SENATOR UMAR TANKO ALMAKURA IS A PROPHET WITH HONOUR AMONGST HIS PEOPLE AND A BEACON OF HOPE TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED

ALMAKURA, BEACON OF HOPE IN NASARAWA:

Leadership and relationship go together. In other words they are inseparable. Leadership is about people and how to relate with them. Good leadership is achieved when there is cordial relationship between the ruler and his subjects and it is this relationship that sustains it. Relationship is sustained when leaders respond to the needs of the people.

Sardauna of Sokoto , Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo , Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Mallam Aminu Kano among others are leaders who provided good leadership during their time. These past heroes had the ability to engender followership and carry them along in achieving specific goals .

Their leadership was exemplary by all accounts and they served as a guide, symbol and inspiration of what good leadership is all about.
They had good relationship among themselves and despite differences in tribe, region, religion and political affiliation, the ‘Nigeria project’ was their common constituency. Together they fought for the country’s independence.

Up north, Sardauna viewed people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions and different political parties as one and served them as father to all. He encouraged modern education. Down south Zik ( as he was fondly called) was a powerful figure who provided conducive environment for economic activities to strife while Awolowo made free education in the west possible and a tool for development.
Some of today’s politicians seeking cheap popularity and self interest pretend to be disciples of these heroes past.

In their campaign on the soap box a lot of promises are made but they hardly fulfill any of them when they get to power. In the North few leaders have followed the path of Sardauna and his peers in providing good governance .

They believe in the ideas and legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and study his leadership principles.
One of such leaders is the two term immediate past governor of Nasarawa State and one term Senator of the Federal Republic, Distinguished Senator Umar Tanko Almakura.

The desire to provide good leadership inspired him to vie for the position of executive Governor of Nasarawa State in 2011.

In a battle to unseat the then sitting governor, Almakura came out victorious as the political champion of Nasarawa State.
When Almakura took over power in 2011 he listened to the hues and cries for the creation of more chiefdoms and as a responsible government that loves the people it was difficult to ignore such demands.

Therefore he took a bold step and during his first tenure in office created some chiefdoms and towards the end of his second term additional ones were created.

The ones that were created long ago were actualized.
Creation of chiefdoms place high premium on the desire of Almakura’s administration to unite the people under accountable traditional institution .

Rather than remain ambivalent in the face of controversies , he listened to the yearnings of the people and emancipated them.
For eight years Almakura thought outside the box and did things differently, touched every strata of the State. Both rural and urban roads were opened and Lafia the State capital was given a facelift of a real status of a State capital. His contribution to the advancement of the State were enormous. Another crucial aspect of the Al-makura led administration was that it maintained cordial relationship with the people. This was why impeachment bid against him by the PDP dominated House of Assembly in 2014 triggered a State-wide protest by the masses. Nasarawa State Traditional Council were not left out in finding solution to the feud. After their extraordinary meeting on Tuesday 19th August,2014 a communiqué signed by the then Emir of Lafia and Chairman State Council of Chiefs, HRH Alh. [Dr] Isa Mustapha Agwai 1, stated among others, ‘’In this connection , council appeals to both the Executive and the Legislature to hearken to the pulse of our people who are tired of the distraction caused by the threat to impeach the Governor’’.

Though the impeachment was followed to a logical conclusion at the end of the day it became a child’s play . The distraction over, Almakura continued by initiating far reaching policies and programmes which brought about massive infrastructural revolution in Nasarawa State that earned him the sobriquet, ‘’Architect of Modern Nasarawa State’

In the words of Calvin Coolidge ‘’No person was ever honoured for what he received Honour has been the reward for what he gave’’ .

Rather than receive, Almakura has given to humanity in his local, national and international politics and as a business tycoon . This could be the reason why recently his kinsmen [Gwandara nation] honoured him with the traditional title of ‘’SARDAUNA GWADANRA’’ The coronation which took place in his country home of Kwaddare was a crowd pulling event with friends, admirers, political and business associates and the masses in attendance.

Like the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the traditional title of ‘’SARDAUNA’’ is given to people of unique character of honesty and selfless service to humanity, not tribal or religious extremists and those engaged in primitive accumulation of wealth. Almakura initiated far reaching policies and programmes which brought about massive infrastructural revolution in the State. When he was exalted to the position of Governor he remembered when he was ‘nobody’ but a boy who sold cassava flour at Shabu as his economic contribution to the survival of the family and as governor visited the women who were still in that business and carried a tray of flour on his head in remembrance of olden days. He equally remembered his days as a junior student, Government Teachers College Keffi and his senior who took care of him while in school. This is humility in leadership.
Al-makura broke the jinx ‘’a prophet is not without honor except in his own country’’.

