“Why Political Leaders Should Learn To Fulfill Campaign Promises”- Former Chief Of Staff To Erstwhile Governor Babangida Aliyu Of Niger

Olabode Adaramola, Niger State

As the immediate past Governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu marks his 64th birthday celebrations today ( Tuesday) in his country home in  Minna,  the state capital, a  former Commissioner and Chief of Staff during the former  Talban Minna’s Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) -led administration in the state, Dr. Peter Sale Sarki has said  that, until those elected and appointed into leadership positions in the country learn to focus on fulfilling campaign promises or service delivery, the purpose of government and governance may not  be realized.

Peter Sarki stated this observation in an interactive session with the newsmen on Monday,  ahead of public lecture and events lined up to mark the 64th birthday anniversary of the erstwhile Civilian governor of Niger state, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu.

According to Peter Sarki(Ph.D.)” our founding fathers struggled selflessly to free Nigerians from the British Colonial Masters, some of them even paid the supreme price,  just for us to gain political independence”.

He, however, expressed regrets that such sacrifices made by national heroes heroines in the pre- and post- Colonial era was fast fading among the nation’s political class.

He said, “selfless sacrifice or service is no longer fashionable among today’s political class or present day crop of politicians and that is why today we have more lamentations than commendations from the leaders or the Nigerian electorate and the masses in general “.

He further argued what most Nigerians were witnessing presently in parts of the country, was  the ugly side of politics, while expressing regrets that, “politics has turned to a situation whereby you cannot criticize those in the position of authority,  else you will be held liable for hate speech even against freedom of expression as enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution”.

The lecture with the theme: “MBA Servant Leader @64: What Legacies”, organized in collaboration with African Heritage Media, Abuja, he said, “is to among/other issues attempt at bringing to the fore burner, the widening gap between leaders and the led in Nigeria.

Peter Sale Sarki, pointed out that while some leaders used positions of authority to provide best service delivery that would for long endear them to the electorates, others simply saw it as an opportunity for primitive accumulation of wealth, self aggrandizements,  and to show off superiority complex over the people that voted them into office.

According to him, a  situation whereby most leaders were afraid to come down from their high horse to interact with people who gave them the mandate,  only showed  in clear terms that they have betrayed the trust of the electorates who expected much from leaders in fulfilling
electioneering campaign promises.

Using Niger state as a case study, Peter Sarki, said, “a tradition that, “at every point, they are afraid even of their own shadows,    notwithstanding the retinue of police and other security agents attached to them because they are not sure of their safety. Always avoiding possible venting of anger on them by the masses who are feeling betrayed “.

He opined that a good, sincere and purposeful leader,  does not need to fear the people if he knows that he is doing the right thing, he can simply move freely and relate with the people and by so doing knows and feels what they feel instead of this “Master-Servant thing we see today”.

He, therefore, called on both short elected and appointed political  leaders to always see the electorates as equals by making themselves available for public scrutiny, reminding them however that, “politics and political office holding is transient, we will still return to be part of the society at the end of the
sojourn”.