By The
Association for Credible Leadership in Nigeria (ACLN)
The saying: “Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader;
they only set out to make a difference”, is apt in describing only few
Nigerians likelate Dora Nkem Akuyili (OFR), former Director General of National
Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
*Dora Akunyili |
It is another June 7th marking the second year
of your glorious departure from planet earth, thus the Association of Credible
Leadership in Nigeria (ACLN) acknowledges her struggles and numerous
achievements targeted at repositioning Nigeria .
Born in Makurdi, Benue State , Akuyili started her
educational career with a distinction in her First School Leaving Certificate
at St. Patrick’s Primary School, Isuofia, Anambra State in 1966, and the West African School
Certificate (WASC) with Grade I Distinction in 1973 from Queen of the Rosary Secondary School , Nsukka , Nigeria .
All through her career from school days up till
the professional level, there have been traces of exceptional leadership
characters, many of which were eventually seen by a larger population of
Nigerians when she became the DG of NAFDAC in April 2001. For Dora Akuyili,
everything she found herself doing was more than the ROLE, but about the GOAL
to achieve.
She was Nigeria ’s
Honourable Minister of Information and Communications until December 16, 2010,
when she resigned to further actualise her ambition of becoming the Senator
representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly. She is an
internationally renowned Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned
Administrator, and a visionary leader. She has gained international recognition
and won hundreds of awards for her work in pharmacology, public health and
human rights.
That being said, one would have thought her
brilliance and impressive leadership lifestyle would flicker with the pressure
from workplace. Instead, Akunyili prepared herself for the administrative
position at NAFDAC by her four years stretch as Zonal Secretary of Petroleum
Special Trust Fund (PTF), coordinating all projects in the five south-eastern
states of Nigeria (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States ).
Recall that while serving at PTF under President Muhammadu Buhari, she took ill
and was given a scary diagnosis in a medical facility in Nigeria which necessitated her going to the United Kingdom for treatment.
This poor image was dumped upon Nigeria by the international community and
further affirmed by the bad behaviour of our conventional politicians,
political clergymen and clerics both within and outside the country. This disheartening
perception about Nigeria had gone unchallenged for so long that
it is beginning to stick in the consciousness of most people around the world
that most Nigerians are criminals or fraudsters, yet no one could do anything
to redeem the situation.
For this, when she became Minister in 2008, she
lamented: “…At airports and other public
places across the globe, whenever the green passport is sighted, we were asked to
stand aside for special screening. We are not even given the benefit of the
doubt. In the highly competitive world in which we live, Nigeria will have no choice than to present a
compelling and coherent image to the world if she wants to be taken seriously.”
Thus, on March 17, 2009, she joined President
Goodluck Jonathan to launch a national campaign and unveiling of the slogan and
logo in Abuja .
According to her, “this campaign is beyond logo and slogan which are meant to
serve as drivers. Thus, our hope is that the slogan, Nigeria – Good People, Great Nation, will help
to inspire patriotism in us all as we collectively tackle the challenges
ahead.” At this juncture, the ACLNcan boldly describe Dora Akuyili as an
outstanding Nigerian whose records of excellent public service will for long be
remembered as against our current stomach infrastructure public office holders,
whose entire public work has little credit for the good of the general public.
Akuyili was never hunted by anti-graft
agencies, neither was she accused by any segment of the country for being
politically, religiously or even tribally biased. Her duties targeted the
general wellness of Nigerians. She neither led a flambouyantly lifestyle nor
found rendering eye service. For Akuyili, it was always Nigeria first. Her virtues as a leader are
worthy of emulation for every public office holder in Nigeria , Africa and
the entire world. In some other parts of the world, People like her are put on
stamps and on statues at different public places where the younger generations
who were either too young to see her good works or the generation yet unborn as
at that time, can visit to be encouraged to lead selfless lifestyles.
She saved lives and she instituted a system
that is still saving lives. Akuyili is a leader per excellence. On this day,
June 7, the ACLN admonish young Nigerians to follow in the part of Akuyili for the
high sense of responsibility and how she helped to save the lives of Nigerians
fighting killer diseases like malaria and tuberculosis with little more than
sugar syrup and chalk tablets, cynically packaged to look like the real thing.
Dora Akuyili, we believe in the Nigeria you foresaw and will continue to hoist
the flag of Nigeria in a positive light across the globe
because we believe in selfless leaders like you. Live On Akuyili!
*Association for Credible Leadership in Nigeria (ACLN) is a non-profit organization,
headquartered in New Jersey ; United States .
ACLN was born out of the dearth of credible visionaries and selfless leaders in
our dear nation Nigeria .
No comments:
Post a Comment