DESPERATE TO RULE OR PASSIONATE TO SERVE? A Look at Bwacha’s Leadership Model and the Future of Taraba
DESPERATE TO RULE OR PASSIONATE TO SERVE? A Look at Bwacha’s Leadership Model and the Future of Taraba
By Rikwense Muri
Historical evidences have shown that most of political leaders who emerge through use of money, connections and desperation to rule, ends up oppressing the people they promised to serve because they lack the needed experience and capacity to serve in the political arena. They can hardly be advised or corrected once they are in charge. They treat the people as tools to achieve their goal, not as citizens that should be taken care of. Despite their impressive CV and exposure, many don’t know how to carry people along because they have never been part of the people all along. Testing them with power, exposes these shortcoming to the entire world. Many leaders in Nigeria have been produced through this model, to cover up for these, anti-people laws and policies implemented to sustain them in power, no wonder the cries of the citizens falls on deaf ears, making democracy a curse especially in Africa.
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha CON, however is a different kind of political leader in Taraba state. This can largely be attributed to the way he joined politics and the experiences he had gathered so far for about three decades. When he resigned from his job as a civil servant with the Federal Ministry of Interior in 1991 when Taraba state was created out of Gongola State, many thought that the young Bwacha was a fool to have taken such risk. By then, Taraba state was a rural agrarian state which needed sacrifice from illustrious son who have passion, leadership skills and the ability to transform. Also, Abuja, the New Federal Capital Territory with so much opportunity for the young civil servant, provided great temptation. The future of politics was not certain because it was a military regime with unstable policies. Bwacha took a great risk to resign his job. Unknown to many, “Emma Bwacha” as he is fondly called was driven by a passion to serve in order to build the new Taraba, a passion that was above self acquisition and popularity. He knew his root, and want to change the narrative before he leaves this earth. So taking care of his immediate family is not as important to him than the future of his people and the state in general. This deep love for Taraba and passion for service has remained part of his politics till date.
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Bwacha as a young man, in 1992 first contested for the Chairmanship of the newly created Donga Local Government Area. With so much support, but the power that be, looking at the audacity of the young man, worked against him and he lost the primary election. He learned his first lesson of rejection and disappointment by his people despite the sacrifice he had made to come back home to serve. However because he was here to serve, he didn’t give up on politics, he supported the political process and development of the state. He remained with his people and worked closely with mentors like Usman Bibinu, Dr A.A Shiaki and many other elders ahead of him, to grow politically. By 1994 he was amongst the Taraba State foundation members of the People’s Democratic Movement and served as the state secretary until he eventually contested and won his first election as member state House of Assembly representing Donga in 1998 and 1999.
From the State House of Assembly he continued to grow in the political process. Because of his vocal advocacy for empowerment of the people, he was asked to join Rev Nyame’s Cabinet as a Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural resources. This was the position that made the name “Bwacha” a household name in Taraba state because of his farmer-friendly, focused policy and approach to agricultural development. The Taraba Agricultural Development Programme (TADP) became one of the best state agency in the country because of Bwacha.
By 2003, Hon Bwacha was voted the Member House of Representatives for his Federal Constituency. He did so well that by 2007 he was to move to Senate but was stopped by the power that be in Wukari during the primary election, who preferred the quiet Hon Joel Ikenya to the audacious Bwacha who has now become a household and centre of attention in Taraba Politics. That stoppage was temporary working of men who cannot see tomorrow but try to act like God. This because by 2011, the people voted Bwacha as a Senator for Southern Taraba and he has remained there till date. Whether in the Senate or House of Representatives, because of his working with people and skills in lobbying and negotiations, Bwacha serves in the most important committees. His current position is the deputy senate minority leader. Glory be to God.
Throughout his political career, his passion for service is put forward with no sense of desperation to rule over his people. Many people have attested that Bwacha is a leader, not a ruler. That’s why he has over the years groomed and empowered many to prominence while his contemporaries slides into irrelevance. He had bore with his people patiently even when they sometimes disappoint him. He seems to have this knowledge that if not for the patience of the people who believe in him despite his youthful exuberances in the early years of his politics, he won’t be where he is today. This thoughts keeps him humble and patient with people.