The success story of Almakura is that of a once unknown personality who refused to give up his dream. For the Gwandara nation to honor him this way speaks volume’s.

The good people of Nasarawa State has literarily excluded former governor and senator who represented the Nasarawa South Senatorial District Senator Umar Tanko Almakura from being among the past governors who they previously lamented to have caused the unfortunate underdevelopment of the state.
They described the Infrastructural developer as a true democrat.

“Yours has been a record of steadfast service. During your 8 years of leadership of our State, you exhibited undeniable commitment to the unity, peace and even development of Nasarawa State,” They affirmed.

While celebrating the former Governor’s zeal for laying a solid foundation for the development of the State, the people described him as a sincere patriot and thanked Allah for his life of service to Nasarawa State and humanity and all the great things he has achieved.

“You are a sincere patriot who sacrificed so much for the growth and development of our dear State”.

They said Senator Almakura’s contributions to the State produced landmark achievements in uniting and deepening cooperation between the diverse people of the State through his uncommon leadership style and desire to lift up Nasarawa State from her doldrums.
He has exhibited uncommon wisdom, remarkable vision, and exemplary leadership for the growth and development of Nasarawa State. It’s on record that the good people of Nasarawa State are proud to be a part of his administration.

“You are a wonderful leader to the world of yesterday, today and the future. We thank Allah for making you the type of person you are today”

Senator Umar Tanko Almakura is a man of history and destiny who does not take the electorate’s mandate for granted. Whenever given the opportunity to serve, he performs beyond expectations, leaving many agape marvelling at the secret behind his success. These attributes have not only kept him soaring in politics but stands him out among Nasarawa politicians.

His standing as a revered political leader in Nasarawa state today distinguishes him as a gold fish that has no hidden place in Nasarawa politics. Love or hate him, you cannot take away the fact that he is an embodiment of humility and a performer who has written his name in the sands of time in the politics, governance and development of the state which will be very difficult if not impossible to replicate let alone surpass in the history of Nasarawa state.

Almakura’s private and public life is characterised sacrifices and services to God and humanity. This is why he always triumph in his politics and always succeeds to put his detractors and ethnic champions to shame as their understanding of politics, governance and representation is not beyond ethnicity, which he has since buried when he was governor.

The Sardaunan Kwandare took Nasarawa politics by storm with his brand of progressive politics of development leaving his footprints in the sands of time which will continue to speak for him, and has been following him wherever he goes in his political sojourn to the awe of his detractors.

What distinguishes Almakura from his detractors, apart from his ability to spring surprises with performance, is the fact that, the senator did not venture into politics as an opportunist. This is unlike most of his detractors hiding under ethnicity to realise their selfish political interest. Almakura came into politics as a well established business man, astute and tested politician who has been in the political circle since in second republic, holding several positions.

Almakura was the state youth leader of the defunct National Oarty of Nigeria (NPN) in the then Plateau state in the second republic and member of its National Executive Committee. He was the state secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the aborted third republic and held other political positions which culminated in his election to the House of Representatives representing Lafia/Obi federal constituency.

These were achieved after many years of hardwork, commitments, resilience and perseverance, having built a formidable business empire spanning beyond the shores of Nigeria – he has business tentacles and connections within and outside the country. Almakura’s simplicity, love for the common man, passion for humanity and penchant for development prompted the people of Nasarawa state to drag him into the gubernatorial race in 2011 to salvage the state.

He was arrested, detained and all coercive apparatus deployed against him all in a bid to frustrate his gubernatorial race. But Almakura refused to bend let alone break in his determination to salvage the people of the state. He made history as the only politician in Nasarawa to defeat an incumbent governor, leaving a legacy of the best performing governor since the creation of the state.

Within his eight years as governor, Almakura raised the bar of governance to its peak, re-wrote the development history of the state and turned Nasarawa into a model of good governance and infrastructural development in Nigeria with his legacies and footprints scattered across the state. This endeared him to the masses and made the people of Nasarawa south to elect him as their senator in 2019.

