Dogara: Abandoning Tinubu’s reforms because ‘things are hard’ would be cowardice

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

A former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a leader who is prepared to lead with unbridled courage even at personal cost.

Dogara, said this at the 14th convocation ceremony of the Achievers University, Owo on Saturday while declaring his support for the reforms initiated by Tinubu , especially, the tax reform bills, according to The Nation newspaper.

According to him to back off the reforms because of the popular arguments that ‘things are tough’ would amount to cowardice.

“We are having a leader who is courageous,” Dogara said while arguing that the country has remained stagnated because the past leaders who have been reactionary and not innovative or forward looking enough.

The former speaker who is the Chancellor of the Achievers University described the reforms embarked upon by President Bola Tinubu as ‘the right thing to do.’

The Bauchi born lawmaker therefore said backing off the tax and other reforms would amount to cowardice.

Dogara said, “We have practised this model of leadership that is based on weakness. It has taken us nowhere. The president reforms in local government has reinforced more leadership to the third tier of government. What the president did with the local government was a master stroke.

“To give in to cheap argument because things are tough and he should back off is cowardice. We are having a leader who is courageous.

“With what President Bola Tinubu has done, whether it’s the freeing of local government areas from the choke-hold of economic stagnation the states had hitherto subjected them to or the groundbreaking bold tax reforms proposals he had placed before the National Assembly, I see a glimmer of hope that we may be dealing with a leader who is prepared to lead with unbridled courage even at personal cost.

“It gladdens my heart that we are now dealing with a leader who is not avoiding stubborn tasks and very much unwilling to put off difficult conversations.

“With him, courage has become a habit and that habit has the power to transform our leadership as the miracles we are desperately yearning for may well lie in the tasks and difficult conversations we are avoiding.

While affirming his support for Tinubu’s tax reforms, Dogara conceded that those opposed to it have the right to do so..

But he said he did not share their jaundiced nay tenuous and puerile position that because they disagree with some aspects of the reforms, then the reforms must be withdrawn or killed,

“Leaders who are dedicated to reforms and progress don’t make such poor judgement calls, at all. A call to do nothing about the reforms was either bad politics or sheer buffoonery or a combination of both.”

Aslo speaking at the event, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Achievers University, Bode Ayorinde, said Nigeria can become a major industrialised nation if industries are created to process raw materials, create value added products, reduce import dependency and boost exports.