Abubakar Audu: The Passing Of A Great Mind – By Duro Moseko

Abubakar Audu:
The Passing Of A
Great Mind – By
Duro Moseko

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or
being liked, leadership is defined by results not attributes
– Peter Drucker
The above profound statement from a great writer
perhaps best fits the personae of Prince Abubakar Audu,
the first and second civilian Governor of Kogi State who
passed on to the great beyond on Sunday, November 22,
2015.
As governor of a relatively backward state, Prince
Abubakar Audu brought out the state from its relative
obscurity into limelight. He did not only ensure that he
laid a solid foundation for social and infrastructural
development, he did so with satorial elegance–a brand
that stood him out from his peers till he breathed his last.
Audu had an amazingly large cult followership in his
lifetime. He also had some diehard critics who would
never see anything good in him. While many deified him,
other hated him with passion. Indeed, the Prince of
Ogbonicha, adoringly called Adoja (servant of the people)
by his people, was unarguably an enigma who bestrode
Kogi state politics like a colossus.
Born on 27th October, 1947 to the family of His Royal
Highness, the late Pa Audu Oyidi, Orego Attah of Igalaland
and the Paramount Ruler of Ogbonicha–Alloma in Ofu
Local Government Area of Kogi State, Prince Audu began
his career as a junior worker with First Bank and with a
dint of hard work caught the fancy of his bosses who
promoted him to officer's cadre in no time.
An ambitious prince who would not be content with just
an A' level certificate, Audu proceeded to London between
1975 and 1978 where he studied Banking and Personnel
Management, obtaining professional qualification as a
Certified Secretary and later bagging the prestigious
fellowship of the Association of international Accountants
of London.
He later capped his academic laurels with fellowship of
the Chartered Institute of Industrial Administration of
Nigeria. In all, Audu spent a total of 25 years with First
Bank, formerly Standard Bank, where he distinguished
himself in different capacities at management levels.
Among others, he broke record with his appointment as
the first black senior management staff of Standard
Chartered Bank of London and New York as well as being
the highest paid black man in the bank in both the United
Kingdom and the United States of America (USA).
Audu's rich credentials soon fascinated the government
of the old Benue State in 1986, which appointed him
Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning.
He later returned to First Bank as General Manager and
was appointed Executive Director of FSB International
Bank Plc. before he was drafted into the world of politics.
In 1992, Prince Audu contested for governorship under
the platform of National Republican convention (NRC),
and against the run of political calculation of that time
that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) would run away
with victory, he won the election.
Audu's government was to run for 22 months after which
the military terminated the administration. He however
recorded monumental achievements within the period,
especially in the area of roads, education, housing,
electricity and healthcare services, among others.
With these achievements, it did not take long before the
electorate voted him back to power again on January 9,
1999 following the restoration of democracy by the
military through the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP)
and was sworn-in on 29th May, 1999 as the second
executive governor of Kogi State.
One of the major highlights of the first tenure of Prince
Audu was the establishment of three unique housing
schemes for public officers consisting of no less that
1,500 housing units in Lokoja, He also embarked on about
80 electrification schemes, 50 water projects,
transformation of Lokoja township roads with Asphalt,
street lights and beautifully designed roundabouts.
Aside these, the action governor established Kogi State
Polytechnic, television station, Radio Kogi, The Graphic
newspaper, transformation of the colonial office of Lord
Lugard into an ultra-modern Government House Complex,
construction of shopping arcade complex and
construction of office blocks for ministries, among others.
During his second stint as governor, the visionary Audu
wasted no time in sourcing for prospective investors to
harness the numerous mineral resources lying waste in
the state.
The effort resulted in the establishment of the biggest
cement factory in Africa, Obajana cement factory, now
Dangote Cement Factory. Other major milestones were
the establishment of Kogi State University Anyigba,
construction of the five-star Confluence Beach Hotel; 200
units housing estate, Eye Specialist Hospital, 350
borehole schemes, 300 Kilometres of township roads,
mass transit buses and several rural electrification
projects, among others.
Speaking on the shocking death of Prince Audu, his
running mate, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, described him
as "a great man and founder of modern Kogi who put in
his best in developing the state into what it is now". He
stated that the late Audu died at a time when the
downtrodden masses of Kogi needed him most to get
them out of the clutches of maladministration and
underdevelopment.
For Audu's son, Mohammed, he was "a father's father; a
hard-working dad who all through his life built bridges
across cultural and political divides; an amazing
administrator whose love for Kogi was unparalleled."
On his part, President of the Senate, Senator Bukola
Saraki said Audu died "a dogged and visionary leader"
while Musa Wada said "Prince Audu was endowed with
vision, energy, intellect, eloquence and humanity… He
was a gentle man in all the finer senses of the word.
Maybe not so much a gentleman in terms of style and
deportment. He was a bit too flamboyant on that score…
deceit, intrigue and treachery were alien to his nature."
Indeed, for this writer, Prince Audu was a man of taste
who caused ripples with his satorially designed flowing
gown which remained his brand till he died. He was also
quick to discover talents when he saw one. This writer
recalled an episode as a journalist plying his trade with
TELL Magazine in Lagos when Prince Audu sent
emissaries to him in 1993 to return to Kogi State to help
turn the state's Ministry of Information around as a
commissioner. Though this writer declined the offer owing
to the fact that he was still a bit naïve about politics and
was deep in civil society activities, the offer touched a
chord in his heart – The man knew how to fetch talents to
help him drive his dreams.
Prince Audu was an enigma in life and in death. It is very
unfortunate that in an inexplicable twist of faith, he died
while on his way to victory in the November 21, 2015
governorship election in Kogi State. For many, it was a
very bitter pill to swallow that the Adoja himself was
gone. Such was the situation that the rumour of his
resurrection reverberated round the whole country like
wildfire. The masses would simply not believe that their
"emancipator, political benefactor and political leader"
was gone.
Described as the "Best Governor" by the Media Tour Team
between1999 – 2003, Prince Audu was indeed a great
leader and a great brand that bestrode Kogi like a
colossus.
For many, nothing short of declaring the November 21,
2015 governorship election conclusive would serve as a
befitting gift to the late Audu who toiled so hard that Kogi
may progress.
Adieu, Audu!

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