As a senator, Almakura has left no one in doubt that, his mission in the National Assembly is to serve the people of Nasarawa south with the same commitment, passion and zeal as he did as governor by giving his people effective and result-oriented representation that is second to none in the history of the senatorial district

Within his almost four years in the red chamber, the people of Nasarawa south have continued to reap true dividends of democracy with many achievements recorded. They include legislative responsibilities, project execution,, attracting federal presence to his constituency, among others.

As a senator, Almakura has continued to make the voice of his people heard not only in the National Assembly but also in Nigerian politics and governance. He glorified the name of his senatorial district and the state in the eyes of the world with his vibrancy, oratoral skills, intellectual prowess, frequent and brilliant contributions to debates, building more bridges which enable him to attract more projects to his people through various government ministries, departments and agencies.

Within four years as a senator, Almakura has construct and rehabilitated many urban and rural roads in all the five local government areas of his senatorial district. They include construction of rural access road in Shabu, Ashige-Ugah – Fadaman Bauna in Lafia local government area, among others.

On education, Almakura carried out massive renovation of schools, construction of classrooms, provision of educational materials to schools across his senatorial district where millions of naira was expanded geared towards reviving the education sector of Nasarawa south. Some of the benefiting schools include Danka Primary School near Kwandare, Randam Sarki Primary School, Gidan Sule Primary School Kadarko, Asha Primary School Azara, among others

Almakura has also made giant strides in the area of electrification and water supply which saw the distribution and installation of transformers to communities,, drilling of motorised boreholes, installation of integrated solar street lights in Lafia, Awe, Keana, Obi and Doma. He also supports community development efforts. There are also intervention in the healthcare and empowerment of women and youth

There is, therefore, no better way for the people of Nasarawa south to reciprocate Almakura’s gestures than coming out en masse on Saturday, February 25, 2023, to put ethnic bigots to shame by re-electing Senator Al-Makura to sustain the gains of people-centred representation. Almakura remains the best among Nasarawa State political leaders.

They said the former governor was being recognised for not just being a father and a leader to the Gwandara Nation, but also for leaving a record that stands him out as the architect of modern Nasarawa State. Madaki stressed that the title of Sarduana was not meant for just anybody as it places the holder in the class of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello whose pedigree he must continue to aspire to.

Continuing, they described Almakura as champion of the cause of the poor who made his home a Mecca of sort for the less privileged.

“For the Gwandara Nation, this honour being done to our illustrious son only serves as a token of appreciation for what our political and business leader has done for his immediate community”, he said. Also speaking at the event, Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, described the honour done Senator Almakura as “well deserved”, given his track record, which had set a standard for other leaders and governors in Nasarawa and the nation to emulate. Sule said the title exemplified the selflessness and patriotism of Senator Almakura, whose commitment to justice, fairness and unity of purpose, led the former governor to pick and support him as his successor.

“I wasn’t a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), I wasn’t his commissioner or Adviser. I was even appointed by the late Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, as Chairman of the state investment company and when he came, he removed me.”

He however said that when it was time for Almakura to go, he put the development of the state ahead of personal and partisan interest to pick him as his successor.

“I’m committed to building upon and exceeding the foundations laid by Senator Almakura, not because I’m better than him, but to justify his trust in my capacity,” Governor Sule said.

In his speech, Almakura, who said he was humbled by the fact of bearing the same title with Sir Ahmadu Bello, however said he appreciated the title as it was a challenge to aspire to the pedigree and achievements of the late premier. He promised to build on the legacies of unity, peace and religious harmony that Sardauna bequeathed the country because the title of Sarduana, had assumed a very special meaning since the late Premier of Northern Region held it.

“I am happy to receive this recognition because I will want to be like the Sardauna of Sokoto, the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. This country needs many Sardauna of Sokoto to ensure peace, unity, stability and security.

”I promise not to disappoint my people and Nigerians at large as they have chosen to honour me despite the fact that there are people more qualified for the title than me” Almakura said Empahsising on the need for Nigerians to live in peace and be their brother’s keeper, he noted that the turbaning had made him to reflect the more on how his ancestors migrated from Kano to various parts of the country including, Nasarawa State.

It is fairly reasoned that the challenges and solutions of leadership are inside leaders. This view stands in line with the fact that natural leaders don’t just do things, they change things. Reading the life of Senator Umar Tanko Almakura the former governor of Nasarawa State and former Senator who represented the Nasarawa South Senatorial District, one cannot but agree that, indeed, wisdom is earned better in the den of setbacks than in the coziness of victories.

