VYING FOR THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE 

Monday comment2

Timi Alaibe has what it takes to manage the affairs of Bayelsa State, writes Sam Akpe

Brilliant, energetic, smart, and forward-looking are a few of the adjectives that rightly capture his character. When he speaks, his voice comes short of the exact fluency of an orator; but there is something in that croaky voice that commands attention. In addition to impeccable sense of reasoning, he projects an uncommon confident demeanor that persuades effortlessly. When you meet him, he comes across as a brother. In conversation, he is a friend that is closer than a brother. In business, he is innovative and recklessly optimistic. In politics, he is unwavering in vision, consistent in hope and persistent in pursuit of that hope. He has this never-give-up-spirit. His name is Ndutimi Alaibe—a banker, a public servant, a businessman and a politician.

Within the political circle, they call him Principal. But in business and social surroundings, he is simply ‘Timi. He cuts the picture of a young, cute Nigerian. But beneath that veneer is a strong character steeped in intelligence, foresight and an uncommon determination to ensure that Nigeria is made greater using the vast resources exploited from the Niger Delta region—his geo-political zone—as the catalyst. His ideas about how to turn the Niger Delta, nay Bayelsa State around, are both radical and deep both in content and context. His politics is about inventiveness, creativity and an uncommon commitment to deliver the necessary good for the people.

This was what then President Olusegun Obasanjo and late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua saw before appointing him into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); where he rose to become the managing director; and later, Special Adviser to Yar’Adua on Niger Delta Affairs. The last appointment placed him in a position to pioneer the Presidential Amnesty Programme. It was ‘Timi’s well-grounded understanding of the Niger Delta region, its nuances and all, that recommended him to Yar’Adua. His pivotal role, working with some other leaders of the region eventually led to the disarmament of the Niger Delta militants. That full disarmament and demobilization of the militants was the first of its kind—not just in Nigeria but beyond our shores.

After dismantling the stronghold of militancy in the Niger Delta, ‘Timi sees no reason anybody should engage in violence in a bid to secure political power. Earlier this year, he told a political gathering, “You will recall that since 2002 when I stepped into the political arena in Bayelsa State, I have had to pull back a few times in the middle of the contest—not out of timidity, weakness or lack of support base to win elections. Far from it, I have always taken such a decision when it became clear that for me to achieve my goal, I will have to swim in the blood of fellow citizens—by matching violence with violence. Instead of this, I have always chosen the path of peace at the risk of my political career. Why should I create orphans and widows just because I want political power?”

Talking about politics, ‘Timi’s political profile has experienced a consistent rise over the years. Ifie Ozaka testifies, “I got on his political train in 2002 as a young man. Over these years, I’ve seen him as a focused politician with his mind fully set on governing his home state of Bayelsa with a clear intent to provide the much needed political leadership that will make the state the envy of others and the investment destination in Nigeria. People often wonder whether he can really turn his vision to reality. For me, because he has done it before at the NDDC and the Presidential Amnesty, it means he can do it again. He turned the once volatile Niger Delta region into a place of peace that has allowed the Nigerian government to continue the exploration and exploitation of oil.”

By the way, at the NDDC, ‘Timi initiated and prosecuted a motivation and reward system for the staff. This provided a housing grant for every staff after five years of employment. That is how over 80% of NDDC staff own personal houses today. Little wonder Bayelsa civil servants can’t wait to have him as their governor. He also initiated the NDDC mass transit programme, which has remained the singular most successful empowerment programme to be executed by the NDDC. Over 1000 Mazda buses and a large number of speed boats were purchased and distributed across the nine states of the NDDC to solve the transportation challenges and empower the people. Cooperative societies were set up by groups to qualify them to own a bus. The repayment system was spread over a long period so that the owners were not under any pressure. Unfortunately, this programme was abandoned by subsequent managers of NDDC.

After his triumphant return to the PDP last year, ‘Timi is back fully in politics with an enticing message of shared economic prosperity anchored on what he calls the Blue Economy which emphasises development of ocean-related industrial base for Bayelsa State. Already, the concept is catching fire among the youth in the oil-rich state. ‘Timi is passionate about politics because it is the platform to actualise the “desire to provide strategic leadership; help people achieve their aspirations; consciously reduce poverty, hunger and joblessness among his people; conquer the fear of failure, which has been his internal phobia; dream the unimaginable; then aim and achieve the impossible within an unusual time frame.”

Presently, ‘Timi is the frontline runner in the governorship race of his state. He is already being branded as the choice of the political stakeholders. From the beer and pepper-soup joints to the high profile business enclaves, the general belief is that he ranks top on the list of all the aspirants. As a man peaked on development and vision, Timi has been successful in his private business pursuits. His network and net-worth are remarkably re-assuring. That could be one of the reasons a large majority of Bayelsans believe he alone holds the legendary magic wand to their liberation from the shackles of poverty and lack, given his long and laudable history of performance in both the public and private sectors.

Politically, he has an unquestionable combat experience that can crush any opposition. The biggest mistake delegates can make is to elect a weak candidate in this election. That will be the end of PDP in Bayelsa. Timi has what it takes to manage the affairs of Bayelsa. He has the management experience and the public service experience. He has the goodwill of the people. His vision and mission is to develop intellectual militants in place of violent militants. Will they give him a chance?

Akpe wrote from Abuja