Protocols.
There is the need to have a contextual meaning and understanding of some terminologies in the topic under discuss- Gov. Bello: A Project For Generational Renaissance. This i believe would help in making the paper simpler to understand.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary, defines Generational in the perspective of relating to a particular generation, or the relationship between particular generations.
People’s lifestyles are usually fixed by generational habits and fashions. It is important to State that every aspect of life has its generation beginning from the medieval times till date, there has been a revolution be it in the Education, Religion, Economy, Industry, Technology and in Politics.
Renaissance.
Renaissance is a French word that dates back to 1400 and following the Medieval period, it signals the beginning of the Art Craft and the beginning of the Modern age reinventing of the Greek and Roman Arts.
The Cultural movement spanned the period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century.By that time, people started taking an interest in the learning of ancient times, in particular, the learning of Ancient Greece and Rome.
The Renaissance was seen as a “rebirth” of that learning. The Renaissance is often said to be the start of the “modern age”.
During the Renaissance, there were many famous artists, many writers and many philosophers. Many people studied mathematics and different sciences.
A person who is clever at a great number of things is sometimes called a “Renaissance man”. Leonardo da Vinci, who was a painter, a scientist, a musician and a philosopher, is the most famous Renaissance Man.
Having seen the key terms in the topic of discuss. We would therefore be looking at leadership in the Nation’s history, juxtaposing it with the qualities of Gov Yahaya Bello in today’s context, the people’s desires and what should form the basis for the next generation of Nigerian’s Leadership for which Gov. Bello represents.
* What Exactly is the Gov. Bello’s Generational Rebirth.(1) His emergence as Governor in Nigerians History
(2) Emerged as Youngest Governor
(3) Application of Courage to Leadership
(4) Abandoning stereotype Leadership Style
(5) Inclusive leadership style
* Youths
* Women
(6) Broken age long traditions by appointing CoS, HoS, ADC, Youthful Heads of MDA, Commissioners, etc.
(7) Unity – EBIGO, Correcting loop sidedness, fairness, equity, Justice, Equitable Distribution of Resources, Infrastructure etc
(8) Religious Harmony – Government House Chapel.
Ladies and Gentlemen, without mincing words, the Gov. Yahaya Bello’s leadership style saw to the emergence of a Generational Rebirth, which today is seen as a model and a clamour for modern day leadership style, reason for the wide clamour sweeping across the country.
Let me place on record that the challenges of our nations history from the first Republic till date has been Leadership, with history of people rising to top leadership position of the Nation’s unprepared, but by dint of Mundane consideration that has not helped the nation’s March to nationhood.
The reasons for this disconnect to building a virile nation stems from the fact that our past leaders have been:
(a) Unprepared
(b) Sectional
(c) Ethnic driven
(d) Religion
(e) Regional
(f) Principle of Rotation
(g) God-fatherism etc
It is important to place on record that aside the clamour towards having a Generational shift in the present generation, it has been discovered over time that our first set of First Republic Politicians were aided and programmed into positions of Authority by the colonial masters, were certainly unprepared, but for their fierce agitation to take over leadership.
The history of our nation’s leaders is replete with people who are largely unprepared, reasons for the collosal damage we are presently witnessing, culminating into the need for a Generational Rebirth that is now being clamoured by Nigerians.
Permit me to delve into the incursion of the Military Junta into the history of our nation’s leadership to say that while the initial and pioneer military administrations were the demand of Nigerians at that time due to the failure of political leadership, subsequent and other interregnum by the Military in the 90’s which has been traced to personal reasons, led to the collosal damage witnessed in the socio economic development of our nation till date, for which the political class are still yet to come to terms with and to proffer the needed solution to today’s quest for sincere and patriotic leadership.
For any discerning mind, the clamour for a Generational Rebirth as can be observed by the blind and deaf in Nigeria, is a revolution and movement whose time has come.Permit me to state that about a year ago, our nation was on the verge of a Youthful wide agitation termed the #EndSARS# agitation that almost swept away our dysfunctional fashion of leadership if not for the approach, infiltration into the camps of the agitators, the application of divide and rule, employing military might amongst several tactics by the Government, the agitation was a climax by angry Nigerian’s to leadership failure at the centre in the past and particularly with the present APC led administration which many Nigerians saw as the Messiah have felt the PDP administration had not lived up to expectations.
Unfortunately, rather than get the desired succour that saw Nigerian’s trooping out enmass to entrench the present leadership, the present seem to have worsened and inflict more injuries, poverty, amongst others on the psyche of Nigerian’s.
A trace into the nation’s Political Leadership tells you that ours has been a country where “arrangee” leadership has remained a norm, with the failures now becoming obvious that we cannot continue to do the same thing the same old way and get positive results.
A trace to how past Nigeria leaders have emerged politically, juxtaposing it with the normal democratic norms would certainly tell you that we as a people and a country drove ourselves into the cul-de-sac our nation currently finds itself with replete of unprepared, imposed, sectional leadership that are product of section and imposition by political godfather’s.
But as we inch towards 2023, another period for a make or Mar in the politics of our country. Many are of the views, do we continue doing things the same wrong ways and expect positive results?. Certainly the answer is No.
