27th March, 2012
For the past five days, activities to mark the 60th birthday of the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and the Jagaban Borgu, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have been going on.
It started with a Jumat service last Friday, followed by a cultural night and a fitness programme, health walk, which took place at the weekend.
Today, there will be visits to the school for the blind and old people’s homes in Lagos. The activities continue on Thursday, 29 March, the actual birthday of Tinubu with tributes and prayers at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos. The ceremony, as expected, will be graced by family members, friends, well wishers, ACN governors and political associates of the Jagaban Borgu. The climax of the activities comes up on Saturday with a dinner at the Eko Hotel on Victoria Island, Lagos.
At 60, Asiwaju Tinubu deserves all the accolades and encomiums being poured on him. Here is a man who, at the risk to his life, fought for the enthronement of democracy in the country. He was forced into exile by the despotic Abacha regime. But that did not deter him. In exile, Asiwaju Tinubu was at the forefront of the opposition against military rule in the country and gave all he had to ensure that the military was sent back to the barracks. Stories are told of how Asiwaju Tinubu provided haven and financial assistance to all those forced to flee the country by the blood-thirsty Abacha regime.
On returning to the country, Asiwaju Tinubu joined other pro-democracy activists to usher in a civilian dispensation in 1999. He, along with others, formed the Alliance for Democracy, AD, which later metamorphosed into the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He was elected Governor of Lagos State in 1999 and re-elected in 2003. In the eight years that he served as governor, Asiwaju Tinubu’s enduring accomplishments in Lagos are there for everyone to see.
Tinubu resisted ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s attempt to render Lagos comatose when the latter seized funds meant for the local governments in the state. He fought the matter up to the Supreme Court which ordered that the Federal Government has no power to withhold funds meant for local governments.
During his tenure, Lagos internally generated revenue shot up to more than N8 billion. With prudent management of the little money available to him, Asiwaju Tinubu initiated a lot of beneficial programmes to Lagosians, including the prompt clearance of refuse in the state; construction and rehabilitation of roads; creation of local council development areas to complement the existing 20 local governments; introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT), upgrading of primary health centres to full grade hospitals, among others.
Most of the programmes currently being executed by the Babatunde Fashola administration were initiated during the Asiwaju Tinubu era.
A firm believer in true federalism, Asiwaju Tinubu has been at the forefront of the agitation for enthroning true federalism in the country. Through his political ingenuity, the ACN has been able to retrieve its stolen mandates in Osun, Ekiti and Edo states and has made major inroad in all parts of the federation. Today, through his political dexterity, the ACN has been turned into an effective opposition party to the ruling PDP.
Like the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, Asiwaju Tinubu believes in the welfare of the people and will do everything to improve the lot of the masses.
As Asiwaju Tinubu continues to bask in all the praises being showered on him, we pray God to grant him long life and continued guidance to lead the progressives to victory in the country. The rest of his years will be the best of his life.
We also urge all politicians to emulate the selflessness and generosity of Asiwaju Tinubu in order to bring dividends of democracy to the people.
To a great man and defender of the masses, we say happy 60th birthday.