Abdullahi M. Gulloma
It is just like any other day here in the presidential Villa fondly called Aso Rock. Palpable excitement, however, pervaded the air. The main reason for this once-in-a-while excitement has to do with Jigawa State. The President and Commander-in-chief is going to Jigawa on Tuesday October 21, 2014 and some State House Correspondents (including my humble self) are privileged to go with him. As we prepare for this somewhat peculiar trip, sundry posers tickle the mind:
What sort of place is Jigawa State? Has there been any significant development in Dutse, the state’s capital, in particular, and the entire state in general, particularly in the last couple of years? When did the Dutse International Airport project start, and what’s so unique about it, given the hype that has surrounded the project lately.
As we got nearer and nearer to Dutse, one other poser hung in the air persistently: What sort of reception awaited the August visitor and his entourage? Recall that for some time now speculations have been rife in respect of alleged frosty relationship between the Jigawa State helmsman, Sule Lamido, and the president. Aside from that, Lamido reportedly has been scheming for Jonathan’s job ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.
If such speculations were to be believed, the duo is supposedly enemies of a kind. Enemies who would scarcely relate well, let alone enjoy any form of working relationship. Enemies whose political differences and alleged rivalry date stretches back to many years or so the world was made to believe. And, if so, what would be the situation when the so-called sworn foes meet eye-ball to eye-ball on this auspicious day? Question upon question; poser upon poser….
At long last the eagerly awaited moment arrived. Come and see the two leaders who are alleged to be “sworn enemies”, embracing, exchanging banters, and generally interacting as if they were long-time-no-see buddies. Come and see the “Comradeship” that permeated their interaction. Come and behold the duo operating more or less on the same wave-length, with a single-minded focus on the task at hand: delivering the dividends of democracy to the citizenry.
Putting the matter in perspective, Jonathan said he had no enmity with the Jigawa Chief executive. This was even as he hailed Lamido for yeoman effort in constructing the airport and as well as other landable infracstructural projects across the state. with these visionary efforts, Lamido has made the ruling peoples Democratic Party (PDP) proud, the president added.
Hear him: “Sule Lamido is a man of his world. In terms of what people say frosty relationship, sometimes it is (an) issue for interpretation. One thing I used to tell people is that I know the role Sule Lamido played in the 2011 elections. I assessed my governors then on how many scores I got during the primaries be because if a governor means well for you, even if he is unable to control the total number of votes during the general election, in the primaries which are party issues which the governors have control of about 70 percent, the governor controls what happens”.
He added that in these two options, the Jigawa helmsman was “totally committed! Lamido, in the president’s eye, is not somebody that talks from both sides of the mouth, and that’s one of the great things about Lamido. According to him, Lamido doesn’t deceve either himself or his fellow human beings. Rather, he would tell it as it is. Little wonder, Jonathan “used to tell people that I don’t have a problem with Lamido. Even if there is a problem today, Lamido is somebody I trust. He does not deceive. Let me reassure you that we have no problems; me and Lamido, and definitely I will not have problems with the people of Jigawa state. all we have to do is strengthen our relation more and more and work together”.
Not a few people confessed to this correspondent that they were deeply touched by what one of them described as “the president’s large hear-tenderness, statesmanship and magnanimity”. According to these observers, against the backdrop of claims that Jonathan is allegedly vindictive and unforgiving, the sort of virtues he demonstrated here in Jigawa eloquently, belie such claims.
In the same vein, not a few compatriots praised Governor Lamido for his political maturity. Like every true statesman, he knows when to fight and when to put aside his differences with other leaders, for the people’s common good.
Another interesting thing is Lamido’s selfless service to Jigawa. To say it as it is, the remarkable achievements of Governor Lamido in terms of the legion of people-oriented projects he has executed all over Jigawa. Although time constraint didn’t let us tour the land, if what was said by the people on the one hand, and the president himself on the other, Governor Lamido has indeed made his people and part (PDP) veritably proud.
From the foregoing one thing is crystal clear: Jonathan and Lamido have demonstrated not only in words, but also is deed, that they are model leaders worthy of emulation. Our politicians and indeed religious, traditional, and leaders in all other areas of human endeavor should borrow a leaf from them.