It is on that note that having ex-rayed the leadership qualities of Gov. Yahaya Bello in courage, in wanting to change old orders, in the unification of the country, in securing the country against banditry, kidnappers, armed robbery, etc, that has now eaten deep into the fabrics of our collective existence, a negative that has further made us to live in an age of despair, fear, uncertainty, has led to the wide clamour for a Generational Rebirth in choosing our next nation’s leaders.
I’m of the opinion that the continued recycling of the old brigade of political class and their godfather’s who have continuously and consistently remained a recurring decimal in our nation’s politics and leadership since independence must not be allowed to continue.
Nigerian’s particularly the generation that has realized that her future has been stolen and eaten over the years, are no longer hiding it that they are tired of the old brigades of leaders who have transformed from Military to Civilian leaders, and their Civilian collaborators who over the years have used their privileged positions to continuously politically terrorize the democratic space when ever opportunity presents itself.
Permit me to State that the current leadership style that would move the country forward after the #endsars# saga a year after, has been discovered to be one that is inherently found in Gov. Yahaya Bello.
This style can be seen in the approach to how he has engaged and participated in dousing the#Endsars# crisis and several others that reared its ugly head in the country in the last few years.
The way and manner the Youths and women demography, the highest voting population have come to accept him as one of their own and a worthy Ambassador speaks volumes and call for a rethink by the ruling Political Leadership to be careful in zoning the Presidency against the interest of the Majority in favour of the few and selfish Politicians in the name of Zoning.
Evidences abound that the next generation of vibrant Youthful Nigerian’s wanting to enthrone useful and Youthful leadership, are interested in capacity, someone who provide employment, allow Youths and women inclusion in governance, ability to unite and secure the country, as what should decide the next Presidency.
While you cannot rule out unemployment, alienation of the young and vibrant segment of the society from governance from the causes of the nation’s social, security, economic challenges.
The approach in Kogi State which saw the larger chunk of Empowerment, employment in politics and governance given to the Youths and women of Kogi State has become a positive reference, leading to the Generational Rebirth clamoured by Nigerians for the next Nigerian’s President.
This positive efforts to carry along the Youths and women demography, has not only empowered the Youths and women who are in the majority, it has reduced upheavals and agitation, with their involvement in governance, leading to a peaceful State, adding to louder call for a Generational Rebirth clamoured by Nigerians for Nigeria using the GYB Model.
Today, a blend of community policing and unprecedented support to security agencies in the State has no doubt helped in securing Kogi State, making it about the safest in the country, another Generational Rebirth reasons leading to deafening clamour by Nigerians for Nigeria using the GYB Model.
Without overstating the obvious, the influx of foreign and indirect employment that has been attracted to Kogi State because of its safe and secure status is another reason for the unprecedented call for a Generational Rebirth clamoured by Nigerians for Nigeria using the GYB Model.
Let me add that no nation can thrive amidst disunity, mutual distrust and fear of domination as presently noticed in the country, a challenge that is more than ever before, thus leading to calls for self determination and secession now becoming more louder like has never been been witnessed before. But the GYB Model of uniting the diverse segments of Kogi State is a revolution many see as the way to go in uniting the diverse segments of Nigeria.
The award on Education for Gov. Bello according to the Publisher is hinged on the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, the infrastructure Development witnessed in all the State tertiary institutions and the massive construction and reconstruction of GYB model schools across the state.
I’m aware that the Publisher of Stewardship Magazine says the award is the Magazines contributions to the Presidential aspiration of Gov. Bello. It is also my take that massive investment in education that is nearing 30% of the Kogi State Government is the way to go.
Adequate budgetary provision is not just aimed at equipping the Youths and future leaders to be self reliant and positively engaged.
The upsurge in antisocial vices and crimes are a product of ignorance as research and findings have shown in some parts of the country but can best be checked with education.
The Generational Rebirth clamoured for by Nigerians for Nigeria using the GYB Model to reposition the education system therefore remains very apt.
As I therefore conclude on the burning issues affecting our country. I wish to opined that a man who can secure a State surrounded by ten other contagious states, making it about the safest State in the country, United a diversity and multilingual colouration that has multi ethnic groups, making Kogi State, mini Nigeria stands out Gov. Yahaya Bello as an exceptional leader the country is looking up to.
Similarly, for a leader in history to have made the Youths and Women the critical stakeholders in politics and governance, through empowerment and making them to be in the driver’s seat of leadership and governance speaks volumes, thus quenching and ending the long Youths maxim that Youths are pepetually leaders of tomorrow, a tommorow that they never come to terms with until now.
The GYB massive investment and his contribution outstandingly to Education, a clamour by Nigerian’s, old and young over the years, no doubt makes him fit to be President, to help in repositioning Education in Nigeria, is no doubt enough reason for the Generational Rebirth that is clamoured by Nigerians for Nigeria using the GYB Model.
Finally, GYB’s impact leading to the widespread clamour remains a revolution and a movement that is silently sweeping through the cities of Lagos to Sokoto, from Maiduguri to Porthacourt, Umuahia to Yola, and from Abeokuta to Makurdi, is no doubt an idea who’s time has come for Nigeria’s unity, to be secured and to grow exponentially socio economically as envisioned by our founding fathers.
