By Abdul-Rauf Musa
CHINUA Achebe’s postulations on the trouble with Nigeria as simply and squarely a failure of leadership captured succinctly our greatest challenge as a nation.
This terrible anaemia has blighted our progression to true nationhood despite ample endowments in size, population and other potentials that make a country great.
Since independence, this space called Nigeria wallows in a yoke of stagnation, underdevelopment and mired in myriads challenges.
This notwithstanding, providence has however continued to smile at us with the blessing of an emerging fresh class of leaders, in the fashion of the mythological Phoenix that regenerates from the ashes of its predecessors to stardom.
Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, the Executive Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, who falls within this bracket is certainly an accurate representation of this dialectical aspirations to modern leadership that inspires hopes and strong conviction that a prosperous Nigeria is after all, attainable.
Beaming a searchlight on his life indicate that even before he came to limelight, there had been flashes of leadership qualities which he epitomised at every stage in his meteoric advancement are visible, profound and overwhelming.
With a rich educational background, Muhuyi holds a National Certificate of Education from Saadatu Rimi College of Education, Advanced Diploma in Law from BUK, Bachelor of Law degree from Bayero University, Kano and a BL from Nigerian Law School. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2018.
To improve knowledge and personal advancement and conscious that the future belongs to those who are adequately prepared, he travelled around European countries to earn knowledge. He became head of the Anti-corruption Commission fully prepared and with the determination to achieve. The “young villager”, as the wailers mocked him, combined the rigours of running public office with continues pursuit of educational goals.
He was vice chairman of his local government at the age of 30, a position he held twice alongside which he managed to become a certified Barrister at law despite demands of public service.
He also obtained a certificate from Galili Management Institute in Israel, International Anti-corruption Academy Luxembourg, Austria.
This global odyssey has led him to the citadel of 21st century leading leadership and transformation learning hub, where modern and future leaders are being groom – Harvard University.
Throughout his schooling days, he had confronted issues affecting Rimin Gado and its dwellers as personal challenges – lack of portable water, electricity, education and general wellbeing of his people.
A modern crusader of youth emancipation, his rigorous encouragement of youth in his domain to study and acquaint themselves educationally for future challenges and development of Rimin Gado paid off handsomely.
He mobilised youths into cluster groups for tackling health challenges in his town, thereby resulting in tackling medical bills of many in Rimin Gado. For Muhuyi, leadership is about responsibility, sacrifice and commitment.
He reasoned that those who instil hope in people’s hearts are true heroes and deserve encomium. He consequently demonstrated in his dealings that leadership is also a burden.
He demonstrated both in actions and dealings the qualities of a good leader, include integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity.
His philosophies on management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.
Through sheer tenacity, he is building an institution that would stand as a symbol of the capacity for future good governance in Kano State.
Having understood the importance of strong institutions as bedrock of anti-corruption crusade, and to confront the scourge from its bud, he secured the approval of the State Executive Council for the establishment of Kano State Anti-Corruption Institute, which was graciously approved by the governor.
Already, the office complex is under construction and the recruitment process for the staff is underway.
On assumption as head of anti-corruption in the state, he saw the need for competent manpower as engine room for development, therefore, with the governor’s approval; scores of competent personnel were employed at the commission.
The Act that established the commission stipulates that offices shall be opened in all the 44 local government areas of the state for easy and speedy operation, but that wasn’t done by previous heads, but because of the passion and sense of duty he was able to achieve that.
His impeccable humanism manifests in his work as anti-corruption and public arbiter per excellence, many cases were resolved amicably without any resort to personal humiliation of accused persons.
He shepherds a silent anti-corruption revolution in state civil service by blocking torrents of loopholes of ghost workers, without blowing needless vuvuzela.
His office has literally and metaphorically become like industrial court and multi-dimensional platform where issues are resolved amicably without any recourse to litigation or prosecution because the whole essence is to cement the harmony of the citizen as a people of same clan, religion and diversity.
His professional, tactical and matured handling of the case of the deposed king, Emir Muhammad Sanusi II, and many other knotty cases involving top ranking public officers, his interventions during Ramadan where some disgruntled traders astronomically hike the prices of essential commodities are but signs of a leader with deep traits of humanity.
Muhuyi is a trailblazer whose personal sacrifices for the betterment of his people are unequalled and matchless.
HIs benevolence, benignity, generosity, good-will, humanity, kind-heartedness, kindliness, kindness, liberality, sympathy are unparalleled and above all humanistic.
Muhuyi’s character postulates that the essence of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bulling; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly.
As we approach 2023 with this discerning weakness of leadership questions, Muhuyi and some of his ilk stand in a pivotal positions to attain the highest possible position in our land.
History has not recorded any politician whether young or aged in either Rimin Gado local government or the entire Kano North Senatorial zone whose positive impact have manifested on the lives of his people more than Muhuyi.
The ruling party in the state should formulate a generational power-shift to more agile, vibrant and energetic young Turks who have leadership capacity and capabilities, whose personal noble mien have dotted their good professional conducts.
Musa contributed this piece from 345 Unguwar Gini, Kano Municipal, Kano State.
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Views expressed in published opinion articles are entirely the authors’ and do not represent the opinion or position of National Record.
