Turaki Salihu Mustapha Doing It Differently By; Temitope Muhideen (CONVYDENCE)
There are three broad sets of qualities that citizens might expect politicians to display: competence, integrity and authenticity. To be authentic, a politician must be judged to be in touch with the lives and outlooks of ordinary people. To be competent, a politician must have performed excellently while discharging previous political duties and importantly to be a man of integrity, the masses must have recognized the kind of person a politician is. Affirmatively, Turaki Salihu Mustapha is competent,authentic and he posses integrity going by the relationship of those words to politics.
In developed nations, politicians are the nearest to the people in the grassroots, they are saddled with the responsibility of listening to the request and yarning of the people, they are always ready to project their communities’s adversaries and needs to the government of the nation. Going by records and antecedents ,Mallam Salihu Mustapha has been doing the jobs of the government and elected politicians even as an ordinary citizen with his foundation, in the history of Kwara state,no philanthropy gesture has recorded huge success than Mallam Salihu mustapha in the last three years, he has recreated wealth and opened the doors of unlimited opportunities to Kwarans and beyond, let us leave the rest to the pages of history.
In his quest to serving humanity and adding values to his community and beyond, he is on the move to represent Kwara central as the next senator to continue the development in the four local government of the senatorial district and the nation at large, he is coming with “big impact” what sin as he committed in the face of his opponents and haters? Let us check .
The emotional politicians and supporters argued that, over the years his consistency in human capital development and reliefs are products of his political ambition, what has that change? does it change the fact that he has recreated wealth among the citizen? Does it change the fact that he made provisions of water to the communities in dire need? Will it change the fact that he has granted funds to students and artisans? What about providing relief materials to people and communities affected by climate change ? What about his contributions to the development of the emirate at large? What has it changed? His political opponents and enemies are sweeting hard to answer those questions, history won’t be a bastard.
I have seen people questioning his academic credentials, they assume it requires being a professor to perform as a senator, let us be reminded about history, permit me to share with you the story of president Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Born in Dawa, Ethiopia, Ismail Omar Guelleh was a very young boy when he attended a traditional Islamic school. His clan, Issa clan, was known to be a politically powerful clan. Before the end of his high school education in the ‘60s, he migrated to Djibouti and later joined the police force with the rank of a junior non-commissioned officer.
Although he received training from the Somalia National Security and the French Secrete Service, the highest known level of formal education attained by the president of Djibouti is secondary school education. Yes secondary school, Guelleh has made Djibouti one of the most toured countries in the word with specifications to trade fair, the secondary school holder was recognized as the Global leader of the in Tourism Development by THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON TOURISM AND TRADE. That’s the power of intellectual capacity and ability to deliver not academic credentials.
It’s no more a news that Mallam Salihu Mustapha is the candidate to beat in the forthcoming election, his general acceptance is a result of his kindness, commitment and fulfillment of his promises. Few months ago, propaganda emerged on his promises made to the late Sheikh Aboto’s family, his opponents and haters make fun out of the situation calling him all sort of names, even when they have the record of his success score card bare on their palms, in his usual manner, he fulfilled the pledge made to the family of the late cleric few weeks ago as attested to by the immediate family member of the deceased, his opponent have remained silent. What is dirty politics? If you cant beat them try to attack them.
Where I come from our people will say “ ile lati n ko eso ro ode” meaning “ charity begins at home “ Good manners, ethics, character and behaviour are learnt from the home; therefore you can trace a man’s behaviours (good or bad) to his/her background. Considering Salihu’s position in the emirate, you will agree with me that he his a product of good behavior and conduct going by his antecedents. if he have succeeded in putting smile on the faces of people for years without holding elective position, there is an assurance and reassurance that he will do better as a senator, on this note , if you asked me hundred time I will tell you Mallam Salihu Mustapha(TURAKI Of ILORIN) is the right candidate for Kwara Central Senatorial District.
Temitope Muhideen writes from Ilorin East.
