OMOGBOLAHAN BABAWALE
It’s not controvertible that prior to his becoming Nigeria’s numero uno, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR had a knack for talent discovery. His Midas touch acumen is ubiquitous in the number of persons who had risen from his political tutelage. Many today are either governors, former governors, former and current members of the National Assembly, Heads of Government Agencies and Parastatals, Local Government administrators amongst others. And now that he is the country’s number one man, he considered it fundamentally germane, if not mandatory upon himself that he’d appoint people who could deliver results for him in all facets of our national life. His Renewed Hope agenda is no child’s play and he means serious business because he knows if the country fails to get it right in his tenure, Nigeria may never get it right ever! Hence, his decision to put the right human capital in critical areas.
However, in making this critical decision – of whom to appoint and to man where, one man has hitherto stood very tall among other appointees of Mr. President since his coming on board. This man of Ebira ancestry personifies everything – competency, loyalty and goal-getting. He is one head that has taken the agency he is heading from near obscurity not only to national prominence, but also global competitiveness. Today, the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), a once caliginous and tenebrific agency of government despite its pivotal role has come alive, lucent and lambent of several milestones in so short a period under the able and competent ascendancy of Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, its Director-General and Chief Executive Officer.
COMPETENCE – If appointment were to be based on an individual’s competency and/or capability, that of Dr. Abdullahi would definitely have fallen between the first 10 from the Renewed Hope appointees so far in 2 years. With his many years of experience laced with undoubted dexterity and apropos skills, he has, without equivocation, proven his suitability for the appointment. With several landmarks characteristics of his leadership in a space of 22 months and the concomitant accolades coming his way about his quality leadership matching the deliverables, the appointment of this young man is nothing short of a round peg in a round hole. Dr. Abdullahi has proved and he is still proving that the belief of Mr. President in Nigerian youth is justified.
LOYALTY – Loyalty is everything! A loyal follower, party man or adherent of your school of thought is a great asset that must not be treasured. Here is a man who, against the rules of the game of politics – with many believing that loyalty in politics is often a liability – remains committed to President Tinubu’s political philosophy. A die-in-the-wool and committed student of Mr. President’s school of politics. A commitment he displayed excessively prior, during and in the heat of the 2023 electioneering. When many members of the party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not believe in him with many also working against his candidacy before the 2022 APC presidential primaries and even after the primaries, he remained undaunted in his belief in Tinubu’s presidency. He exhibited this from his obvious commitment in terms of material and financial resources channelled towards the campaign of Mr. President. His activities which went beyond his immediate environment at selling the candidacy of Mr. President as the country’s only and best choice was unmatched.
GOAL-GETTING – The Energy Commission boss is a goal-getter who is never again a goner when it comes to project execution. He delivers with excellent results. A team player with knack for excellence in service delivery and quality feedbacks. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is indeed benison-ed to have a man of his personage as his appointee. Here is a man who does not compromise standards, a near-perfectionist (for perfection is the exclusive of God). Nigeria is indeed blessed to have this man who epitomises excellence in quality leadership deliverable with an overdose of patriotism as one of the appointees of the Tinubu presidency. And advocate of Mr. President’s drive for renewable energy on global stage. Nigeria today is ranked a voice as the world moves away from fossil fuels that continue to deplete the Ozone layer and constitute existential threat to humanity.
THE MILESTONES – Dr. Abdullahi did not mince words when he said on resumption of duty that he, like his employer – Mr. President, would hit the ground running. In a short space, he has recorded 3 huge milestones never seen in the history of the Commission. The groundbreaking ceremony of Assembly Plant construction at Ihunekwagu Autonomous Community, Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State is one of such. The event was a corollary of the need to boost access to affordable electricity in the country, provide alternative energy to millions of households and to take several communities off the national grid. A move that aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda on energy. Again, not too long ago, the Chief Executivetook the public by surprise with history as he held another epoch-making groundbreaking ceremony of Barefoot Renewable Energy College (BRE College) in Osara, Kogi State. The concept of a Renewable Energy College was in line with the manifesto of President Tinubu whose part agenda is to explore various energy potential of the country – for the overall benefit of all.
A major landmark was the recent N10billion Solarization Project, a vital component of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda strategy to diversify the country’s energy mix. The project with a high potential to foster energy sustainability, self-reliance, global access and removal of perennial energy debt, and with long-term benefits which include but not limited to employment opportunities, cleaner and safer environment in the face of recent threat to the global space through universal warming; the country is on a trajectory of positive turnaround in her energy sector.
Dr. Abdullahi continues to blaze the trail in the leading energy agency in the country. With several other milestones attributable to his leadership in less than 2 years, suffice to say the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a fluke after all.
Omogbolahan L.A. BABAWALE is the Convener and Lead Resource Person of The Think-Tinubu Initiative (3TI). He writes from Lagos. officialczar2@gmail.com