Bwacha has taught many of his friends and political associates the importance of grassroot relevance and mobilization in politics, if you want to grow. To him, people are more important than laws or policies of government. Any law or policy that doesn’t put the people first is not going to be respected by Bwacha. He has invested so much in the lives of his constituency that he doesn’t need to campaign to win any election in Southern Taraba. Dan Bwacha, they say, ikon Allah!!
These are the reasons behind the jittery and restlessness of some of our “ninja politicians” who are in politics with desperation to rule from the top with no experience of the plight of our people at the grassroot.
Recently, a politician with a high repute came back home with a long convoy, as he tour in Wukari City, he was received and welcomed by our youths and compatriots. But to their disappointment, this gentleman in his speech was more concerned about Bwacha with his tactical comment, than on what he have to offer to the people as his contribution to peace and development. Most of the newcomers are unelectable but instead of finding out why people could not elect them, they think their peoblem is the People’s Senator. All they have is money, experiences as civil servants and school certifications. Leadership skills, experience and capacity to work with diversity of interests in the political arena and still maintain stability is lacking. This is because majority are retired civil/public servants who sees politics as the next phase of life after retirement. The idea of winning at all cost, or “I’m more qualified and deserve to win” mindset, makes them to start their political career with a wrong footing. It is not bad to believe in yourself, but leadership is never an opportunistic adventure, it’s a calling and a passion for service.
This is why I always tell my friends, do not worry of those who comes home to do a show up as if they care for our people but later disappear when we need them most in our lives. By their fruit, you shall know them. They are not in politics because they love the people and our community that much. They are just looking for opportunity to plunder and bring more pains to our people with their lack of experience in Leadership and lack of passion for service. They just want to rule, despite lacking the credentials.
Senator Bwacha’s laid down model for leadership recruitment, mentorship and growth is the best we have seen so far because it gives stability and help the leader grow with experience, capacity and competence. Bwacha believe leaders are made, not born. This calls for mentorship, learning from others and growing through personal experience as the process of becoming a great leader for your people. Making mistakes and learning lessons of life refined the leader on how to prioritize certain things above others.
Having an ambition have never made anybody a leader. Leadership is seen in our ability to groom others and nurture others to bring out the best in them. Leadership is seen when we speak up against injustice and fight the cause of the common man that have no one to stand up for them. This was shown recently in the case of the 14 youths who were illegally incarcerated in Jalingo by Taraba State Government, until Senator Bwacha stepped in and advocated for their freedom and justice. Leadership is seen when we avail ourselves for service and grow through experience.
While many think having money automatically make them to be political leaders, Senator Bwacha believe having the heart for service, the experience of dealing with people and the capacity of providing a workable solution to the plight of the people makes one a leader. Leadership doesn’t come through desperation to rule but passion to serve. Desperation makes the aspiring leader feels he is the best, while passion makes the aspiring leader longs to give his best. Desperation will make the aspiring leader to adopt unhealthy tactics like scheming, conspiracy and backstabbing to emerge as a leader, while passion makes the aspiring leader to adopt healthy tactics like collaboration, teamwork and win-win to bring like minds on board as leaders. Desperation make you lonely in your leadership journey while passion makes you a team player. Desperation makes you start your leadership from the top, passion makes you willing to serve from the bottom. Desperation leads to stagnation and retrogression, passion leads to growth, experience and capacity.
If you truly want to serve, there’s no need for desperation, scheming, conspiracy and backstabbing of comrades, all you need is collaboration, cohesive collaboration towards sustainable development in our land. Going round our communities and showcasing one’s wealth as license to be voted into public office, and calling those who fought for our country’s return to democracy, and have been in the political arena for decades names, is not the best way to actualize political relevance and dominance.
Politics is a game of interest and the best way to play the game when you’re new is to ensure there’s win-win at the end of the day in the interest of our collective existence in your strategy. Starting with divide-and-rule strategy of conspiracy, scheming and backstabbing will make it difficult because the people know who is their political asset and who is their political liability.
After testing some leaders who came from Abuja promising heaven and earth but have nothing to offer than to reduce our people to beggers and slaves in their land, our people are now very skeptical in entrusting their future to new comers in the political arena with outright gubernatorial position come 2023.
If your intentions in politics is to serve our people, why not allow men like Bwacha be your ally? Instead of coming with desperation to rule from the top, you can join the political system with a passion to serve from the bottom. This gives you the opportunity to understand the people, understand yourself better and grow in the system. With this perspective, all I can see is better days ahead!
