By Mukhtar Jarmajo
It was Henry Ward Beecher, the 19th-century American anti-slavery activist, clergyman and author who once said that people should not be judged “by their peak of excellence; but by the distance, they have travelled from the point where they started.”
And true to it, most achievers rise to excellence through the path less travelled; the path which only men of strength traverse. For, most of those who have accomplished one thing or another did so through a rare display of commitment, perseverance and patience in the pursuit of success.
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In doing so, they do not work so hard to rise alone but to also raise others, because it is only by raising others that one can rise. And with the penchant to build a legacy, they help others grow.
Thus, when they reach the peak of excellence, they look back with humility to see the number of people they have raised. And former Bauchi state governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda is one of those Nigerians who attained excellence through building others and sheer dint of hard work.
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Over the years, Yuguda proved that he is more than a bridge builder. Rather, he is the bridge itself. The Matawallen Bauchi fills in the gap between struggle and success. Like a wall buttress, he stands by those in pursuit of success to support them till they reach the coast. And through his actions, many Nigerians have become successful.
More so, rising through the ranks in his banking and political careers, Yuguda proved his mettle as a good team player and a goal-getter. He doesn’t only have nice ideas, Yuguda also works hard to have his dreams come true. Little wonder, therefore, that he added values and made so many differences when he, at several times, held sway as banks chief executive, a federal minister and governor of Bauchi state.
For growing them bigger and stronger, the name of Mallam Isa Yuguda is written in gold on the walls of the defunct Inland Bank and NAL Bank. More so, the Nigerian aviation sector will always remember him as someone who repositioned it to greater heights. And in Bauchi state, Yuguda will always be remembered for his giant strides in both human capital and infrastructural developments.
Mallam Isa Yuguda will be remembered in Bauchi state for revoking the infamous Bauchi Formula policy in the state civil service to free civil servants from the shackles of modern slavery.
More so, he will be remembered for repositioning the civil service in such a manner as to further enhance its effectiveness and efficiency, establishing the Bauchi State University, constructing the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, facilitating the establishment of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) and constructing as well as equipping of the modern Bauchi Specialist Hospital.
Therefore, as Mallam Isa Yuguda attains 65 years on 15th June 2021, the celebration is not just about age. It is more importantly about the achievements he recorded on his journey to excellence. Thus, this is to wish him more years of happiness, joy and prosperity.
Jarmajo wrote from Bauchi.