Perhaps, one of the most telling demonstrations of a leader’s abilities comes at a time of crisis. Accordingly, Almakura at the wheel of Nasarawa State’s political affairs has not disappointed his admirers nay rivals in the State and country’s gloomy political landscape. For, rather than retreating behind closed doors in the face of the seemingly endless assaults at harming his hard earned status, the scion of the famed Almakura Dynasty of the Gwandaras has consistently shown leadership at the forefront, assessing situations, evaluating options, and encouraging citizens in different political parties in the State to work together for a stable, fair and just society.

Although traits are quite developed for natural leadership, certain individuals are, without doubt, born natural leaders. Senator Umar Tanko Almakura falls in the latter category. Balancing on his self-assurance and privileged position as the most powerful man in Nasarawa State leadership front, Almakura stands tall amongst leaders who acknowledge the present reality of the state and country, have been very proactive working on problem-solving ideas, managing change and responding effectively to complex, open-ended opportunities, and challenges as they come. Convincingly, at the legislative corner where he holds court, he does not gloss over problems in hope that they’ll just go away.

This hints on development leadership, a leadership that expands the capacity of fellow citizens to excel in their respective leadership positions within the state, and ultimately achieve results. It speaks simply of Almakura as a servant and transformational leader.

It is of relevance to also note that, in the heat of his case at the EFCC premised on alleged false corruption charges by his enemies in the State, Almakura had worked silently in consonance with like minds to combat corruption in a style that will have profound effects on transparency and ethics of the public service.

The expression that says as leaders, we prove our capacity when we gain the ability to focus despite distractions, luckily, is not lost on Senator Almakura. Distraction seems to have become a standard but one that natural born leaders are fortunate to be well equipped to duck. Their worry is buried in a memo of the late legendary success author, Napoleon Hill, which he called ‘The Magnificent Obsession.’ In the letter, Hill demonstrates that natural leaders avoid the cultural norm of being disconnected from their goals. They do not allow trivialities to become urgencies in their affairs. The author also imparts that leaders set targets and keep trying until they hit the marks.

Beyond the mere rhetoric of master-slave bond, Almakura, in fulfillment of his electioneering campaign promise, regularly encourages entrepreneurship by empowering women and youths in his primary constituency, Nasarawa State, in his urge to make his people economically self-reliant. Studies show that empowerment materials worth N250 million are doled out to thousands of less-endowed Nasarawas every year, apart from cash gifts to support businesses and individuals. Also, recently, the good Senator unveiled an empowerment scheme that will benefit 40,000 Nasarawa youth.

Considering the massive support from Nasarawas during the attack by Alakyo debacle, the Almakura challenge has shown that the ‘Nasarawa Accord’ has come too far to be broken by nocturnal politics and no matter the weight of external aggression and gang-up, Nasarawa State cannot be disintegrated along politics line.

Like every good leader, Senator Umar Tanko Almakura’s opponents are plotting to destabilize his leadership. However, in all areas of life, leaders have struggled with the balance of being feared and loved. Remarkably, Almakura is proving beyond doubts his prowess as a likable leader who is very concerned with every individual, thus he is attracting more ‘likes’ even beyond his loyal camp. This accounts for his penchant for shutting off his emotions in order to push others up the success ladder.

It is obvious the journey has not been easy for Almakura but he has so far shown a lot of good qualities of an effective leader in the presence of adversity, which explains the success being recorded by him on every front.

Hear earing Almakura speak closely; you will know what a kind, sincere and diligent man he is. Senator Umar Tanko Almakura looks calm, collected and cool, in fact, he looks like someone who doesn’t talk, but believe me; he is a great conversationalist.
He is loaded with wisdom, records and events. His diction, choice of words and command of English will tell you that Intelligence is class.

I was perplexed when the former Governor came and called me out for a private meeting which lasted for about an hour. Did I even mention that I was the youngest amongst those sitting comfortably waiting on the Senator? Well, just like how he was picked by Allah as a young man to Govern Nasarawa state, that’s how he singled me out, called me by my tribal name.
The conversation started like a father and son conversation which later catapulted into a full-blown lecture on politics, life and power.

But you know our elders na, they always ask you some personal questions; I wasn’t an exception because I was asked too and I gave the right answer.
The Senator went back memory lane for the conversation to flow, he spoke from when he was working with his father in the family business.
It might interest you to know that he then became a Governor after all that.
That year Senator Umar Tanko Almakura became the best democratically elected Governor in the history of Nasarawa State, probably northeast.

