L
ast week, members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, led by Vice President Namadi Sambo, devoted 45 minutes at the beginning of their weekly meeting to pay special tribute to anti apartheid leader and former South African president, Dr. Nelson Mandela. It was intriguing listening to the heart warming and inspiring eulogies.
In the words of Vice President Sambo, Mandela was a great visionary, philanthropist, politician and anti apartheid crusader whose entire life was devoted to the struggle for equality among all races and nations. He spearheaded the struggle for an end to apartheid in South Africa, a struggle he paid for in his personal family life and ultimately with his life because, because the sickness that took his life was traceable to his time at Robin Island Prison.
According to Sambo, “Mandela was in prison and ex-communicated from the rest of the world for 27 years; and in all these time, he never wavered in his fight against racial discrimination which he believed in and in which he was ready to lay his life for.”
What Sambo did not leave out was the fact that at the end of 27 years of solitary confinement, the apartheid government shifted its stand and bowed to the will of the people.
“He was unconditionally released in 1990 which marked a new life in the South Africans. At the end of apartheid, Mandela left no one in doubt that his struggle was for mankind and all races. He never looked back to the dark days of apartheid struggle. As the first black president of South Africa where he presided over a post apartheid regime, he made national reconciliation the primary task of his administration.”
Sambo concluded that “he worked to reassure the white minority of running a multiracial government in a multiracial country where the right of every individual will be protected and guaranteed. After serving just one term in office and in spite of the very many successes he attained, Mandela did not rest on his oars, he continued with his activism and philanthropy at home and abroad despite his advanced age and health. Mandela lived a life of exemplary leadership worthy of emulation.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed was not left out in pouring eulogies. Hear him: “I join council members in commiserating with South Africans and the entire world for the loss of this great icon who has come to show the universality of humility and of course good virtues. He had impacted so well on the African continent and indeed the whole world in terms of making sure that the spirit of harmony, unity and reconciliation can bring so much good faith to the world. We will live to take a lesson from his spirit, his courage, determination and all the virtues that he stands for. He was a colossus.”
Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of State for the FCT who was also in attendance at the meeting, said “Nelson Mandela was indeed a father of democracy in Africa. He showed that Africans are able to give statesman leadership of world class standard. As the whole world has gone to South Africa, we are proud of him. We all feel like orphans right now. My prayer is that those of us left behind will work hard to keep his legacy in Africa so the light he lit will never go off.”
Chief Mike Oghiadome, chief of staff to the president, was not left out. He described Mandela as a father of democracy. He said, “I join the rest of my colleagues to honour the father of democracy and equality in Africa. He was a man of great and exceptional character; he never derailed from the motive and spirit of his struggle to have a free South Africa with racial equality.
“He was never distracted by the emotions of his personal adversity. His great sense of character was further exhibited in his years as President of South African and even after his tenure. He will a legend. As we all extol his virtues, we should become more determined to emulate them to the service of our own father land.”
According to Senator Ayim Pius Ayimk, “Just yesterday (Tuesday 10th December), the world gathered in Johannesburg to celebrate of certainly not the South African national day but for the celebration of the life and times of a legend of African descent in the person of Nelson Mandela who died on 5th December 2013 at the age of 95.
“He was a South African revolutionist, a politician and philanthropist. He served as South African first black President from 1994 to 1999. His memorial service was held yesterday and it attracted 90 heads of states including our own President Goodluck Jonathan who witnessed the ceremony. For the first time in several years, the President of America and the President of Cuba shook and smiled at each other, that is what Mandela stood for. His life has become a great lesson for leadership; it teaches that one may not only be remembered for what he is or what position he holds but what impact he can make on his people.”
Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, the minister of petroleum resources, glowingly said “today, we celebrate the father of Africa, a humane and tender hero who persevered through great pains and tragedy not for ambition of vanity, not for wealth or power but only for the people and the country that he loved. The strength and discipline he exhibited with such grace and dignity healed the nation and consequently inspired the world to view the world as a rainbow with splendidly beautiful individualities.
“I remember with great nostalgia apartheid matches and free Mandela protests that we joined in Washington DC in my University years and with the great support that Nigeria gave to end that repressive regime in South Africa. In Madiba’s own words, ‘I learnt that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.’
“The brave man is not he who is not feel afraid but he who conquers the world.” Learning from Mandela, let us continue to work hard with courage and determination to progress our country Nigeria and humanity at large. This will be greatest tribute we we pay to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Papa Madiba, you have left an indelible footprint in the sand of time, lessons from your life will always be within us. It was a life well lived not just for one person but humanity as a whole. Adieu baba and may gentle soul rest in the bosom of The Lord.”
Mandela has indeed left shoes not easily to be worn by Africans, possibly because of how gullible they are in drifting towards material benefits other than sacrificial mission expanded towards the generality of human beings.
For the over 20 cabinet members who spoke during the session, Mandela’s qualities are worth emulating. But how these virtues can play out in the collective thoughts of leadership remains a big challenge. Nigeria, like South Africa in the continent of Africa, could be housing several Mandela’’s capable of eliciting the needed change for speedy economic and political transformation.
Like President Goodluck Jonathan emphasised during a memorial service in honour of the late icon in Abuja, Mandela’s indefatigable spirit demonstrated throughout his life would continue to inspire present and future generations.
Jonathan espouse that the former South African leader’s qualities of humility, forgiving spirit and the ability to unite and reunite people is greatly lacking among politicians in Nigeria.
These of course are however in contrast with the attitudes of some Nigerian politicians who often times even speak “as if Nigeria is their bedroom” from where they make proclamations and intimidate others.” Nigeria is in dire need of such great men like Madiba.