In choosing leaders of nations, and in becoming a leader too, especially as it bothers on Nigerian government, whatever school of thought each man choose to belong , what is simply sacrosanct is the hand of God in the whole affairs. It then becomes somewhat ridiculous when a man or group of men attribute or arrogate such omniscient character of God to mortals.
It is in this light that the recent commentary credited to the former President, Goodluck Jonathan to the effect that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition cannot be materialistic without the aid of Olusegun Obasanjo. President Jonathan was said to have given this perspective while hosting and speaking with Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation magazine, wherein the former President described the elder stateman, Obasanjo as the ‘boss’ with the magic wand’ that commands respect for happenings in the country’s politics.
While one acknowledges that men are the materials needed to actualise political bidding, that man is an inevitable ingredient in the game and trade of power, we must, as a people be humble and sober enough to allow God’s way, and also let a person’s pedigree and achievements count, which is one good way to get out of the unfortunate doldrums in which the country seems to be perpetually plunged into.
It’s a common knowledge that Atiku Abubakar’s vehement opposition to the constitution amendment which was to allow Obasanjo run as President for three consecutive terms in 2006, but which the former vice president and the National Assembly democratically stopped, and which resulted in a bitter public battle with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who wished to amend the provisions of the constitution to run for presidency third term consecutively. If Obasanjo, being human, is out to fight Atiku by using personal and political arsenals to revenge, such malicious trade should not determine the course a nation must take.
And come to think of it, it’s unheard of and a national shame to wait on an individual, who himself is neither infallible nor sanctimonious, to embark on a leadership choice. It’s a responsibility of a nation by virtue of individual political choices to choose a leader, not by the whims any individual who assumes hyperbolic political status.
Turaki Atiku is an achiever. The evidences are there in the public court for any person to familiarize with and judge for himself in taking or making political choices. Recall that Atiku presided over the National Council on Privatization. After Atiku was sworn into office as the vice president of Nigeria on 29 May 1999, he took up the responsibility of overseeing the sale of hundreds of loss making and poorly managed public enterprises in the country.
Atiku, whose tentacles spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country, especially the north and southwest, is the same man who launched the South Africa Nigeria Bi-national Commission. He, alongside South African deputy president Jacob Zuma in 1991 launched the South Africa Nigeria Binational Commission.
As a living testimony to the fact that Atiku wants the best for the nation’s education sector, the American University Of Nigeria and Education.The American University of Nigeria (AUN), a private university in north-eastern part of Nigeria, founded in 2004 by Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president. The school is the only American style university in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the same vein to foster the education in Nigeria, he introduced the Atiku Abubakar special scholarship offer which is tenable in Nigeria and oversea. The school currently runs scholarship programme for IDP children in the country.
The former vice president is a proven philanthropist interested in human capital development. Atiku believes that philanthropy is an investment which has multiplier effect. He sees development as a passionate governmental effort to increase the productive capacity of a society, improve the people’s well being and expand the frontiers of freedom, while protecting the ecosystem for current and future generations. An individual’s success is deemed to be of limited social value if it does not lead to the success of others in the family, clan or community.
As Custom Chief in Ibadan mid 1975,and on becoming the Superintendent of Customs, Atiku promoted fine work ethics, fine values and attitudinal change of General Muritala Muhammed, such that he was nick-named “Murtala Muhammed Junior” by my Customs subordinates despite been the second-in-command in Ibadan.
A compassionate Nigerian leader, Atiku goes the extra mile to care for the needy and the stressed in the society, to that lofty extent that he established the Atiku Abubakar Foundation, an institution whose bid is to care for the less privileged, same foundation which he founds with personal resources. He helps and assist the underdogs , attending to the helpless persons who are helpless within the society in other to survive through legitimate means.
If the foregoing and more and part of Atiku’s verifiable achievements , even when he is not yet a sitting president, the nation can only be better with him as the country’s leader, a decision for which all and sundry will be happy doing. Now as Nigeria approaches a other historic election in the year 2019, it presents to Nigeria yet another great opportunity to choose well by standing by the truth in Atiku.