His administration which was adjudged to be the best administration because of its policies, reforms and infrastructural developments.
It is worthy to note that under his administration, Law students who went to Law school were paid N300,000 each, Medical Students were also being paid while Police Cadets collected N500,000 each. Due to the welfare magnanimity of his administration, over 5000 teachers benefitted from state governments car loans, they were also trained and retrained regularly.

Because of him, our parents occupying government owned quarters became house owners when he approved owner occupier, some are still occupying the houses he built for civil servants while he was Governor.
He has not only left a robust economy when he left but Nasarawa State was debt free. In fact, he initiated and laid the foundation for a refund, where the state has recovered about 40 Billion Naira.
He was able to block all leakages as well as run the most disciplined government, which improved the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.

Senator Almakura is a man of principle, a passionate and committed Muslim who has modelled Nasarawa State into what is becoming now, he has proved his worth and steadfastness.
He has shown the dynamics of Governance and has used his passion and dream to build the Nasarawa State of today by maximizing the use of power for the use of the people.

Senator Almakura is still loved and cherished by all and sundry. He literally built and introduced almost all the things we are enjoying as a state currently.
Being a two-time Governor of Nasarawa State, he has demonstrated a sincere attitude that is not in doubt as a champion of national unity, which a party’s national chairman must possess. As a youth friendly leader, while he was Governor, he gave the young people a pride of place in his administration and ensured that all ethnic and religious groups live in peace and harmony. He established the Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Scheme where thousands of youths were engaged to make them productive, earn decent livelihood and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the State.

His cabinet consisted of the major ethnic groups in the country; it included indigenes of the state, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba ethnic nationalities to enhance all-inclusive governance and give the various ethnic groups a true sense of belonging in the scheme of affairs in the state. As Chairman, SUTA would encourage the Executive Leadership to indoctrinate this concept to enhance national cohesion and inclusiveness in governance; a necessary panacea for sustainable peace, harmony and economic growth and development.

This leading political juggernaut and two-term former Governor of Nasarawa state, has indicated interest to lead APC as its chairman and possesses the requisite skills, experience and the temperament necessary for the office. As an experienced administrator in the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy, he has learnt the rudiments of leadership and is fully equipped with the desired pedigree and unimpeachable integrity required for the leadership of a progressive political party like the APC.

As a successful entrepreneur in the private sector, his views on the economy will be useful to enhance policy decisions in governance. He would engage constructively with the Executive Branch, the National Assembly, APC State Governors and other critical stakeholders to galvanize support and implementation of the party manifestos and appropriate policies that would guide the actualization of same and other campaign promises to keep faith with such commitments for the overall economic growth of the country and thereby enable Nigerians reap the desired dividends of democracy.

SUTA would engage with players in the real and organized private sector, as the engine of economic growth. He would do this in collaboration with the relevant Ministries, departments, agencies and other critical stakeholders to articulate policy frameworks that sustains current economic development gains and establish additional trails for the socio-economic prosperity of our people and the nation. He is not known to be arrogant or confrontational, and so would not approach this task with the mindset of an arrogant National Party Chairman. He will discharge his responsibility in a decent and dignified manner with the temperament, humility & respect for the office as well as the desire for value addition and team work to achieve significant results within a short span of time for rapid economic transformation that meets the aspiration of Nigerians.

Senator Tanko Al-Makura is the man of the moment for an unassailable electoral victory in 2023. His crucible of painstaking efforts, commitment and uncommon determination were commendable achievements that provided the fulcrum upon which the CPC gave leverage as one of the parties to the formation of The APC along with other members. This undoubtedly placed the CPC in a unique position to negotiate with the other legacy members towards the successful formation of the APC. He has proven experience at both Executive and Legislative Arms of government. He understands the business of governance and management of human interests. He understands the political ropes and has national appeal and acceptance across the country. He has the knack to stabilize the APC, coming from a very recent rancorous internal crisis.

Senator Tanko Almakura is the type of Party Chairman the APC needs to re-live and re-enact the bootstrap mass mobilization strategy he applied in 2011 that won the hearts of all and enabled him (CPC) uproot the PDP in Nasarawa state by defeating it and winning the election, to the shock of not only the goliath, but many people who never gave the CPC a chance in the first place. PDP is very determined to wrestle power from APC, so sentiments aside, the man to handle the guarantees of successful mass mobilization is Distinguished Senator Umar Tanko Almakura having achieved similar feat under very difficult and challenging circumstances in 2011.

