A former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chancellor of the Achievers University, Owo, Yakubu Dogara, says he supports the reforms embarked upon by President Bola Tinubu because ‘it is the right thing to do.’
Dogara described President Tinubu as a leader “who is prepared to lead with unbridled courage even at personal cost.”
Dogara, who spoke at the 14th convocation ceremony of the Achievers University, Owo, said any further delay to carry out the Tax Reform and other initiatives would mean cowardice.
He said the country had remained stagnated in terms of advancement in its economy due to lack of courageous leaders.
The former Speaker said the country had practiced reactionary leadership rather than leadership that is innovative and forward looking.
According to him, “We have practiced this model of leadership that is based on weakness. It has taken us nowhere. The President’s reforms in local government have 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 a 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 has 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.
“I support the President’s tax reforms not because they are perfect but because it is the right thing to do.
“However, I must concede the fact that those opposed to it have the right to do so but I do not share their jaundiced, tenuous and puerile position that because they disagree with some aspects of the reforms, then the reforms must be withdrawn or killed.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.”
By Osagie Otabor, @TheNation
