With bated breath and mitigated fear, we watched in awe as she pulled off her shoes, adjusted her wrapper and with fascinating dexterity, climbed the water tank to the topmost end to inquire what stopped the flow of water to the base . Not even the query and plea of her police orderly and the villagers could deter her.
The subject of this daring and dangerous endeavour is Hajia Amina Az-Zubair, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals. This woman defied all odds and limitations to manifest leadership by example by climbing a water tank that measures about 50m in height all in the bid to personally inspect the water project.
The field of this expedition carried out by this relentless fighter was at Robochi in Abaji Area Council of the FCT during her inspection tour of Millennium Development Goals projects in the FCT. The inspection which started from Abuja Municipal Area Council would have ordinarily sapped all her energy and weighed her down, but this woman pushed on endlessly as she inspect projects ranging from water projects, schools to primary healthcare in the villages she visited .
Again, this Amazon of the rural and poor Nigerians shocked the inhabitants of Dobi, a very remote settlement in Asokoro when she decided to drink from a water tank constructed by the MDGs. This followed the villagers complaints of strong taste of the water. Her rural leadership paid off almost immediately as the villagers rushed to drink the water they had always refused to use since the sinking of the water project in nearly a year.
These acts are clear demonstration of a rare, unique and outstanding leadership that is required of every Nigerian leader with real intention of serving the people. Amina’s distinguished nature and character is a direct result of what true leadership entails. Even with her privileged position, she lives an unparallel life of lowliness, modesty, humility, sacrifice, selflessness, service and love. The ways she integrates with the rural Nigerians in the course of her work to rural areas is very worthy of emulations. She is always at home with these people that every part of Nigeria seems like a home to her, she is so loved in Balyesa the same way she is loved by her people of Gombe
Her qualities are not only a proof of natural standard for leadership but as a basis for service and a necessary condition for the emancipation and the advancement of poor Nigerians. Amina’s understanding of her mandate is no doubt captured in the real understanding of what true leadership should be, a true leader is ultimately a product of his or her environment, with a record of active family and communal engagement. Leadership indeed is more than academic laurels. It’s about experience, about a man’s heart for fellow humans, about conscience and feelings, about solutions to problems. And this woman has absolutely demonstrated all these in her handling of the Millennium Development Goals experiences in Nigeria.
May we have more people like dogged Amina whose quest for service is not defined on the basis of what they gain in personal fulfillment but what is of significant to the generality of the people. Her ability and resilience of character to live for and see through defined purposes against all odds is a testimony of good faith and global reference to the solution of the many problems of the poor. Where she gets the energy to push on is a mystery to the people around her. It is said that she works even from her home at odd hours of the night and usually the first to report to duty. Imagine a replication of this woman’s zeal, passion and sacrifice by others in the corridors of power!
As we journey towards the 2015 target of the global target of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, this is a call to all stakeholders in the governance of this country to take a cue from Hajia Amina Az-Zubair sacrifices and sincerity of purpose so that Nigeria can be on the list of nations celebrating the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) come to 2015.
Abdullahi O.Haruna is based in Abuja.
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