When I wrote in this column, July 14, 2020, that Mr Valentine Ozigbo, immediate past President/CEO of Transcorp Plc, and now, the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra, “is a man working for higher purpose”, it wasn’t the result of any gift of clairvoyance. Rather, it was my inward intuition, analytical rigour, and detailed assessement of what drives him, his competency, career accomplishments, management style, obstacles overcome, mistakes made, and lessons learned, his leadership philosophy, personal and professional ambitions. These are just the merest glimpse into the man’s mind. He’s someone who can rise above the fray. That’s what Anambra politics requires and the kind of man Ndi-Anambra need to succeed Gov Willie Obiano. Looking at Ozigbo closely, he comes across as a man of rare quality, uniquely different. He has the commanding self-confidence to make things run more smoothly and efficiently. He’s not a man who deludes himself that brain is everything, even though he’s, by all standards, outstandingly brilliant. There are, of course, entire libraries of books that analyse key leadership qualities, but most are rather academic in their approach, or indeed, limited by a single author’s perspective. If you want to know what makes someone a rare quality, whether he has a higher purpose, go directly to the source. Ozigbo says he wants to change the wrong perception of many people about politics. That’s what men of ideas do: they are doers, not just thinkers. Truth is, there’s a lot one person can do if he assembles the right people to work with him. Part of the reason our politics is always throwing up mediocres is because people are never made to feel valued after elections. When this happens, that’s the beginning of decline and decay. Just look around! That’s what you see in Nigeria today. And you begin to ask : Why is this so? The answer is simple : bad leadership. That’s why Ozigbo who turns 51 July 20, has thrown his hat into the ring of Anambra politics to make better things happen . Few months ago, this question was asked: ‘Who is Valentine Ozigbo?’. It was a question asked, perhaps out of curiosity, especially when someone’s name pops up unto public consciousness like a silent mystery. Not anymore.
Until March, 2020 when he voluntarily stepped down from one of the prestigious posts in corporate Nigeria as President/ CEO of Transcorp Plc to pursue a higher purpose in politics, Ozigbo’s name was( and still is) a constant mention in Nigeria and beyond the shores of the continent. An astute banker, financial expert by training, the best and brightest in his class, he became one of the best sought after talents in the banking industry, a Chevening scholar before Transcorp came calling. He worked there for seven years with sterling achievements and was elevated to the position of President and CEO.
During this period, he led an astonishing $100 million project that saw Transcorp Hilton undergo a globally-celebrated transformation and upgrade. For the records, the responsibility of piloting a firm’s affairs as big as Transcorp brand, is not easy. It requires utmost focus and competency. That is why Ozigbo’s candidacy will profit Anambra State if he wins in November.
As many bankers and policymakers will tell you, there’s something about Ozigbo that you must not ignore . It’s his vision, leadership and missionary zeal that he brings in anything he puts his mind on. He’s an ‘idea’s man . He’s serious about business and serious about people. His briefings on finance and economic matters are simply detailed and dazzling. His analytical mind and imperturbable calmness even in the face of pressure, are amazing. They are all steeled in vision and leadership by example. Former two-term governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi set a remarkable example of how an idea’s and visionary leader from business boardroom can get to the top of politics and governance without a political godfather. It’s by leveraging on integrity and accomplishments. As the electioneering campaigns in Anambra begin, Ozigbo must know this: that politics does not lend itself to easy theorising. Neither does it favour subtlety. He needs reminding that the choice to go into politics is not exactly like choosing a spouse, even though both are momentous decisions that may alter one’s path life. In that sense, a candidate aspiring to occupy the highest political office in his state must bear in mind that he can easily lose his legitimacy if his actions are inconsistent with the values he espouses, or if his self-interest appears to trump the welfare of the people.
In other words, to get to the finishing line, Ozigbo must not be over-confident. He must set his eyes on the goal. No doubt, the stakes are high. Though zoning favours Ozigbo’s aspiration, just as it does for Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Sen. Andy Uba, and Ifeanyi Ubah, all of who come the South Senatorial zone, the popular Aguata zone. But beyond that, leadership is key and the culture of continuous improvement and excellence that challenge the status quo. It’s anchored on the Japanese phenomenon of Kaizen – a “Change for the better” that supersedes all things else. Looking at his background, Ozigbo seems to have mastered this through nature and nurture. He has developed himself, developed businesses he was entrusted with to the heights of sustainable growth and profitability. Now, the ultimate test is how he will connect with all the different constituents in the state and what he intends to do as a unifier. My interaction with him last year via Zoom was revealing: Never met a man who had a better emotional intelligence and awesome ability to sit in a meeting for hours, summarize the points that scores of people around the table had made, and then lay out all the options for them in a manner that was elegant and unambiguously clear. This writer and the Anambra electorate will want to see details of the policies and programmes that he wants his campaign to emphasize – realistic objectives for the next four years if he is elected . Undoubtedly, Ozigbo has a forward-looking approach to problem-solving. He also recognises the power of the private sector which in today’s world and economic uncertainties holds the key to job creation. He projects experience. He’s both smart and principled.
I see him riding on the overwhelming acceptability of a majority of the electorate in the state. Anambra, it must be said, has the most sophisticated electoIf a free and credible election is conducted in Anambra State, it’s PDP’s to lose. Never before had the prospects of the party winning the governorship election in the state look brighter than now. As the campaigns start , this is my unsolicited advice to Ozigbo: First, make Ndi Anambra earn your trust. Trust is not having to guess what a candidate means. Trust means leveling with the people about what you are going to do from Day one if you win . Trust is not being all things to all people, but being the same to all people. Also, trust is not shading words or stonewalling so that each separate audience can hear what it wants to hear but saying plainly and simply what you mean – and meaning exactly what you say. Simply put: what do you want to achieve and how?
Flowing from the above, Ozigbo should avoid gaffes that may tend to disparage other aspirants either in PDP or other parties. You see, a lot of Ndi-Anambra are yet to forget how Soludo shot himself in the foot in 2010 governorship election with demeaning words against other candidates. For example, he described Dr. Chris Ngige, a former governor of the state, an achiever as a “small candlelight in a darkness that people see and began to clap”. But Ngige had proved that height or lack of it, is not a factor in service delivery to the people. Soludo, during the 2010 campaigns dismissed Senator Andy Ubah as “too unserious” to merit his attention. Turning to Peter Obi, Soludo said, Obi was like a “lantern that Anambra people saw and were jumping”. Obi remains till today, an exemplar, a prescription for success in governance. Now look at how Soludo described himself: “I’m a fluorescent tube with halogen bulb”.