Very few people bear and endure the pain of selflessness and sacrifice more than they can take as demonstrated throughout history, where heroes rise up through difficult and challenging circumstances to become famous and revered phenomena. For Almakura too, the beginning of his Gubernatorial aspiration in 2011 was difficult. He was jettisoned, intimidated, criticized, judged and even condemned; yet by his vision, courage, steadfastness and bootstrap mass mobilization strategy, he remained gallant in the tides of time and pushed through the glass ceilings to climb higher and above the realm of common notion and popular trend by defeating the then incumbent Governor to the shocking surprise and admiration of many people.

Senator Umar Tanko Almakura has implored political leaders to imbibe the attitude of selfless service for the betterment of their compatriots even if it includes having to die or be imprisoned for the welfare of the people.
He further charged leaders in the continent to always follow the rule of law in all spheres of their lives so that leadership can make positive impacts on the people.

The former governor who was widely quoted to have said that his political ambition has nothing to do with forcefulness of any Nasarawa citizen made these comments when he declared open a two days consultative retreat for political party leaders on the draft constitution for the government of Nasarawa State.

While speaking during the retreat, he thanked delegates to the meeting, “for your selfless service and acceptance to come and go through this very important process with us here. That is a great indication that you are true leaders and the reward will be a resounding one for your political parties and your political career.
I want to seize this opportunity to implore you to know that as political leaders, you should be ready to give some compromise in a few of the changes to the constitution.

So many politicians have had to sacrifice a lot for great countries to emerge.
Some gave their lives and some even went to prison just because they were selfless in their service to their people.
But I want to assure you that for what we are here to do today, nobody will die and nobody will go to prison.
We are here to present before you all the additions and removals so that all the political leaders can see that what we are doing is not to favour any side.

The session is to afford our political leaders in attendance an opportunity to undertake a collective review of the progress that has been made in Nasarawa State and ways to do more for our state and people.

Many would agree that leadership is a call to serve rather than lord over people. Senator Almakura points out that true leaders ought to be selfless – they have to care about the welfare of those under their leadership more than themselves. He calls for trust and friendship between the leader and the followers – a relationship that is based on honesty and kindheartedness. All too often, leaders, especially those in political positions, use their positions to enrich themselves through corrupt deals.

One of the basic teachings of Islam calls for respect for honesty (no lying). To get to this point of not condoning lies and selfishness, the public will need to hold the leaders to higher standards and stop relying too much on ideology.
Looking at what is taking place in the world right now, one cannot help but see that selfishness is alive and well.
Most of the things happening in our society today shows a lack of trust and friendship amongst leaders and the followers.

Additionally, most of election results show a lot of contempt between leaders and followers and between those who subscribe to different ideologies. To overcome this, leadership positions ought to be given to people who have shown that they are capable of being selfless – those who are willing to take unpopular stands for the benefit of the masses. Those who display selfish attitudes ought to be recalled out voted out of office to serve as an example to future leaders. If people keep voting on ideology, the leaders will be sure that their seats are secure no matter what they do.

It is a political paradox but also a matter of opinion. Even the cruelest and most ill-regarded leaders in history are regarded as selfless leaders by some. By that virtue one could say that Hitler was a selfless leader. He cared deeply about making his country prosperous through any means necessary and wanted to see its people flourish and be happy, in spite of his objective cruelty and merciless expansion policies. Donald Trump could be seen as a good leader, as despite his apparant cruelness in the eyes of many, he always put America first no matter what and managed to drastically improve America’s economy.

The term selfless is a subjective term; a label applied to those who people belive are great leaders. Despite what Hitler did for his country his focus was purely on Germany, he didn’t care for any other country or who would be forced out, his only focus was on the expansion of Germany. This is an inherently political discussion by nature. To apply the Dalai Lama’s three leadership policies can’t be applied to something like political leaders as they themsleves must adapt themselves to the given situations and that in turn can cause people to think that these selfless leaders are instead selfish.

I believe this political paradox is one of the main reasons why our modern democracy is crumbling. Can someone adored by many be truly selfless? And is selflessness even a trait we consider when labeling someone as a great leader?
Barack Obama, for example, is one of the greatest leaders of the 21st century. He is charismatic, a great speaker, charming, and acted exactly as how we expected America to behave… but was he selfless or even a good president? Stalin industrialized the soviet union and transformed it into a nuclear superpower in only a few decades, but definitely was not compassionate or selfless.
Maybe Dalai Lama’s three leadership styles should not be applied to politics; maybe it only fits spiritual leadership.

