Tinubu’s heroic; Nigerians didn’t believe me, by Kola Amzat
Some six (6) and half years ago, precisely in the very early part of ex-President Buhari’s first term in office, I started churning out a series of publications and write-ups in the Nigerian tabloid and social media platforms, essentially to provide justifications why Asiwaju Tinubu should succeed the immediate past president.
Even though, against all odds of insults being hurled at me both from home and abroad, threats to my life, lampooning from even hitherto friendly quarters, as well as campaigns of calumny against me amongst professional colleagues tagging me an ethnic jingoist and a character looking for undue favors, I stood my ground. I had conviction in what I was doing. I remained resolute in my resolve to canvass and mobilize the supports of Nigerians for Tinubu’s presidency project because I had trust and confidence that the project is good enough to ignite and orchestrate massive turn-around in all the facets in our dear nation. Till date, my Facebook platform remained severed on account of write-ups that the Facebook authority felt were too harsh and offensive on the opposition parties.
Meanwhile, my driving force was the year 2014 Tinubu’s commanding moves in coalescing with other progressive parties across the country within a very short time to engineer the formation of APC, the party that eventually extinct PDP from power after 16 years of their inglorious and condemnable rein at the centre.
Nigerians vividly recall that Buhari contested the presidency for the record 12 years unsuccessfully before he eventually rode on the wings of the then 12 months old APC to Aso Villa. Buhari ascendancy to power was a watershed in his political career, having giving up hopes of ever being a civilian president.
I was also moved by Tinubu’s uncommon bravery and Spartan courage in fighting to standstill, the imperious and very dominant federal authority under the watch of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo. We recall that Tinubu ingeniously created 37 LCDAs out of the existing 20 LGCs to, tremendous initiative purposed to herald huge developments in all facets, as well as in all the nooks & crannies of the state. He sought recognition of the constitution for the LCDAs from Obasanjo’s led federal government. But, instead of applauding him for his valiant efforts, the Owu high chief seized the state’s federal allocations throughout Tinubu tenure. Undaunted & unperturbed, Tinubu deployed his professional acumen in accounting and investment to seek solace in IGR to run the affairs of the state. Today, that fantastic initiative has produced many cities within Lagos mega city.
I also got convinced by his legacy of developmental blue-print bequeathed on the state before he vacated. It’s this template that has orchestrated the awesome growth and developments across the state- economy, infrastructures, education, security architecture, medical facilities, so much that the state is presently the 4th largest economy in the Sub-Saharan African. And, of course, the state has become the second home of all Nigerians from across the country.
It’s instructive to submit that the wonderful state that Lagos has become, is majorly anchored on the incredible succession plan Tinubu bequeathed on the state of excellence before he exited. No other state across the federation enjoys such continuity in governance since the turn of the 4th Republic in 1999.
When ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s rigging machine struck in the South West Geo-Political Zone in Year 2003, sweeping away all ACN governors, it was Bola Tinubu who remained impregnable, despite the fact that Lagos was the primary target of the ex-president. He remained indomitable and it’s the same Lagos that he eventually deployed as platform to reclaim the lost states during the subsequent elections.
With the aforementioned feats, not a single being on the earth surface would be left unconvinced that there is more to this special and uncommon God creation called Bola Tinubu than meets the eyes. With his political and corporate life trajectory, he has not left anyone in doubt that he could as well be rated in the class of great global leaders.
This is what has emboldened and strengthened my effrontery that amongst the present generation of Nigerian political leaders, Tinubu stands miles apart to provide purposeful, commanding and very resourceful leadership for this supposedly great country, which huge potentials have refused to manifest.
Remarkably, since his ascendancy, he’s not disappointed. President Tinubu has drawn curtains on the regime of oil subsidy, a hydra-headed challenge that has been the Achilles heels of our country, and had remained a no-go area for the successive administrations. He’s successfully engaged the labor movements, CSOs and the Oil & Gas Marketers with data and statistics. He has mandated the rolling out of palliatives to the citizenry to cushion the effects of the removal. More importantly, two of the nation’s Refineries-Port Harcourt and Warri have been projected to roar back to life with about $1.5 and $1.2 billion respectively approved for their rehabilitation. Dangote Refinery is also scheduled to commence operations in July with production of about 600,000 liters daily into the market. No doubt, in few months away, relief is bound to come on Nigerians’ path.
