Eagle Hedge News

BY PRINCESS EIGBOKHAN ORIH.


Humanity they say is the characteristics that belong uniquely to human beings. Such characteristics include kindness, mercy and sympathy. A person’s capacity to offer care, respect, show hospitality, be tolerant, demonstrate love, forgiveness as well as the ability to promote genuine harmony tells a lot about a person’s sense of humanity. This brings me to the question, what is service to humanity or a call to serve?

Being called to serve either as a boss, a director, a politician or a public office holder is not a vacation. THE CALL TO SERVE is to be fully responsible for others, to consistently and continually demonstrate the highest commitment. Your interest lies in the interest of others. So, serve the people who gave you the opportunity to lead them.

In the Nigerian political space there are various individuals who have shown interest to occupy different political positions and lead the Nigerian state at different levels into greatness. But the question which needs to be answered remains. Are they qualified?
Do they have the right experience to achieve these feats? Is lack of experience responsible for the poor performance of most political office holders? Is educational qualification an added advantage for good leadership or is personal transparent integrity a core value to becoming a promise keeper and trust worthy political leader to the people? Do the politicians take the oath of office to serve, protect and to provide good governance.


Due to the massive failure on the part of most politicians, Nigerians have shown a large scale of distrust towards the political class. This is mostly because of lack of credibility, inefficiency, transparency, accountability, empathy and the lack of technical knowhow. Surely you would say that there are lots of “square pegs in round holes”.
In a country like Nigeria where some public office holders whose character deficits and the lack of understanding of what “THE CALL TO SERVE” is all about; is responsible for the irresponsibility and impunity being displayed by some of the public officers in Nigeria.
Lack of empathy, selflessness, decorum and the total disregard for the rule of law by some politicians and political office holders has cast a dark shade about their understanding of THE CALL TO SERVE.
Imagine Senator Elisha Abbo, a senator representing Adamawa north senatorial district and the chairman code of conduct tribunal Danladi Umar who were caught on camera assaulting citizens who look up to them for leadership and service.

Citizens must choose leaders based on credibility, wealth of experience, educational qualifications, humanitarian service, self control, personalities with a history of empathic philanthropy.
When the Nigerian citizens, understands that electing leaders into political offices is putting their lives within a four year period into the hands of these leaders they have elected, then our country will begin to take her footing in the right direction.

Another question to be asked is: Can a Nigerian from the local government level to the presidency deliver leadership and good governance to the citizens? The answer is ‘YES’
These demands by the people are achievable but it requires persons with humanitarian experience and desire to take the bull by the horn and turn things around positively, either at the federal, state, local, senatorial or community levels.
With someone who is selfless, experienced, knowledgeable, responsible, transparent, accountable, educated, philanthropic, well traveled, a business magnate who has a God fearing personality and possesses high morals and integrity like Hon. (Barr.) Abayomi Sheba. Nigeria can become the envy of other countries around the world.

Hon. Abayomi Sheba, the former AG. Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission whose unquestionable competence in leadership and his wealth of experience in politics at both state and federal government levels; whose educational qualifications in Personal Management, Public Administration, Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution, who is a seasoned legal practitioner and a successful business mogul has shown that no knowledge is a waste and the continuous search and acquisition of the right knowledge and experience, prepares one for the opportunity to answer THE CALL TO SERVE. As the saying goes, knowledge they say is ‘power’.


His role as Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Community Development, between 1999 and 2003 and Member of the Presidential National Core Team that drafted Nigeria’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) helped to lift hundreds of Nigerian citizens out of poverty immediately after the military regime.

Those were the good old days. Days when 1 dollar was equivalent to 21 naira 89kobo and 114 naira respectively, while the price of PMS was 20 naira per liter in 1999 and 40 naira per liter in 2003. The days when our children enjoyed free education, health care sector was affordable and the cost of living was low while the standard of living was high.

Surely you will say that Hon. Abayomi Sheba has proven to be a man who put his people first because he understands what it means to answer THE CALL TO SERVE. Truly the people of Okitipupa/lrele Federal Constituency in Ondo state are so lucky to have such a great personality who has served and who is still willing to serve his people if given the opportunity again.