|
|
The Real
Atiku Abubakar: Meet Muslim And Best-Ever Vice President Of
Nigeria
Posted by Dr. Buhari Waziri of Adamawa People Coalition,
Washington adamawapeople@yahoo.com
People need to know who Atiku Abubakar, The Turakin of
Adamawa realy is. Apart from Turakin Adamawa being a
practicing Muslim and champion of peace and prosperities,
adhering to the glorious teaching of his Islamic faith for
justice, truth, and humanitarianism, the only Muslim Vice
President of Nigeria - after Idiagbon - is a genuine servant
of Allah and the interests of the Muslim Ummah.
Surely, a Muslim like this deserves a better treatment from
Muslims like people at esinislam.com and its AWQAF
Africa. I have been so disappointed in the coverage of
hostility against Nigerian Muslim Vice President on this site
esinislam.com - especially during its endless campaign for
Ahmed Sani Yerima to become the next president of
Nigeria.
The later may according to you on this site - 'by far be
the most and only incorruptible of all aspirants for the
presidency' in judgment of esinislam.com, the nigerians
however have shown different sensibility. A successful
party in Nigeria has chosen Mr. Abubakar to become the next
Nigerian president.
Of course, everybody knows Yerima as you put it 'though a
practicing Muslim who has managed to introduce peacefully and
successfully Islamic Law as governor of Zamfara State in
north-western Nigeria, where citizens are more than 98
Muslims'. This is - in my opinion and in sound opinions
of millions of Nigeria, this is the only achievement so
proudly recorded for Mr. Yerima. Whereas, Nigeria's most
successful and most candid vice president, Atiku Abubakar has
helped to transformed Nigeria and stopped dictatorship of
Obasanjo and his buy-outs.
That's why I have decided to post this article to appear on
esinislam.com and its affiliates. Because truth has got
to prevail; because Muslims have got to be better informed
about the best Nigerian vice president ever; because website
like esinislam.com should maintain their unbiased position in
serving the Muslims regardless of their tribes, nations, or
religious sects; because Vice president Atiku Abubakar
deserves better understanding of the readers of esinislam.com,
here is what people should know about Nigeria's Muslim vice
president.
ATIKU ABUBAKAR (Turakin Adamawa), GCON, Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Born in Jada, a town in present day Adamawa state, in North Eastern part of Nigeria, on November 25, 1946. He became an orphan at the age of eight and through perseverance and hard work overcame the poverty and nonchalant attitude of his relatives to acquire education. Atiku enrolled into the Jada Primary School from 1954 to 1960. He later proceeded to Adamawa Provincial Secondary School, Yola, from 1961 to 1965. He studied Economics, British Economic History, Government and Hausa Language at the Yola Middle School before proceeding to the Kano School of Hygiene, where he acquired a Diploma of the Royal Society of Health. He moved to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1967, to study for a Diploma in Law.
It was in the last two schools that he had his first taste of politics, when he took part in the radical student union politics of the 1960's, serving as President Emeritus of the Student's Union of the School of Hygiene, Kano, and later as the Assistant Secretary General of the Ahmadu Bello University Students Union, as well as Deputy Speaker of the Students' parliament.
In 1969, Atiku Abubakar enlisted into the Nigerian Customs and Excise service, where he served for 20 years, retiring in 1989 at the rank of Deputy Director. In retirement, Atiku Abubakar went into private business, developing investments in oil services, insurance, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and the print media. He was chairman of seven companies before his election as Vice-President.
His political career proper began in the late 1980s at the advent of the Fourth Republic, when retired General Shehu Musa Yar'adua launched a novel political association, People's Front of Nigeria (PFN). Shehu had retired as Deputy Head of State and Chief of Staff Supreme Headquaters in 1979, when he and Olusegun Obasanjo handed over power to civilians.
The thought, planning and solid programmes packaged with the movement easily made it the most formidable machine in Nigeria. Alas, General Ibrahim Babangida's cabal of military officers drawn from both north and south wanted to "rule Nigeria" forever. Their contrived transition to civil rule program refused to register genuine political parties. Rather, the military government "created" two parties for Nigeria: left-of-centre Social democratic Party (SDP) and right-of-centre National Republican Convention (NRC). Atiku was party to the decision to "re-locate" the PFN into the SDP, ensuring their total control of the party, in the belief that the soldiers were sincere in their promise to handover power.