Meanwhile, the president has assented to the Students’ Loan Bill, a law meant to provide Interests Loan Free to Nigeria students seeking higher education in Tertiary Institutions. The facility is accessible to Nigerian students seeking admission into public higher and Tertiary Institutions. It’s expected that the initiative would significantly reduce criminality in our country, as teeming Nigerians youths already taking solace in social vices on account of idleness for lack of fund to access university education are expected in thousands, to take advantage of life-time initiative.
Tinubu has also signed into law the Electricity Bill Act, an all-important law that authorizes states, companies and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity. The new bill repeals Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) signed into law in 2001. The law is designed to break monopoly in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
Godwin Emefiele, the erstwhile CBN governor has been suspended from office by the president for many infractions, ranging from mismanagement of monetary policy, foreign reserves account, foisting multiple forex on the nation, an inglorious initiative meant to continually enrich his cronies, inflicting pains and agonies on Nigerians and their businesses through the thoughtless and inglorious Naira Redesign policy and more importantly, his effrontery and unethical conduct in bidding for the nation’s presidency while still in the office as CBN governor, thereby treating the entire nation with contempt, disrespect and disregard. The disgraced bank chieftain is expected to have his days in the law courts after rounds of investigation by the DSS.
On a related note, the president is poised to open a new chapter in the campaign against endemic corruption in our country, as he has suspended indefinitely, youthful EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa to pave way for the investigation of very damning and sweeping allegations of several infractions against him. He will also have his days with law authority after the investigations.
In a bid to ensure that the Executive and Legislative arms of government work in harmony with a view to delivering dividends of democracy to the generality of Nigerians, the president has since moved swiftly to ensuring that those who occupy the office of leadership at the national assembly–red and green chambers are those who are not only prepared to collaborate with him to take the nation to the greater heights, but also launch the country into the midst of comity of great nations. That assignment has been successfully concluded, as the 10th National Assembly has taken off.
Over the last 10 years, precisely since ex-president Goodluck Jonathan era, Nigeria nation has been continually ravaged by banditry, insurgence, kidnapping, Book-Haram etc. These criminality(s) have left our nation in a prostrate state, with pains, agonies and groanies in every home and in all nooks & crannies in our land. Local and foreign investors have been scared away from the country. Painfully, military top brass have been fingered in this show of wickedness and shame. There are other key elements and top Nigerians alleged to be culpable like Sheik Gumi. Meanwhile, Asiwaju Tinubu during his electioneering campaign promised rejig and total re-engineering of the security arrangement.
The President, C-in-C, of the Armed Forces. Federal Republic of Nigeria comprehensively honored his word about 48 hours ago by orchestrating sweeping changes in the nation security architecture. As I submit this piece, all service chiefs have been relieved of their assignments. Inspector General of Police is gone. Comptroller of customs has been shown the way out. New security intelligence office has been created. Other key security chieftains to man strategic formations within Aso Villa, Abuja FCT, and other key locations have been appointed.
This is an eloquent testimony of a new era in our nation. It’s a pointer to the fact that, with purposeful and resourceful leadership, our nation would move to achieve its potentials. Provident gives us everything-diligent and very hardworking people in all the nooks & crannies, awesome weather, fertile land spread into thousands of kilometers, amazing diversity, and crowned it for us with prodigious deposits of oil and gas, as well as Armanda of mineral resources, not available in any other part of the globe. Yet, we groan, totter and lack focus & direction on what exactly to do with our heavenly endowed deposits.
President Bola Tinubu has berthed. Just under 1 month, he has shown courage, bravery, commitment, patriotism, zeal, resourcefulness and tremendous will that Nigerians have never seen in past leaders.
Beyond what he has demonstrated, he has also been pragmatic. He’s totally conversant with oil & gas sector, having operated in that sector as Executive Director. He’s aware of challenges in our educational and medical sectors. Of course, Asiwaju Tinubu as Public Accountant is comprehensively in tune with developments in the economy-monetary and fiscal sectors, banking and other facets of the economy. My joy remains that about 6/7 years ago, I uncompromisingly predicted all what are presently happening.
Nigerians need to celebrate that the country is in good hands. But, the president needs our maximum supports to succeed. We must therefore collaborate with him in his quest to reposition, reengineer, re-fix, rejig and restructure Nigeria.
On a personal level, I totally express my delight that I’ve been vindicated.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
LAGOS BASED FINANCIAL CONSULTANT,
09077509348
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB, CTP, MBA) Lagos Based Financial Consultant
09077509348.