“Maybe politics, by nature, will always be more Machiavellian than Buddhist, and that’s why Dalai Lama’s rules may not apply to what we consider good leadership”.

Senator Almakura said I think it is still possible for leaders to be selfless and confident – described as ‘trailblazer’ leadership in the discussion although I think good leaders have to and do adapt the way they present themselves to different situations and audiences. Therefore perhaps not one of these traits is important but the ability to adapt to all 3 and be able to come across in different ways while maintaining their core values.
Perhaps these positive traits may be viewed as ‘weak’ in terms of leadership because western leadership is based more around ‘alpha’ traits such as strength which traditionally does not pair well with selflessness, mindfulness or compassion.

However, in the modern day I think leadership traits are swinging more in line with buddhist philosophy and therefore more selfless leaders are becoming more common and successful than in the past.

The good people of Nasarawa State has literarily excluded former governor and senator who represented the Nasarawa South Senatorial District Senator Umar Tanko Almakura from being among the past governors who they previously lamented to have caused the unfortunate underdevelopment of the state.
They described the Infrastructural developer as a true democrat.

“Yours has been a record of steadfast service. During your 8 years of leadership of our State, you exhibited undeniable commitment to the unity, peace and even development of Nasarawa State,” They affirmed.

While celebrating the former Governor’s zeal for laying a solid foundation for the development of the State, the people described him as a sincere patriot and thanked Allah for his life of service to Nasarawa State and humanity and all the great things he has achieved.

“You are a sincere patriot who sacrificed so much for the growth and development of our dear State”.

They said Senator Almakura’s contributions to the State produced landmark achievements in uniting and deepening cooperation between the diverse people of the State through his uncommon leadership style and desire to lift up Nasarawa State from her doldrums.
He has exhibited uncommon wisdom, remarkable vision, and exemplary leadership for the growth and development of Nasarawa State. It’s on record that the good people of Nasarawa State are proud to be a part of his administration.

“You are a wonderful leader to the world of yesterday, today and the future. We thank Allah for making you the type of person you are today”

Senator Umar Tanko Almakura is a man of history and destiny who does not take the electorate’s mandate for granted. Whenever given the opportunity to serve, he performs beyond expectations, leaving many agape marvelling at the secret behind his success. These attributes have not only kept him soaring in politics but stands him out among Nasarawa politicians.

His standing as a revered political leader in Nasarawa state today distinguishes him as a gold fish that has no hidden place in Nasarawa politics. Love or hate him, you cannot take away the fact that he is an embodiment of humility and a performer who has written his name in the sands of time in the politics, governance and development of the state which will be very difficult if not impossible to replicate let alone surpass in the history of Nasarawa state.

Almakura’s private and public life is characterised sacrifices and services to God and humanity. This is why he always triumph in his politics and always succeeds to put his detractors and ethnic champions to shame as their understanding of politics, governance and representation is not beyond ethnicity, which he has since buried when he was governor.

The Sardaunan Kwandare took Nasarawa politics by storm with his brand of progressive politics of development leaving his footprints in the sands of time which will continue to speak for him, and has been following him wherever he goes in his political sojourn to the awe of his detractors.

What distinguishes Almakura from his detractors, apart from his ability to spring surprises with performance, is the fact that, the senator did not venture into politics as an opportunist. This is unlike most of his detractors hiding under ethnicity to realise their selfish political interest. Almakura came into politics as a well established business man, astute and tested politician who has been in the political circle since in second republic, holding several positions.

Almakura was the state youth leader of the defunct National Oarty of Nigeria (NPN) in the then Plateau state in the second republic and member of its National Executive Committee. He was the state secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the aborted third republic and held other political positions which culminated in his election to the House of Representatives representing Lafia/Obi federal constituency.

These were achieved after many years of hardwork, commitments, resilience and perseverance, having built a formidable business empire spanning beyond the shores of Nigeria – he has business tentacles and connections within and outside the country. Almakura’s simplicity, love for the common man, passion for humanity and penchant for development prompted the people of Nasarawa state to drag him into the gubernatorial race in 2011 to salvage the state.

He was arrested, detained and all coercive apparatus deployed against him all in a bid to frustrate his gubernatorial race. But Almakura refused to bend let alone break in his determination to salvage the people of the state. He made history as the only politician in Nasarawa to defeat an incumbent governor, leaving a legacy of the best performing governor since the creation of the state.

