By; TOM GARBA
God willing, this 2022 has put all politicians and concerned Adamawa people on the “on your marks, get set, ready go” for the journey that will certainly cumulate into running political race in the coming 2023 for the Dougeri Government House Yola. They are all hoping, anxiously dreaming of good leaders that will take charge of the state’s affairs.
For me, I feel, see, and think many eminent sons and daughters of Adamawa are qualified to lead the state out of the brook of galloping administration with nothing inclining to human-capital development.
In Adamawa State today, there has been a golden and silent achiever worthy of note. This man in all spheres of life, has made a mark in the oil and gas sector. Since he left the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), his name is still ringing a bell as an erudite professional mechanical engineer and a leading manager who served the multi national corporation with great impetus of practical achievements.
Engineer Tahir Hussaini Sulaiman has it all, to give i to Adamawa people. Tahir, you are the point of my prayers, I will pray (wait) until my prayers are answered. We are in search of a governor and now we have found one in you. Your indelible records of great ideas while as the group general manager, Renewable Energy Division of the NNPC where you served for 23 years (September 1991 to February 2015) even the blind can attest that you were a progressive man.
Sulaiman, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) (1976 to 1977) in Mechanical Engineer (B.Eng, Mech), and a Fellow of FNSE, FNIMechE was a predestinated child of destiny, whose talent, gifts and passion to serve humanity is driving home right from his childhood over three decades ago.
He is a well experienced man who has visited countries like USA, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Holland,
China, Japan, Singapore, S/Korea, Brazil, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Angola, South Africa, Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, in the process, developing himself on leadership courses around the world. This is to say, he is a no doubt a man well fit, most qualified and has all it takes to serve the people of Adamawa as their next governor.
You can describe him as a philanthropist and a humanitarian, who is living because he wants to touch lives for God’s purpose. A closer look at Sulaiman’s perception of politics and leadership roles points at service to humanity.
For 2023 general elections, it is better to say that Adamawa will be safe if it is placed in the hands of people like Sulaiman, to be the executive governor of the state in the interest of salvaging, liberating them from the crutches of underdevelopment.
Many have called and given him a platform in Action Alliance (AA) to run in defence of the people. They see him an emancipator of the masses. A fearless and focused leader, who can dare the impossible to set the rescue agenda in motion for wealth creation, revamped health, massive employment through the introduction of job creation schemes, the state’s education will no doubt, get a boost under the leadership style of Sulaiman.
From 1978 to 1991 when the Military under the Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda regime were in power, the name Sulaiman rang bells in the defunct Gongola State
(Taraba, Adamawa) when he was employed as an intern of mechanical engineering
and deployed to the state’s Central Mechanical Workshop in 1978, after being on probation period of one year.
His knowledge of Adamawa is without shadow of doubt, that he can transform the state to a haven of development . After his probation period, Sulaiman was deployed to Jalingo Division as a Divisional Mechanical Engineer in 1979. He was responsible for the maintenance of all road constructions and rehabilitation equipment. He continued in this capacity in various divisions, including Wukari, Ganye, and back to the headquarters in 1981.
Between 1981 to 82, he was sent for in-service training under the sponsorship of the British Council to East Warwickshire College in the UK in the field of manufacturing technology and project design, where he obtained a Post Graduate Certificate.
Upon his return in 1982, he had a stint as Divisional Mechanical/Electrical Engineer for Yola Division for about a year. As a professional engineer, he was seconded to the State College of Education Jalingo, to set-up a Technical Education Faculty in 1983. This he accomplished successfully, which earned him the enviable position of Dean and Deputy Provost of the College in 1984 and 88 respectively.
The creation of Adamawa State In 1989, made Tahir to be deseconded to his state of origin where he was redeployed to take over from an expatriate as chairman and chief engineer of Task Force on Urban Infrastructure, setup by the then military governor. In 1990, he was redeployed to the Adamawa State Central Mechanical Workshop as the manager, a position he held until third quarter of 1991.
From 1991 to 2015, his journey in NNPC was recorded,. He was employed in September, 1991 as Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer and was posted to KRPC in ETSD, where he worked as a Technical Services and Projects Engineer.
Promoted to the rank of Chief Mechanical Engineer and also made the officer incharge (O/C) of General Engineering and Project Management section in 1995, a position he held until 1998.
In December 1998, he was transferred to NAPIMS Lagos as Deputy Manager Project Scoping in the Project Coordination Department in the Gas Division. In 2001, he was redeployed to the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) Division as Manager Materials & Common Services. Because of his past records and diligent service to NNPC, he was again redeployed to PPMC on Duty Tour as Special Depot Manager to restore sanity in the depot and ensure availability and efficient supply and distribution of petroleum products from 3rd October,2001 to 17TH January, 2003, where he served in Warri and Mosimi Depots respectively.