After scouring and touring every part of the federation, Atiku was there to see the emergence of Shehu Yar'adua as the SDP presidential candidate. However, General Babangida, ostensibly bowing to pressure from short-sighted civilian and military power-hungry leaders cancelled the primaries and disqualified the two candidates. The NRC candidate was Adamu Chiroma, the incumbent Minister of finance in Atiku's government.
Undaunted, Shehu Yar'adua and his colleagues, determined to ease the military out of power, took all in their stride. In a re-run of the primaries, Abubakar Atiku as a candidate of Yar'adua narrowly missed being nominated the running mate of Chief M K O Abiola, who came to be backed by the PFN caucus. With the cancellation of Abiola's incipient victory at the polls in 1992, Atiku with his mentor continued the struggle to save Nigeria from the power greed of soldiers. Defence minister, General Sani Abacha, later overthrew the resultant Interim National Government (ING). Abacha waged a relentless campaign against Nigerians and their leaders, resulting in the false imprisonment and jailing of Shehu Yar'adua and Olusegun Obasanjo. Again, Abacha's transition program refused to register the Lawal Kaita/Atiku led People's Democratic Movement (PDM). Instead the military sponsored surrogates to set up five "acceptable" parties. All five endorsed Abacha as sole presidential candidate. Yar'adua died under inhumane prison conditions while Atiku was forced to go underground as agents of the junta hunted him from state to state.
Atiku, even while hiding, was part of the G18 pressure group, which later became G34 movement that spearheaded opposition to General Abacha's self-succession bid. The death of Abacha in 1988 brought to power the reformist General Abubakar Abdulsalami, who vowed to handover power 29 May, 1999. Thus in the course of amalgamating different political groupings into political parties, Abubakar Atiku led the old PFN into what later metamorphosed as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His group also drafted in Obasanjo and gave him the machinery at the grassroots not only to win the party primaries but the presidential elections as well. Atiku himself made a second attempt to become the governor of Adamawa state and this time, as a PDP candidate, he was elected.
It is came as a surprise to Atiku shortly after that, when Obasanjo sent for him, following his emergence as the PDP flagbearer, in the heat of lobbying by many candidates for the vice-presidential slot.
"Turaki, are you prepared to take orders from me?" he asked Atiku, calling him by the traditional title in his native Adamawa state.
"Ah, I have always taken instructions from you, sir" Atiku replied, "because you are a general."
"Okay you are my vice-president", Obasanjo told the stunned Atiku, "go and break the news to the party leaders!"
History of the Office
The first Executive Vice-President under the Presidential system of government is Dr Alex Ekueme, of the defunct National Party of Nigeria. The President Shehu Shagari government to which he belonged did its first term from 1979 to 1983 and won a second term in 1983. A few months into the second term the democratic government was overthrown in a coup d'etat on 31 December, 1993. Dr Alex Ekueme is now a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the second Nigerian to hold the office of a Vice-President under a presidential system of government. He is elected under the platform of the PDP as a running mate to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Citation
ATIKU ABUBAKAR (Turaki Adamawa), GCON
Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls;
He that steals my purse steals trash; its something, nothing,
But he that filches from my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And make me poor indeed. " Shakespeare, Othello act 3, sc. 3
From JADA, a quiet unassuming little dusty town In South Adamawa, the Northern Part of Nigeria, sprang an unexpected milestone in our nation's political history. For It was here that Atiku Abubakar was born on November 25, 1946.
In this rural setting a toddler, Atiku suffered the loss of his father at an early age, who before death, had to go prison before Atiku could go to School. Atiku was as a result adopted and raised by a dedicated aunt and uncle. In a country culturally entrenched in ascribed status, such humble beginnings hardly tread the path of graceful opportunity.
Thus Atiku's life began on a note of struggle. His enrollment in to primary school was quite eventful, his guardians resisted his admission and had to be restrained by law. Hence after enrollment he was literally on his own, having to finance his education from what little work he could find.
