Opinion/Feature | 5 August 2016 16:53 CET

Restoration Is Pragmatic and Vision-Driven; Let’s Appreciate Our Leaders

By Jemima Kennedy

There is a Japanese proverb that “Vision without action is a daydream, action without vision is a nightmare." Alan Kay posits that the best way to predict the future is to create it." Most people confuse leadership with management. Leadership goes beyond the allocation of scarce values; it involves the capacity to translate vision into reality.

Leadership requires foresight, vision and taking practical actions. We can now understand why in Proverbs 29:18 the Bible says “Where there is no vision the people perish”. A leader is pragmatic; he does not lead by pointing and telling people where to go. A good leader takes action by going to that place he intends to take you. It is action-driven.

The world is fed-up with people who squander the future of nations, states and tinker with the destiny children. Such horrible managers do not initiate structure and consideration. They have no respect for public resources and run riotous administrations. It is now obvious why every nation, people and ethnic nationality hankers after good, effective and visionary leaders.

In Bayelsa State, we have had leaders with sleepy reputation in the past. Now the State is blessed with leaders who are endowed with a dynamic vision and progressive ideas to navigate the State out of the woods. So much has been spent to restore peace and security whereas work ethics has been introduced, big-ticket infrastructure are being built, basic education has been revamped; appreciable progress has been made in the area of human capital development, a formidable platform has been created for tourism development, flyovers are being built and serious efforts are being made to make agriculture flourish to create jobs and provide a huge value chain for Bayelsans. More Universities are being established to ease admissions while at the same time pursuing quality education. Restoration runs the most open, transparent and accountable administration ever known in Bayelsa State.

The Governor Seriake Dickson -led Restoration Administration has given hope to Bayelsans even in very chaotic times. All that is required of Bayesans is to understand the changes taking place in our economy and appreciate the good things our leaders are doing. There is a need to pray for our leaders at all levels, to exercise wisdom in the management of the affairs of men. Bayelsa State is safe in the hands of the Restoration Administration. Governor Seriake Dickson is indeed a visionary leader and this is incontrovertible.

Restoration is the most stable Administration since 1996

- - - -Even Youth Corps Members Embrace the Restoration Agenda

One key element the United Nations missed out in outlining the characteristics of good governance is stability. Stability in the sense that there is internal democracy, discipline without dissension. We have had cases where the Executive organ was at loggerheads with the Legislature and vice versa.

We have seen cases where the Executive or the Legislature is unstable because of leadership tussle or the over-ambition of some politicians. The reasons for the stability are not farfetched.

The administration is made up of people who are patriotic to the Ijaw Cause. The leadership is mature, focused and visionary.

Above all, we have people who are God-fearing and respect public funds. We have people in power who are not ordinary politicians but people who are committed to the development of the State.

The number of life-touching projects initiated and implemented by the Governor Seriake Administration bespeaks the intention of government to aggressively pursue development even amidst acute economic recession.

Bayelsa State needs all the resources to realize much-needed quantum leap. What is expected of all well-meaning Bayelsans is to support the Restoration Administration. Even the Youth Corps members have embraced the Restoration Agenda.

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