Dr. Sani Shaibu And The Fusion Of Character And Intellect -By Michael Zendesha

It is not his classic style that has made him unique. The peculiarity of his personality as embedded in his strength of character, legacy of achievements and vision in public office is what has set him apart.

The former Director of pension in the office of the Head of Service, Federal Civil Service, Dr Sani Teidi Shaibu, can be spotted easily in a sea of heads. His trademark style ensures that. But it is not the wears that have made him unique. The peculiarity of his personality as embedded in his strength of character, legacy of achievements and his vision in public office is what has set him apart. He has etched indelible footprints on the sands of time since emerging on the public scene. This is a statement of fact. Yes verifiable facts as different from opinion or mere posturing.

But where is Shaibu’s strength of character? Before I address this question let me put the question broadly: wherein is the politician’s strength of character in a country where the political stage is seen to be fouled by the antics of the players themselves? So if the broad perception of the average Nigerian politician by the general public is swathed in mud and dubious accolades at best, where then is the strength of character being attributed to Shaibu, who is by every means a politician now? Except it is accepted that there are exceptions to the rule, this line of reasoning is permissible within the prism of the fallacy of generalization and the reflex mentality of the mob.

More often than not, one wonders why some people throw their hats into the ring of politics despite the long-held cliché of it being that old dirty game. One may then ponder the rationale behind a decorous personality’s ponderous dive into political valley not withstanding politics being branded as a thankless undertaking.

I also asked that question when the humble Dr Sani Shaibu, a highly successfully soft-spoken administrator of repute, plunged into the murky waters of politics with the posers; why politics? Why him? Why now? The answer to this is, however, not far-fetched, without breaking free from petty pessimism one can only imagine how many a good lot of people who had the desire in them to better the lot of their people through politics must have been dispirited along the line, jettisoning their burning desire to serve.

There are politicians who have stood out from the crowd. And it is not because they were devoid of foibles nor had careers lacking in setbacks. In the First Republic, national heroes like Chief Obafemi Awoloo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, all of blessed memories among others readily come to mind. In the Second Republic, governors like Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Lateef Jakande and Chief Sam Mbakwe, among others are icons of that epoch. From the Third and Fourth Republic through contemporary times, we have had fine politicians of heroic acclaim across the length and breadth of the country. We have had those who came, saw, and conquered. This is not an attempt to canonize Shaibu. Rather, it is an effort to open our eyes to the rising star that Shaibu is and strengthen the optimism that because of politicians like him, the political space can be perceived in a positive light. Now back to the question wherein lay Dr Shaibu’s strength of character?

To answer this question, there is need to examine the content of his character. And this will be done with empirical evidence to buttress my earlier assertion that Shaibu has etched indelible footprints on the sands of time. In terms of courage and tenacity of purpose as worthy character traits, Shaibu is not to be found wanting. Since his appearance in the public service, he has maintained streaks of diligence and purpose. As a man determined to get to the top by hard work, commitment and loyalty, he served his country and principals conscientiously and in so doing, positioned himself for higher calling. His elevation in the ladder of public service obviously bred in him a vision of politics as a service to the people.

Dr. Sani Shaibu, shares one thing in common with Obafemi Awolowo-Charisma. In his simple and unassuming manner, this quiet gentleman, with an open face, probably comes across to most people as an enigmatic technocrat cum politician. But a close interaction with him soon makes evident his deep intellect, his wide open arm approach in his relationships with fellow human beings. Most people have a limited view of life, caught in a maze and not being able to see beyond the next dead end. Teidi has an aerial view approach to issues, with a clear view from above the limitations of the myopic, he sees above the maze and his far reaching vision makes the everyday petty squabbles and feuds of elementary Nigerian politics, look childish and senseless to him.

To him, Kogi State is more than one single politician’s interest. He sees politics as an opportunity for all to contribute to the betterment and progress of Nigeria in which we all live. Responsibility, as Shaibu sees it, is not the sole reserve of those who win elections, but a call upon all. Winning or losing an election, is not the most important thing, rather, the crucial issue is the peace and progress of the entire country, fostered through the operations of a mature polity and politicking.

Shaibu’s principles, manifested in his recorded actions, leave other politicians wondering if he were not naïve. But the truth is that to him, winning is not a one man’s thing, but an ideological category. It is not the politician that wins; it is the ideology that wins. Thus, everything must be done to make sure that the right set of ideologies win, and once this is achieved, it matters little who is on the driving seat.

This is why there is no room for bitterness in his politics. His focus on party ideologies and objectives creates no room for personal feelings that could be hurt. To him, the politician must be the source of kindness and succor to his fellow beings, an opportunity to have his arms wide open to all, irrespective of party affiliations. This singular quality makes him stand taller in profile, than many politicians in Nigeria today.

Before his current aspiration to govern Kogi State, Shaibu’s image in Kogi State and beyond was that of a loyal, principled and committed person. Key personalities in the state have attested to the fact of Shaibu is a thorough bred person. With the manifestation of this important personality trait of a team player and a broad-minded political actor, it is obvious that Kogi state, nay Nigeria has an emerging and engaging leader in Teidi.

Dr. Sani Shaibu hold close to heart, Marian Anderson’s submission that “leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it”. His manifesto is anchored on the mission of elevating the quality of life of Kogi people, and vision of making Kogi State the premier destination in Nigeria. It is basic that a goal must be accompanied by objectives that would drive it to ensure that it is met.Thus, Teidi has proposed to leverage on areas where the state has comparative strength.

One of the unique characteristics of Shaibu’s manifesto, is the focus on the key areas of human development: Education, Agriculture, Security, Youth empowerment, infrastructure and Health. This is the idea of a man who will include anyone that has anything to offer towards the development of the state, not a man who would build barriers based on political sentiments or build an empire for himself.

This is not to say that it is going to be an easy ride for him to become the Governor. There would be, indeed, bumpy roads, but in the words of Tai Solarin ‘the road best taken are rough. Experience and geopolitics may count in his quest for the exalted position in the state, but this may be matched and countered by his preparedness, sincerity, audacity and sense of purpose”.

Shaibu’s entrance into the 2019 gubernatorial race in Kogi state, no doubt raised the political barometer by significant measures, with his manifesto, he has taken the challenge to his opponents to dare come out with theirs for the populace to weigh the soundness or otherwise of and make choice. As a highly cerebral social scientist, he shared the same views of fabled thinkers like John Locke, Adam Smith and Thomas Hobbes bringing the spiritual and moral political thoughts of the philosophers into front burner as hallmark for good governance and political administration.

Kogi state looks to a more robust and quality leadership found in DR SANI TEIDI SHAIBU. When the chips are down he would step out for the public to engage him and have a feel of what lies in stock for the people come 2019. Like in Barack Obama, the YES WE CAN spirit burns in Shaibu always. And who knows?