By: Najeeb Nasir Ibrahim
There are people whose contributions cannot easily be ignored, even by those who may not personally like them or agree with everything they do. Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya is one of such people in Kano State.
From being a grassroots activist, Waiya has gradually become an important political mobiliser and one of the voices strongly advocating for the continuity of the administration of His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
His ability to listen to people, support them, respond to their calls and make time for different groups has added another quality to his public service.
Recently, while I was at a filling station, I overheard a group of people discussing their experience with Waiya. They were speaking about the way they were received and the respect shown to them during their visit.
Among them were members of a group, including some former APC members. They were saying that they had never experienced such a level of attention, respect and care from someone in public office as they received from Waiya.
This is one of the things that makes his approach different.
Waiya regularly receives different groups and individuals. Sometimes, three or more groups meet with him in a single day. Yet, he continues to give people attention, encourage peaceful engagement and call on them to support the continuity of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration for another term.
If performance, development and the welfare of the people are among the reasons for choosing a leader, then Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf deserves to be given another opportunity to continue his work in Kano State.
And people like Waiya, who continue to stand behind the administration and communicate its programmes to the people, also deserve our prayers and good wishes.
In my own observation and research, I have not seen many people who have done what Waiya has done in the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, particularly in the area of engagement, communication and bringing people closer to government.
He has taken his responsibility beyond simply sitting in an office. He engages people, listens to them and continues to communicate the government’s programmes and policies.
To me, Waiya has become something like the commander of the campaign for the continuity of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration and the progress of Kano State.
For this reason, I believe he deserves recognition and even an award for his efforts.
His activities and engagements have also attracted recognition from different organisations and institutions at the national level.
But beyond awards and recognition, I believe the real way to understand Waiya is to get close to him, interact with him and observe the way he relates with people.
When you do that, you may begin to understand exactly what I am talking about.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, on the other hand, has many of the qualities expected of a leader. He has demonstrated fairness, concern for the people and a commitment to the development of Kano State.
And if people are looking for continuity based on performance and development, then the conversation about giving the governor another chance should not be ignored.
For me, Kano State deserves leaders who are ready to listen, support the people and work for development.
And people like Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, who continue to play their part in that process, deserve encouragement, prayers and good wishes.