It was a calm Sunday evening while watching an evening political program on TV and the host had introduced his guest as Honorable Tajudeen Abbas, one of the candidates for the speakership position for the 10th National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in all honesty I had barely heard about him or seen him speak anywhere. The tone, mode, criticality and mannerism with which he handled the interview of the day prompted my equally critical self to go into research about him, this is part of my interest in ensuring as a citizen, I am abreast of prospective leaders in our society.
During my research, he immediately passed my initial and most important pass mark being ‘Street Credibility’. Hon Tajudeen had taught in a primary school up to lecturing at the Kaduna State University before venturing into politics to come into the House of Representatives in 2011. Such humble beginning and grassroots experience tending towards the academic sector cannot provide any less criticality to any individual. He had become very interested in education to the extent of furthering his education to obtain a PhD in Business Management. Isn’t it time to insist on critical qualifications for a robust nation building?
Further to my research was an observation of humility and soft speaking skills with tact, it typifies an individual with an excellent listening ability. He answered all questions tendered to him with utmost discernment. The one that stroke me most was the question about rubber stamp leadership prospects and the Honorable wondered how at his age and experience could not be able to look anyone in the eyes and speak truths about issues, after-all he was not going on a war with the executive but rather oversight and legislation to ensure workable policies for the betterment of Nigeria; this represented the right mindset for any leader to succeed in Nigeria. The initial mindset of a seeming war between citizens has been a major bane of our development, it should instead be a contest and alignment of ideas, Tajudeen clearly understood the strategy.
Again, you’ll be amazed at how many meaningful bills Honorable Tajudeen had sponsored since his being at the Green Chamber since 2011. During this period he had sponsored or co-sponsored 75 bills in the National Assembly with some on 1st reading, others on second reading, some others 3rd and many have been passed and signed into law by the President. Those bills already assented to include the National Blood Transfusion Bill as well as 18 of the 21 Federal Medical Centers assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari. Considering the criticality of the sort of bills that Hon Tajudeen Abbas has interest in and equally pursues to logical conclusion, one cannot but wish him to preside over the House of Representatives at a time that our nation is in dire need of competence and criticality to advance.
The APC party had since announced Abbas alongside Akpabio as choices for Speaker and Senate President respectively and such did not come without some dissent. It is however pertinent for the APC members to note their mistake of the Bukola Saraki saga and work not to repeat them for the sake of the stability of their party and the huge expectations by Nigerians on them. The least that the APC needs at the moment was to enter into a divisive mode especially regarding this National Assembly Leadership as that will automatically throw a big spanner into the wheel of their need to provide urgent leadership to a very patience- deficit Nigerians.
Finally, it was important to draw the mind of Nigerians and the party members to desist from glorifying individuals simply on the depth of their pockets. Such tendencies were capable of promoting corruption and propelling individuals whose basic aim would be to amass the public treasury without commensurate development as they have showcased in the near past, we must learn to interrogate the stupendous wealth that certain people display to buy consciences in Nigeria, Tajudeen Abbas has never been identified with money but competence and humility to get the job done.
