•Says Nigeria needs uncommon, dynamic leadership now
Sunday Okobi
Foremost Nigerian banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has declared his intention to contest for the presidency in the 2023 general election.
He has pledged to provide uncommon leadership for the Nigerian state with clarity, conviction and dynamism.
During his expression of interest which took place yesterday in Lagos, Hayatu-Deen, who addressed journalists alongside his team, said he was vying for the highest office in the land on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because presently, no one needs to be convinced that the system in Nigeria was broken.
According to him, across all tiers of government, the quality of delivery of public goods and services was abysmal.
“Therefore, we need an unusual kind of leader fully equipped with the type of skills, character and experience to safely navigate the Nigerian people out of these stormy waters to a much brighter and better place reflective of the nation’s rich potential for greatness. I believe I am that person who can provide such uncommon leadership with clarity, conviction and dynamism.
“I believe I have a good grasp of the opportunities and challenges confronting this country, and I amply possess the skills, background and experience to do the job. I was born here, went to school here and worked here all my life. So, I saw this country go through many of its peaks and valleys,” he explained.
The economist, who lamented that the country was facing a monumental crisis of confidence approaching existential proportions, stated that his interactions and travels across Africa and the globe gave him a powerful insight into the DNA of the Nigerian people.
According to him, “We are one of the most energetic, dynamic and entrepreneurial people on earth. Given an enabling environment of good public service delivery systems, liberated from red tape and abrasive rent seeking culture, the Nigerian people can perform economic miracles.
“I have for long believed that no human organisation or nation state can advance on the scale of human progress if the leadership does not have certain core beliefs and high-minded principles that taps into the DNA of the people to bring out the very best of their imagination and skills.
“Azikiwe, Balewa, Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello are etched in our memory as iconic figures because they had core beliefs which they waxed into a strong philosophy to govern effectively in the public interest.
“My core beliefs and principles are fully aligned to the innate strengths and entrepreneurial disposition of the Nigerian people. Therefore, I want to give the Nigerian people ample space to put on vivid display their God given gifts of enterprise expressed through industry, hard work and innovation.”
Speaking further, he said: “The philosophy I espouse revolves around a free enterprise economy designed to deliver prosperity to the Nigerian people by quickly lifting them out of poverty and positioning Nigeria to become a powerhouse in the emerging markets.
“One of the cardinal principles of this philosophy is predicated on fiscal prudence in the management of public funds and in the efficacy of execution of public works programs; with significant portion of our income dedicated to development projects which will have significant impact on people’s lives.”
The economics graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University, and Lagos-based businessman, in his speech added: “I seek to achieve this goal by reorganising the institutions of government to make them more compact, efficient and market friendly and motivate them to deliver superior performance.
“Vigorous action will be taken to create a climate conducive to a friendly business environment by implementing bold reforms aimed at boosting investor confidence, expand the frontiers of privatization, deregulation and liberalisation, significantly reduce the cost of doing business and implement measures to engender the vast expansion of small and medium scale businesses to take their rightful place as major generators of national output and employment.”
On the security challenges facing the country, Hayatu-Deen, who frowned at the burning issue of zoning and the agitation of power shift, promised to make national security a matter of central concern.
He said institutions of government along with other relevant stakeholders from across the spectrum of the society would be fully mobilised to bring the situation under control, as vigorous action will be taken to deal with the root causes which he noted are mainly economic in nature.
He said: “We need an energetic and honest approach to heal the deep wounds that afflict the country by leveraging confidence building measures which engender trust through the daily actions and examples of the leadership in practicing the virtues of inclusiveness, fairness and equity.”