On the street of Jada, Atiku came face to face with misery and learnt compassion. From the adversities, he learnt candor and doggedness; from the difficulties, courage and perseverance; and from the struggle boldness and faith in God.
Atiku was enrolled into the Jada Primary School from 1954 to 1960. Later Atiku proceeded to Adamawa Provincial Secondary School, Yola, from 1961 to 1965.
Atiku's advanced level studies were In Economics, British Economic History, Government and Hausa Language. Later, he was at the School of Hygiene, Kano, from where he earned a Diploma of the Royal Society of Health. In 1967, he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and graduated with a Diploma in Law.
It was here that his political career began when he took part in the radical student union politics of the 1960's, serving as President Emeritus of the Student's Union of the School of Hygiene, Kano, and later as the Assistant Secretary-General of the Ahmadu Bello University Students Union, as well as Deputy Speaker of the Students' parliament
In 1969, Atiku Abubakar enlisted Into the Nigerian Customs and Excise service, where he served for 20 years, retiring in 1989 at the rank of Deputy Director. Atiku Abubakar had attended several courses in Leadership, Management, and Drug Law Enforcement In Egypt, United States, and Finland
In retirement, Atiku Abubakar went into private business, developing investments in oil services, insurance, pharmaceutical industry, agriculture and the print media. He was Chairman of 7 companies before his election as Vice-President
A renown philanthropist, Atiku's strongest and most visible attribute is his open love of the ordinary person with whom he maintains closeness, offering assistance to thousands of people to begin artisan trade and small businesses across the length and breadth of the country. Too often he settles the medical bills of many a sick person. In a country where medical insurance is unheard of, this is very significant and Atiku himself may never know how many lives he saved.
But it is in the field of education that his philanthropy comes to the fore. He has helped almost any educational institution that reached out to him for assistance. More specifically, he set up the computer unit in the famous Adesoye College; he built his own private school, ABTI International School, in Yola, clearly the best of its kind in the area.
To be sure Atiku Abubakar is not the richest person in his community but certainly he is the most generous. This has no doubt given Atiku Abubakar, a strong political home base and recognition in Adamawa and Taraba States, where he holds the important title of Turaki Adamawa and more recently, the Sardaunan Ganye, his home base.
His grassroots passion and humanist instincts had endeared Atiku to Nigerians from every nook and corner of our great country, so confident and acceptable is he to every national grouping, that a columnist recently tagged him "Mr. Nigeria".
At the international level, Atiku is a sponsor and member of the finance committee of the World Constitution and Parliament Association, and a member of France based World Citizens. These associations dedicate themselves to the promotion of peace and understanding - business and politics have their way of linking people. For Atiku, business and politics brought association with General Shehu Musa Yar'adua, Nigeria's front line politician and committed democrat. Atiku was a confidant and personal friend, with a loyalty and devotion that endeared him to the late General.
Together, they developed and ran the most formidable political machine known to Nigerians, Peoples' (Patriotic) Front. National in spread, pragmatic in outlook, and farsighted in reach, the organisation transformed into a full-fledged political party.
Faced with a ban and a necessity for a successor in the political struggle, Yar'adua personally appointed Atiku Abubakar as his successor, nominating him as the SDP's Presidential nominee in 1993. This choice of Yar'adua, a master strategist, a man of insight and foresight, is seen as a measure of Atiku's political worth, and an omen, which, like a prophecy, has come to pass. As George Washington would say in a letter, "Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to appellation."
At the time, a series of compromises and maneuvers, prevented Atiku from being the presidential candidate, which he dutifully conceded to MKO Abiola. In the true character of democrat. He extricated from within himself that burning ego for power and, instead worked relentlessly to ensure Abiola's successful bid for Nigeria's presidency in June 1993.
In the 1994/95 constitutional conference, under the military regime of General Abacha, easily the worst in Nigeria's history, Atiku Abubakar became the arrowhead of the struggle to fight the General's self-succession bid. It was a very risky business which then required an extraordinary courage to undertake. This led to the incarceration of his friend and mentor, the late General Yar'adua and brought him into a dangerous collision with the then military dictatorship. Atiku maintained the struggle both at home and the international front through out the dark period until God Himself intervened and democracy once again returned.
