On the occasion of Mr President’s birthday, I pray pervently for better health and greater wisdom as he steers the ship of the nation to the shore of progress, stability and development.
As I readied myself to anchor a special Iftar dinner in honour of His Excellency President Bola Tinubu holding this evening, thoughts about the man race in my mind: What is unique about the president? What do I admire about him? What are the memorable moments with him?
The story of the rise of Bola Tinubu from humble beginnings to the pinnacle is largely well known. There is no point regurgitating it. However, observing and working with the man close up will bring to the fore many attributes that contribute in shaping his world view, character, leadership acumen and aided his rise to the top.
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First, President Tinubu is very human and humane. He is human in the sense that he is humble, authentic and true to himself. No airs, no pride, no cosmetics. He relates well with his old friends, associates and staff in a convivial atmosphere devoid of the haughtiness associated with people in power. He shares jokes less than he scorns. He could be stern and soft, making sure that the work atmosphere is not bereft of humanity or too jovial to be mistaken as laissez faire. He is generous with laughter when it is evoked but could be too sober in addressing serious issues that you’d wonder if he would breakdown. That’s the human part.
President Tinubu is also very humane. As a person, he is generous and compassionate to those he could reach with his hands. He never forgot friends or families of dead associates and colleagues. He kept to that, even with his current tedious job. His good heart makes him the last person to hurt. Instead, he ignores. The president certainly bears no evil intentions against anyone or a collective. The story of his large-heartedness is well told that it warrants no repeating here. He accepts prodigal sons back with a forgiving smile.
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An important lesson from his life is steadfastness and perseverance. They brought him to where he is. President Tinubu, like the proverbial person who has been there for long, has surely seen a lot. He had seen changing times: real and fake smiles, shifting alliances, broken loyalties, back-stabbing, gang-ups, yet he has remained focused and patient. Like the Rock of Gibraltar, he remains unshaken and unperturbed. But God works in mysterious ways. For example, some of the arrowheads of Tinubu’s estrangement from a government he helped form in 2015 are today out in the cold. But while he took the unfortunate happenings of that period with steely resolve and perseverance, they are took weak to persevere being out of the table. While he was mature and statesmanly, they are crying hoarse like a kid deprived of precious doll.
As a leader, the president amazes me with his resolve to take bold, even if costly, decisions. He embodies the principle that leadership is not about taking popular decisions but about taking right decisions, even if painful and inconveniencing. Like a physician on duty, President Tinubu’s administration of some painful reforms were not contemptuous of the feeling of the people, as some analysts have alluded. They were, rather, out of courage to take necessary actions to stop the haemorrhage of our country. The haemorrhage may favour some of us now but if not stopped it would certainly prove fatal for our future.
The president was conscious that those actions were not popular. In fact, he was not unconscious that they could be costly, politically, like it has been seen to happen in many countries. But the statesman that he is, he chose the country over himself. AlhamdulilLah! Mr President is being proved right with the emerging light from the economic tunnel.
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On the occasion of Mr President’s birthday, I pray pervently for better health and greater wisdom as he steers the ship of the nation to the shore of progress, stability and development.
Happy birthday, Sir.
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz is a senior special assistant to the President and member of the Presidential Communication Team.
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