Within his eight years as governor, Almakura raised the bar of governance to its peak, re-wrote the development history of the state and turned Nasarawa into a model of good governance and infrastructural development in Nigeria with his legacies and footprints scattered across the state. This endeared him to the masses and made the people of Nasarawa south to elect him as their senator in 2019.

As a senator, Almakura has left no one in doubt that, his mission in the National Assembly is to serve the people of Nasarawa south with the same commitment, passion and zeal as he did as governor by giving his people effective and result-oriented representation that is second to none in the history of the senatorial district

Within his almost four years in the red chamber, the people of Nasarawa south have continued to reap true dividends of democracy with many achievements recorded. They include legislative responsibilities, project execution,, attracting federal presence to his constituency, among others.

As a senator, Almakura has continued to make the voice of his people heard not only in the National Assembly but also in Nigerian politics and governance. He glorified the name of his senatorial district and the state in the eyes of the world with his vibrancy, oratoral skills, intellectual prowess, frequent and brilliant contributions to debates, building more bridges which enable him to attract more projects to his people through various government ministries, departments and agencies.

Within four years as a senator, Almakura has construct and rehabilitated many urban and rural roads in all the five local government areas of his senatorial district. They include construction of rural access road in Shabu, Ashige-Ugah – Fadaman Bauna in Lafia local government area, among others.

On education, Almakura carried out massive renovation of schools, construction of classrooms, provision of educational materials to schools across his senatorial district where millions of naira was expanded geared towards reviving the education sector of Nasarawa south. Some of the benefiting schools include Danka Primary School near Kwandare, Randam Sarki Primary School, Gidan Sule Primary School Kadarko, Asha Primary School Azara, among others

Almakura has also made giant strides in the area of electrification and water supply which saw the distribution and installation of transformers to communities,, drilling of motorised boreholes, installation of integrated solar street lights in Lafia, Awe, Keana, Obi and Doma. He also supports community development efforts. There are also intervention in the healthcare and empowerment of women and youth

There is, therefore, no better way for the people of Nasarawa south to reciprocate Almakura’s gestures than coming out en masse on Saturday, February 25, 2023, to put ethnic bigots to shame by re-electing Senator Al-Makura to sustain the gains of people-centred representation. Almakura remains the best among Nasarawa State political leaders.

They said the former governor was being recognised for not just being a father and a leader to the Gwandara Nation, but also for leaving a record that stands him out as the architect of modern Nasarawa State. Madaki stressed that the title of Sarduana was not meant for just anybody as it places the holder in the class of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello whose pedigree he must continue to aspire to.

Continuing, they described Almakura as champion of the cause of the poor who made his home a Mecca of sort for the less privileged.

“For the Gwandara Nation, this honour being done to our illustrious son only serves as a token of appreciation for what our political and business leader has done for his immediate community”, he said. Also speaking at the event, Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, described the honour done Senator Almakura as “well deserved”, given his track record, which had set a standard for other leaders and governors in Nasarawa and the nation to emulate. Sule said the title exemplified the selflessness and patriotism of Senator Almakura, whose commitment to justice, fairness and unity of purpose, led the former governor to pick and support him as his successor.

“I wasn’t a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), I wasn’t his commissioner or Adviser. I was even appointed by the late Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, as Chairman of the state investment company and when he came, he removed me.”

He however said that when it was time for Almakura to go, he put the development of the state ahead of personal and partisan interest to pick him as his successor.

“I’m committed to building upon and exceeding the foundations laid by Senator Almakura, not because I’m better than him, but to justify his trust in my capacity,” Governor Sule said.

In his speech, Almakura, who said he was humbled by the fact of bearing the same title with Sir Ahmadu Bello, however said he appreciated the title as it was a challenge to aspire to the pedigree and achievements of the late premier. He promised to build on the legacies of unity, peace and religious harmony that Sardauna bequeathed the country because the title of Sarduana, had assumed a very special meaning since the late Premier of Northern Region held it.

“I am happy to receive this recognition because I will want to be like the Sardauna of Sokoto, the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. This country needs many Sardauna of Sokoto to ensure peace, unity, stability and security.

”I promise not to disappoint my people and Nigerians at large as they have chosen to honour me despite the fact that there are people more qualified for the title than me” Almakura said Empahsising on the need for Nigerians to live in peace and be their brother’s keeper, he noted that the turbaning had made him to reflect the more on how his ancestors migrated from Kano to various parts of the country including, Nasarawa State.

Salihu Abdullahi Osuko
Garkuwan Giza
Media aide to senator Umar Tanko Almakura.