Under the Abdulsalam transition programme, Yar'adua group led by Atiku Abubakar joined the People's Democratic Party and indeed clinched the presidential ticket. Chief Olusegun Obasanio picked Turaki Atiku Abubakar as running mate and together, won the 1999 elections. At the time he was picked, Atiku Abubakar, had already won elections as the Governor of Adamawa State.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had said that he would need good men and women of proven integrity and record of good performance to help run the affairs of State. "It was difficult and abnormal situation the country found itself in, and great care and circumspection were called for in appointments to high public positions", Obasanjo had asserted at the time. Atiku Abubakar is the cornerstone of president Obasanjo's crop of good men who came with him into government
The emergence of President Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar as Nigeria's leaders has brought to Nigeria great examples of commitment to accountability, transparency, uprightness, and purposeful governance. But perhaps even more important, the duo has demonstrated a level of harmony and co-operation between a president and his vice unprecedented in the political history of this country. This not only anchored the stability of this otherwise vulnerable country but also has given the states a model to aspire to. One hardly needs add that this good fortune has been largely the product of Atiku Abubakar's absolute loyalty and congenial personality.
A true democrat who, as Chesterton would say, "objects to men being disqualified by accident of birth" and a bridge builder Atiku Abubakar has held the diverse and disparate groups in this country together. His sense of responsibility, justice and fairness has inspired confidence in many and has generated the robust goodwill that has kept this country together. Even in times of trouble, Atiku Abubakar, like Paul Simon's "bridge over troubled waters" has provided the link and therefore the opportunity for people to stay together and thrive together.
Today, Atiku Abubakar, pragmatically and effectively presides over all major national institutions responsible for economic policy formulation, implementation and coordination in Nigeria.
As the Chairman, National Economic Council, he holds the major responsibility of steering the nation's economic machinery channeling efforts to optimize the opportunities of a potentially great economy. Already the nation's economy has been liberalized and opened to competition. All regulations that inhibit competition have been repealed. It is now possible for anyone to come into Nigeria and establish and own a business in any sector of the economy. New capital is being injected into key sectors of the economy.
As a result, Nigeria's economic growth has picked up for the first time in nearly a decade. From a negative growth, the economy is now at 3% and from a depleted foreign reserve of just above two billion dollars, twenty-three months ago, it is now around ten billion.
In addition, the Vice President is the Chairman, National Council on Privatization (NCP) and Chief Coordinator of all Public Enterprises irrespective of the sectors in which they operate In Nigeria. He is also the chairman of National Economic Revitalization Committee and chairman of the National Planning Commission. In this rather unique role, Atiku Abubakar has provided the required vision and leadership in the development of new broad economic policy framework and direction, which have provided an efficient vehicle for liberalizing the Nigerian economy. He is effectively supervising the new program of liberalization of the economy. A measure of his success in this regard is the positive impact of his continuous and persistent emphasis on the importance of generating National Savings through the adoption of:
i) sound fiscal and prudent monetary policies as well as an appropriate exchange rate to generate internal savings and to foster macro-economic stability; and
ii) structural reforms including the elimination of controls on all capital and currency transactions to provide a market-oriented environment for high quality growth and job creation and to launch the economy into the mainstream of international trade and financial flows.
Managing the process of Nigeria's privatization programme under the leadership of Atiku Abubakar has earned the country a significant level of international confidence and acceptance of its economic reform effort.
Atiku Abubakar,as Chairman, National Economic Revitalization Committee, has recorded important landmarks. The establishment of the bilateral mechanism with a number of countries who share common views with Nigeria is one such major achievement in this area. These mechanisms will ensure mobility of resources between participating countries which will eventually maximize resource allocation in critical sectors such as transportation and infrastructure development of the affected economies.
One of the most notable of these bilateral agreements is the US/Nigeria Joint Economic Partnership Committee, which Atiku Abubakar initiated and saw through to fruition. Others include the Nigeria/South Africa Bi-National Commission, the Nigeria-UK Forum, Joint commissions with Jamaica, Senegal, Chad, India, and Morocco etc.
