“I have three
precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the
second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself
before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal;
avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men”
like Lao Tzu
would always say.
The name Senator
Victor Ndoma-Egba a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) needs no introduction in
the polity of Nigeria, having served as Senator of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and rose to become Deputy Leader of the sixth Senate and Leader of the
seventh Senate where his contributions to the development of Nigeria and the
legislature are legendary and commendable.
No wonder, there
was wide spread jubilation across the region and Nigeria after the announcement
of his nomination as Chairman NDDC by President Mohammedu Buhari.
That
Ndoma-Egba recorded remarkable and monumental achievements is unarguably not in
doubt, he was a Senator of high repute and a lawyer per excellence. His mastery
of language and the gift of oratory placed him high and made him irresistible
whenever he addresses a gathering.
A
single quality that made him unique, a quality that made him powerful, made him
beloved, the quality of character as he would always says. ‘’I am guided by the
strength of character I have built over the years and I believe that the state
of your life is the reflection of the state of your mind’’ and my goals have
always been powered by focused determination, driven by discipline, patience,
positive attitude, perseverance, time management, courage and my consistence in
looking for what will enable me add value to the society’’.
Having
worked very closely with him for five years, I have been struggling against this
pushing urge to write about him and it became very compelling now as he
prepares to take up the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
But
my biggest challenge was how do I begin and what area of his life am I going to
x-ray, giving that he is very versatile, an all-rounder, exceptional,
multi-talented personality and broad-based in character, that often times he is
refers to as ‘Jack of all and master of all.’’ you see why it was an uphill
task for me.
He is a strong
character, just as Horace Greeley a former member of the America House of Representatives had a quote
that Harry Truman used to like and it thus reads ‘ fame is a vapour, popularity an accident,
riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow, only one thing
endures, ‘Character’.
Senator Victor
Ndoma-Egba is a cautious politician, a stern democrat, an ardent patron of the arts,
and of course a radical and articulated lawyer who could persuade but
surspringly he could be persuaded too. His respect for other points of view
lent weight to his own point of view; He is never afraid to change his position
if he is persuaded that he is wrong.
This tolerance
and sympathy are elements of his character, and this character gained him the
affection and esteem of millions of Nigerians.
His grace of
persuasion in cicero’s phrase did much in stabilizing the 7th senate
while he held sway as the senate leader and it is believed that these will also
be the trait in this new assignment of the NDDC.
Senator Ndoma
Egba believes in moral leadership. He gives rightful priorities all assigned
tasks.
A great motivator and steel frame for the
advancement of people-oriented causes, a firm advocate of good governance and
one who possesses the uncommon ability to pursue popular causes even if they
vary with his own personal interest.
He is not only
an astute technocrat and a team player; he has integrity that can be described
as uncommon in this part of the world which makes me remember, Antoine de Saint
–Exupery when he said “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to
gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for
the vast and endless sea.”
He is a champion
of the people, the pivot and motivating force in the sustenance of politics in
his State because politics is played local.
A bridge builder
who has gone through the fiery furnace of Nigeria politics unscathed but with
dignity and honour and a success always in knitting together people of diverse
religious, ethnic and cultural background.
For him
obstacles are merely hurdles that must be overcome in life’s journey and that
life would have no meaning if there were no challenges.
An
interventionist, who knows how to make processes work and loves the intricate
workings of the democratic system, he is as unassuming as he is given to
speaking only when it is absolutely necessary.
A
man of few words who allows his actions speaks for him. If words have to
describe his actions and performances, those words are likely to come from
others.
A
patriotic but silent achiever and one, who believes in the potentials of the
Nigeria nation and its future greatness, no wonder he is always putting his
Country first. He is an outspoken partisan, an individualist of the first rank,
who will put his Country before himself and without mimicking words; the Niger
Delta region would take a priority place in the agenda of transforming the
region.
Senator Ndoma-Egba is a study in humility, not
for him, the exaggerated sense of self worth that is the hallmark of the public
conduct of people in authority, those that are generally referred to as big
men. He is a connoisseur of knowledge and basks in the light of constant update
of his knowledge base via diverse courses.
He
is a politician in the finest sense of that much abused word. A good example of
one man who is richly endowed with a lot of brains and has helped to shape some
important laws that affects our lives.
He demonstrated a high sense of leadership and
uncommon dexterity while in the red
chambers, his effective representation is seen by all and became the cynosure
of all eyes no wonder, his people adopted the paradigm of a good turn always
deserves another.
Ordinarily,
the unassuming disposition of this NDDC Chairman and his simplicity are his
background traits given his Christian family upbringing.
‘’He
tells you that his father taught him the meaning of freedom and the
responsibility that comes with it, that being free does not mean free to do anything
you like but to enjoy freedom within certain limits especially in a world that
is morally ambivalent, that certain values must be exercised and kept in other
that whatever you are doing is legitimate’’.
As he assumes office, am also quick to
borrow words from
Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States and the
33rd Governor of California when he said, “The greatest leader is not
necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the
people to do the greatest things.” He is passionate about governance and
delivery on promises and usually not carried away by peripheral of office.
By
:Peter Willie is Special Assistant to Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba OFR, CON, SAN and
writes from Abuja
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