Back to NAPIMS and served as Manager Materials & Common services in PSC Division. He was also the Venture Manager of Okwori and AKPO Field Development Projects under the NNPC/ADDAX and NNPC/TOTAL/SAPETRO/PETROBRAS Production Sharing Contract Agreements respectively. He was transferred to NPDC Benin as Supply Chain Manager in July, 2007. He was transferred back to NAPIMS December, 2008 as Manager Materials Management Department. He was promoted as General Manager Materials Management Division NAPIMS July, 2009.
Promoted to the position of Group General Manager (GGM) Renewable Energy Division in November 2012, where he retired in 2015 with achievements accredited to his record as a great leader whose leadership strides traversed all sectors of NNPC. The roles he played in defunct Gongola State, Adamawa State and NNPC are printed in the oceans, not even the sands of time.
The Adamawa ideal governor is now in active private businesses of consultancy and farming, with a passion of philanthrophy in many communities across Northern Nigeria.
The name of Sulaiman is ringing a louder bell now following his selfless service to mankind. Because of this, Lamido of Adamawa has graciously honoured him with the Santuraki Adamawa title.
Since then I have remained glued to this man’s style of politics, his views, and his disposition to leadership roles, which conform to the eternal standard, which stands as his golden rule of life success.
Sulaiman distinguishes and reserves himself to politics of ideology by maintaining a self-imposed principle of not joining the crowd, remaining a party man in opposition for years that groomed him to the present political status in his lifetime. He believes in the dream of a greater Nigeria, a dream that is translating to having a greater Adamawa State. He holds a conviction that Nigeria will continue to take massive steps into globalization and auspiciously participate in the international arena of human development and economic growth, having the belief that it is a promising journey to emancipation, but demands public responsibility, hard work, dedication to nation building, sympathy
to our regional and religious diversity and commitment to the continuity of our dear nation.
He is a good leader who is involved in making sound and sometimes difficult decisions, creating and articulating a clear vision, establishing achievable goals and providing followers with the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve those goals in his current position. This is the Tahir I see over the years with multiple records of done deals, records of achievements in all the political and public offices he occupied.
Sticking to his vision, Sulaiman has a transformational journey of his political life and briefly stayed in PDP, but now has Action Alliance (AA) as the party that will navigate the narrow paths of backwardness in the state.
The distance of thousands of miles covered by this man, is a journey characterized by political turbulence, perseverance, patience, consistency, and hard work. The tenacity to hold on and the attitude to never give up on his conviction of “I can get there”, the fate to have gotten a path with certainty to take and lead him to his destiny, is what must have taken him to where he is today.
This Adamawa-born level headed and down-to-earth man stands tall to do what’s right, planting his feet in the sands of time to be remembered for shaping the country for the better.
God willing this 2023 has put all politicians and concerned Nigerians on the “on your marks, get set, ready go” of the journey that will certainly end running a political race in the coming 2023.
For Sulaiman, I see another good man, I see another Nigerian who is without bias of any sort, I see another Nigerian who is a good politician, whose experience was borne out of many years of learning to ride the horse of glory, in him, I also see Adamawa becoming better, in him I see Nigeria truly bearing the country of our father land, where unity, peace, development and justice shall reign.
I’m so privileged to have interacted with him on a few rare occasions. The rapt attention accorded me convinced me to see the humility in him as a good virtue of leadership. I see him with the listening ear syndrome. Sulaiman listens before he talks, he utters a few words and gives one the floor for conversation, while he listens.
Sulaiman always fascinates me with his “Yes I will” response, and “no I won’t in the confirmation that always turns out to be his yes is yes, and no is no. This is probably one of the politicians whose words are bankable and can be bought at a very high value of integrity and standard at whatever time. He does not mince his words to impress or to cajole a fellow human being. I see and learn what others will say about the “power of the dead and life is in the tongue.” It is in this man I’m learning a man’s image is laying in the tiny mighty tongue under the roof of his mouth. Sir, I respect the good communication skills in you.
As the people of Adamawa pray for the progress, growth, and unity of the nation counting down to the 2023 elections, I pray the will of God prevails by giving us leaders after His own heart, leaders who possess the characters of heavenly mandate, people who desire to see Nigeria better than it is. People like Sulaiman, whose love for humanity is a flame burning inside of them to better our dear state, Adamawa with their good leadership qualities.
For me, I feel, see, and think Sulaiman has it all, to give to all Nigerians and the people of Adamawa State. He is the best, the preferred and the servant-leader that every person in Adamawa should support to lead the people in dire need of good leaders.
Sir, Sulaiman, you are the point of my prayers, I will pray (wait) until my prayers are answered for the sake of our people in Adamawa State.
God bless Nigeria!
God bless Adamawa State!!
Tom Garba, FIMC, FMBDC is a journalist that writes from Yola, Adamawa state. He can be reached via; tomgarba5@gmail.com.08030525759
