By Peter Willie

THE name Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, (SAN) needs no introduction, Having served as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and rose to become Deputy Leader of the sixth Senate and Leader of the seventh Senate where his contributions to the development of Nigeria and the legislature are legendary and commendable. No wonder, there was wide spread jubilation across the region and Nigeria after the announcement of his nomination as Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
That Ndoma-Egba recorded remarkable achievements is unarguably not in doubt. His mastery of language and the gift of oratory placed him high and made him irresistible whenever he addresses a gathering. One of the qualities malts him unique is his strength of characters.  Having worked very closely with him for five years, I have been struggling against this  urge to write about him and it became very compelling now as he prepares to take up the leadership of the NDDC.
He is a strong character, just as Horace Greeley a former member of the America House of Representatives had a quote that Harry Truman used to like and it thus reads “fame is a vapour, popularity an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow, only one thing endures, ‘Character’.” Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba is a cautious politician, a stern democrat, an ardent patron of the arts, and of course a radical and articulate lawyer who could persuade but surprisingly he could be persuaded too. His respect for other points of view lent weight to his own point of view; He is never afraid to change his position if he is persuaded that he is wrong. This tolerance and sympathy are elements of his character, and this character gained him the affection and esteem of millions of Nigerians. His gift of persuasion in cicero’s phrase did much in stabilizing the 7th Senate while he held sway as the Senate Leader and it is believed that this will also be the trait in this new assignment of leading the NDDC.
Senator Ndoma-Egba believes in moral leadership. He gives  to all assigned tasks.  He is a great motivator for the advancement of people-oriented causes; and a firm advocate of good governance. He possesses an uncommon ability to pursue popular causes even if they vary with his own personal interest. He is not only an astute technocrat and a team player; he has the integrity that can be described as uncommon. He is a champion of the people, the pivot and motivating force in the sustenance of politics in his State as all politics is  local. A bridge builder who has gone through the fiery furnace of Nigeria politics unscathed but with dignity and honour. For him, obstacles are merely hurdles that must be overcome in life’s journey.
An interventionist, Ndoma-Egba knows how to make processes work and the seeming intricate workings of the democratic system. He is as unassuming as he is given to speaking only when it is absolutely necessary. A man of few words who allows his actions speak for him. If words have to describe his actions and performances, those words are likely to come from others. A patriotic, but silent achiever  who believes in the potentials of the Nigeria nation and its future greatness, no wonder he is always putting his  Nigeria first. He is an outspoken person an individualist of the first rank, who will put his country always above everything else.  The Niger Delta region would take a priority place in the agenda of transforming the region. This, he will do in his new assignment.
Senator Ndoma-Egba is a study in humility, not for him, the exaggerated sense of self-worth that is the hallmark of the public conduct of people in authority, those that are generally referred to as big men. He is a connoisseur of knowledge and basks in the light of constant update of his knowledge base via diverse courses. He is a politician in the finest sense of that much abused word. A good example of one man who is richly endowed with a sound brains and that he has used shape some important laws that affect our lives. He demonstrated a high sense of leadership and uncommon dexterity while in the senate. His effective representation is seen by all and became the cynosure of all eyes. No wonder, his people adopted the paradigm of a good turn always deserves another. Ordinarily, the unassuming disposition of the new NDDC Chairman and his simplicity are his background traits, given his Christian family upbringing. He tells you that his father taught him the meaning of freedom and the responsibility that comes with it, that “being free does not mean free to do anything you like but to enjoy freedom within certain limits especially in a world that is morally ambivalent, that certain values must be exercised and kept in other that whatever you are doing is legitimate’’.
As he assumes office, I am  quick to borrow words from Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California when he said, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” He is passionate about governance and delivery on promises and usually not carried away by peripheral of office.

Related News

Willie writes from Abuja.