By Uche Nnadozie
Nigeria needs a creative doer at this point. A man who is not afraid to engineer progress and deliver prosperity to the people.
At the rate, we need a sort of shock therapy. This will juggle our minds so that we can begin to think up fresh innovative ideas rather than remain in slumber in the false assumption that we have enough as an oil producing nation.
Our economy needs urgent, critical care by experts who have the wherewithal to think out of the box; and a leader who will lead the line. We need leaders who are capable of discovering secret wells so we can fetch water to sprinkle on the dry grasses around.
Seeing how the economy of Lagos blossomed during and after his tenure as governor of the state, it is difficult to find a politician in Nigeria today who possesses the kind of leadership qualities that Bola Tinubu embodies.
With a private sector background that spans some of the world’s biggest firms, Tinubu brings forbearance into politics and thinking into governance.
“Financialism: Water From An Empty Well”, which by the way is the title of a book he co-autored exemplifies how the man’s mind works.
He doesn’t believe for example that a skyscraper can be built on a faulty foundation – that is making money without rigour. Yet contends that production is key to creation of wealth. This trait can be seen in many of his endeavours both in politics and governance.
Transitioning a political party from a lonesome opposition, to main opposition, then to governing party is not a a walk in the park. It is historic and that is putting it mildly.
The same way he trudged on in spite of adversity in governance – when the then federal government said local governments cannot be created, he did. When former president Olusegun Obasanjo bullied him over those LGAs which led to the Illegal seizure of their funds for three years, he found alternative yet sustainable revenue sources that worked. He never owed workers both at state and council levels at the time.
When Bar Beach tides kissed high-end properties and in the process eroded Ahmadu Bello way, Victoria Island, Tinubu found a bulwark with which he pushed back the waters of the Atlantic without any cost to the government. Private investment did not only save Victoria Island from being submerged, it created another city entirely thereby birthing the most valued piece of real estate in the whole of Africa – Eko Atlantic.
Let’s not go about the Lekki corridor. But we won’t forget the Free Zone and the wonders that is going on there.
Investments in tens of billions of dollars and counting are already fired or about to be fired into existence. This is how countries function. This is how economies are built. This is how enduring jobs and wealth are created.
Tinubu is the biggest and best reformer the country has seen in 23 years at least. With the re-engineering of Lagos state finances, civil service, pension, security, waste management, judiciary, housing, electricity, urban renewal, etc nobody in public service in Nigeria has impacted on positive productive outcomes like this man. Little wonder states and the federal government imitated these initiatives.
His greatest reform for me is in the education sector. Apart from declaring education free as a principal offering of his then political party – Alliance for Democracy or infrastructure regeneration in the schools, he went on to initiate the payment of NECO/WAEC fees for all students.
The effect of this is directly felt by the less privileged. Education is still the best route out of poverty. The outcome is also seen in the number of out-of-school children in Lagos vis-a-vis other states. The state has the lowest in this bracket. What’s more, other states copied.
At a time like this, with resources dwindling and revenue scarce, who else should we call on to deliver a more productive economy if not the man who has done it before.
A man of courage who took on recalcitrant unions, powerful if not vindictive President Obasanjo – is still capable of taking on any obstacle in order to engender nationwide public good and shared prosperity for majority of our people.
As he launches his policy document titled “Renewed Hope 2023 – Action Plan for a Better Nigeria” in preparation for his campaign for president, going by his service record and his unwavering commitment to our country’s cause, non of his competitors is half as prepared as Tinubu at this time.
The resources both material and the intellectual fecundity he has invested in our polity shows a man who we can truly trust. He has invested long and deep and won’t want the system to fail under his care and after. You can only invest in what you trust and aftermaths you envisage!
Furthermore, the diverse nature of his campaign team answers as to how his mind works. A man who spots talent in every thorn, who sees bloom in every gloom is in the best position to galvanise real renaissance of our country.
Looking through his policy document is testament to the degree of his faith in our ability to turnaround our country’s socio-economic indicators to leapfrog into double-digit growth in a few years time. His expansive thoughts is the sort of audacity we require to birth a wealthier country weaned of over-dependence on petro-dollars!
The manner he won the presidential primary of his party shows his skill-set in organisational competence as a team player. Indeed, Nigerians need renewed hope and faith in our green identity so that our garden can bloom again. There is water in this well.