacious. A Globalised Narrative for Progressive Idealism, Rule of Law, and the Pursuit of Happiness. You hear it here first. It is Straight Talk!

Sunday, October 20, 2019

There are Presidents and there are Presidents.

Remembering President Musa Yar'Adua at his eloquent best and command of the situation before the British Prime Minister. The video speaks for itself.

A President doesn't have to come from your neck of the woods, speak the same language, or serve the same God as you to feel your presence, your pains, or meet your expectations.

President Obasanjo, a Christian Yoruba Southerner, invaded and entirely destroyed Odi Village in the Niger Delta in pursuit of a favourable exploratory and investment climate in the Niger Delta.

On the other hand, President Musa Yar'Adua, a Muslim Fulani Northerner, created the Ministry of the Niger Delta and mobilised resources for the training and rehabilitation of the militants in the same region, who felt left out of the wealth generated by black gold.

Yet, President Muhammadu Buhari, acting in the spirit of the UN-sponsored Ogoni clean-up initiative, established a committee to expedite action on the project. It was televised and well-covered by the press. Today, the project remains a vast exercise in sheer futility, with no clean-up reported.

There is no sustainable peace or development without sustainable solutions to endemic problems, and that's my definition of real leadership.

Now back to the video below.

If I had any cause to doubt President Jonathan's intellectual vigour, watching this speech or video is enough to vindicate my doubts and the reason I did not support him when he ran against President Buhari. Those of us (the non-politicians and the progressive commentators) who did not support him focused on the attributes and type of leadership expected of a young Ph.D. holder. He didn't manifest those traits. Above all, his inability to meet the benchmarks established by his predecessor, President Musa Yar'Adua, who has a Master's degree, was too much to swallow.

Watching the video below, you can feel the vibes of "I am in charge and I know what is at stake and what is expected of me as a leader and as a President." That spirit was unfortunately dampened during the Jonathan presidency and is abysmally lacking in the current administration headed by President Buhari.

Sometimes, I want to question God on why He has blessed us with abundant natural resources and quality brainpower, yet watches us continuously as third-class-rated performers, while looters, ethnic chauvinists, and religious bigots loom large in our corridors of power. No vision, no drive. While emerging African economies are using best global practices as benchmarks and performance indices, in Nigeria, the international community has joined us to create a hero out of a low achiever who willingly threw in the towel following a disputed presidential election.

Musa Yar'Adua was a Nigerian first, before being a Hausa/Fulani Muslim. He didn't possess or manifest any inherent bias against non-Muslims or people of other races. He was never romantic towards the retired generals nor exhibited any deference to them. That was where President Jonathan failed the most. If President Jonathan had followed the leadership style of Musa Yar'Adua, there would not have been any need for a retired general who sold a dummy to the nation and the global community, to wit, he is a repository of rare integrity and security acumen.

May the soul of President Musa Yar'Adua continue to rest in peace.