News Rendezvous

BY COMRADE J. E. MAIGARI

The basic premise for leadership is the process of influencing other people to follow your lead in order to accomplish set goals. Simon Sinek opined that “Leaders are responsible for creating an environment in which people feel they can be their best.”

It goes without saying that leadership is not about coercion but creating room for interaction and communication between the leader and followers. Effective leadership, therefore, is built on collaborative thinking and evolving an atmosphere of involvement of all stakeholders.

Democracy thrives on effective leadership, which serves as the glue that binds people to achieve the ultimate objective of a better standard of living. Like in most democracies, political parties are the vehicles that drive the democratic process. Leadership in a democratic setting, as it is in all spheres of life, is about providing greater impetus to shared values.

The character traits of any political leadership that is worth its name must begin with trust. That is one of the critical elements that a leader uses to inspire others to achieve a shared vision. For the nub of this piece, Engr Isaac Balami, this trait has become his signature over the years as The former spokesman of the TUC and ex-President of the Aircraft Pilots and Engineer Association and former elected national president of the AREWA Consultative Forum, Youths Congress and Deputy Director Presidential Campaign Council (LPPCC)

He is trustworthy, and honesty personified. Isaac Balami is progressively transiting to the apogee of Africa’s eponymous personalities acknowledged only on the strength of their first names. These are people like Nelson Mandela, Enahoro, Awolowo, and others, based on the noble values and sterling virtues that define him and his great strides on all fronts.

In a society that is surfeited with distrust, it is gratifying to see the likes of this brilliant engineer and serial entrepreneur, Compare Balami upholding the timeless value of trustworthiness.

He is in the tribe of our political elites striving to close the yawning gap in the trust deficit in our politics. He demonstrated this feat as the The former chairman/CEO, 7STAR Hangar/Airlines.
Balami led 7STAR Hangar/Airlines with honesty and purpose.

For Isaac Balami, every word is his bond. He is a man with a straight tongue and living conscience. Therefore, Labour Party can safely trust the Engr Balami to manage its affairs at this auspicious time as national chairman.

The Engr Balami has not robbed the world of his true essence. Like Socrates said, “Oh man know thyself,” Balami discovered himself early, and he has since unbundled himself for service to his people. He has not wavered in his commitment to serve.

Rather, for him, leadership is perfectly equated to service and not self-aggrandizement. In his daily interactions. Balami is a reservoir of self-confidence and a great store of positive energy, which he has effortlessly and seamlessly deployed to carry people along and achieve tangible results.

The challenge of Labour Party at this time is finding leadership that can respond to the multiplicity of vested interests in the party and reignites the vision of the party. On that note, Engr Balami comes in handy and represents the best choice to lead the party. As former senior special adviser on presidential campaign matters, fundraising, and grassroot mobilisation for the Labour Party (LP) campaign council, where he played a critical role in the party, Balami is abreast of the agitations of the stakeholders.

He is set out to assuage their yearnings and equally develop a strong alliance within the party and forge one united labour family to achieve the shared vision. He recognizes too well that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Isaac Balami comes across with an uncommon leadership disposition as a unifier and rallying point to foster the much-desired cohesion in the party.

As national chairman, Engr Balami will explore new frontiers for the improvement and growth of the party. He understands the power of creativity and innovation, which he intends to bring to bear in his leadership of the party. Having successfully built a sprawling business enterprise and equally left indelible imprints of good leadership to bequeath posterity in 7STAR Hanger/airlines as CEO, Balami appreciates the importance of delegation.

He is a firm believer in delegating responsibilities, rewarding accomplishments, and providing a learning experience for honest mistakes. Furthermore, he recognizes the value of individual freedom in addition to the loyalty of subordinates.

Balami is versatile and flexible yet firm on principles and laid down rules. As a leader, he acknowledges that man is the noblest of all animals at best, but separated from equity and justice; man is the worst. Thus, Balami is coming with a clear frame of mind to implement the letters and spirit of the party’s constitution.

The leadership of Balami would engender equity and fair play in the LP. He will enthrone internal democracy by promoting a fluid political process and creating equal opportunity for everyone to compete and ventilate their aspirations within healthy and acceptable ambits. As a democrat and businessman, Balami is well aware that competition is the direct corollary to efficiency, which serves as the harbinger of national development.

The lack of internal democracy seems to be one of the most contentious issues in Nigeria’s democracy, and Engr Balami appreciates the enormity of the challenge. Therefore, it is pivotal in his plan to build LP as a model of political parties in Nigeria and Africa in general. Under his watch, the party organs statutorily bestowed with the powers to resolve the crisis within the party shall be rekindled and empowered to play their role. The era of a litany of litigations against the party shall fade away with Balami leading the pack as national chairman.

Engr Isaac Balami is a pacesetter of inclusive leadership. He holds the endless conviction that young people and women should be given the platform to express themselves and play critical roles in our political evolution.

Balami is every inch a role model and a beacon of hope to the vulnerable such as the youths, women, and physically challenged. It is instructive to note that he gave young men and women with competence a chance to thrive with their God given gift as CEO of 7STAR. He has a penchant for sniffing competence and excellence in people regardless of their religious inclination and ethnic background.

Balami operates on the philosophy that true leadership success must outlive the leader. Against that backdrop, Balami is a mentor to so many young people as seen in a video he shared on X 5 days ago.

Engr Isaac Balami, a friendly and accessible leader with a charismatic aura, is in possession of the navigating compass to steer the ship of the ruling LP to a safe harbor. Indeed, BALAMI is a man with an innate gift for leadership. He is truly the best man for the job.