Again Atiku Abubakar chairs the Committee responsible for tracking closely developments relating to the achievements of benchmarks set out in the Nigeria-IMF stand-by arrangement. The aim of the arrangement is to re-establish Nigeria's credibility in international finance circles and put the country in a favourable position with its creditors including the Paris Club. As a corollary, Atiku Abubakar has always reiterated important roles multi-national lending institutions should play in Nigeria's democratization and economic reform programme.
Without doubt Atiku Abubakar has been instrumental to the evolution and development of a well-defined and coordinated economic reform agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria. A successful implementation of the newly adopted policy will provide a sound and stable macroeconomic environment in which economic and financial decisions can be taken with a large degree of certainty
The Obasanjo - Atiku Abubakar administration has shown genuine concern over the poor state of vital utilities particularly power supply, and conceited efforts are being made to provide a permanent solution to the problems of power generation and transmission.
Atiku Abubakar is the veritable phoenix of our democratic future. For out of the ashes of despair, brutality, cynicism and strife of yesteryears has emerged this pillar of freedom, democracy, justice and hope.
In recognition of his enormous contribution to peace, stability and good governance and the success of Nigeria's economic growth, Atiku Abubakar was recently awarded one of the highest national honours In Nigeria: The Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). He has also been honoured by the University of Maiduguri, University of Calabar, etc with a honorary Doctorate Degrees in recognition of these accomplishments.
The greatness of birth is not in being blue-blooded; it is in being able to survive despite all the odds. Success is not judged only by what has been achieved but also by the obstacles surmounted to achieve it. That is Atiku Abubakar in true perspective.
PRESENTATION
Presented to you now, always one to engender innovations, a tireless activist, a successful businessman, a philanthropist, a committed patriot, an authentic democrat, an inspiration to his compatriots, a delight to his elders and associates, a role model for today's generation, a devoted husband and father, harbinger of consensus politics, the Turaki Adamawa, Sardauna of Ganye, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria……..Atiku Abubakar.
Special Initiatives
REVIVAL OF EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES: Moved by the near total collapse of education in the 19 Northern states, as outlined in the background paper by the Northern Education Research Project of Arewa House, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Vice-President presided over the first Northern States Education Summit, held on 28 January 2000. The Agenda For Action was distributed to all the State Governors by the Vice-Presdent.
In April 2001, the second Education Summit took stock of progress so far, as contained in its communiqué. It noted that some progress has been made but more needs to be done.
In relentless pursuit of the desirable objectives of the above articulated Agenda for Action, the Vice President, Atiku Abubakar is presiding over the third Education Summit, at Arewa House on Friday, 26 April 2002, to be attended by all the 19 Governors and their Commissioners of Education along with other stakeholders in the sector.
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDTABLE: Communal clashes and other social upheavals have racked the nation, and especially the Northern states since the return of democratic freedom, in 1999. Experts are of the view that unemployment and poverty, occasioned by the near collapse of the vibrant industrial activities of Kano, Kaduna and Jos are major factors in these disturbing events. On 29 April, 2002, the Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, will lead a stakeholders Industrial Roundtable discussion, to identify what the various levels of government and other stakeholders can do to revive the industries, and do away with the crime and social chaos that followed their collapse.
RECEPTION 2000:On 18 November, 2000, a mammoth crowd gathered at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna to honour the Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the second civilian to ever hold such a post under a democratic government. The occasion was tagged Reception 2000 and it continues to generate confidence and brotherhood amongst the people of the Nigeria and the North in particular. For they all saw their dream of unity in diversity manifested at the occasion.
Other Initiatives
UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION (UBE) PROGRAMME: Given that the most critical resource for evolving and maintaining a prosperous, self-reliant,just and egalitarian society is the human being, education, in its holistic and deepest sense assumes a pride of place in all societies. Education during the formative years of a child's life is so important in this process, that the democratic government of President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar came up with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme to ensure that every child gets a headstart in life.
NATIONAL POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMME (NAPEP): A people lacking the most basic necessities of human existence cannot be expected to spare time for such luxuries as raising their living standards or racing with other nations in pursuit of common global objectives. The National Poverty Eradication Programme is geared towards liberating Nigerians from the yoke of debilitating poverty.
|
|
