Governor Alex C. Otti was at the University of Northampton this afternoon to speak at the University’s annual conference on racial justice. The theme of his lecture, “of walls and bridges: finding common ground, rising above divisions,” resonated well with the multi-racial audience who came from different parts of the United Kingdom to listen to our dear Governor as he delivered what was an eloquent and brilliant lecture, rich with engaging insights and thoughts on building a more-balanced human society, a world where individuals are recognised as God’s special creatures, worthy of dignity, respect and the opportunity to live out the fullest expressions of their dreams.

The standout thing for me was the mastery with which Governor Otti delivered the lecture. He had a full grasp of the subject in ways that left many wondering if he was a professor of race and race relations. I am sure the experts in the room learned the importance of balance when discussing the sensitive issue of race.

I was impressed particularly by the fact that our leader did not approach the conversation as most of us from this side of the world would do – with bias.

He spoke as a citizen of the world, one who understands the importance of accommodating everyone, engaging the power players and seeking equal opportunity for everyone, whatever their skin colour.

He went a step further to insist that you cannot change the world by hectoring and indoctrination but by seeking understanding and then showing good example on your part.

Above all, he looked beyond the regular stereotype that only seeks to cast aspersions on politicians but made demands of pastors, journalists and activists who appear to have made an enterprise of race conflicts.

I followed the conversations, including the Q&A session, from the beginning till the end and here are my 5 takeaways:

1. The world sees a sincere leader in Governor Otti: Yes, the air of affection was impossible to ignore, many who came to Northampton did not come to hear new wonders, they were just keen to listen to one leader who has demonstrated the place of competence, responsiveness and empathy in the task of leading and driving broad-scale changes. I am impressed that at home and in the diaspora, there is a consensus that Dr Alex Otti is not your regular political leader, he belongs to a different order, the order of philosopher-kings
2. Again, the old challenge of asking classroom and kporako questions; maybe I should just give up, it may be a cultural thing that we often ignore the subject on the table and begin to ask questions that may not be of great interest to persons who operate from a different prism. The good thing however is that we have a leader who is excited to provide clarity and context to issues, take whatever questions are asked him and make everyone around him feel that sense of recognition, that they matter and that their leader would always be there for them. Thank you, Your Excellency, for putting Abia on the map, always, for good.
3. Nigerians, wherever they live, still have this country at heart, they are praying that one day, things would get better and they can either come home to continue with their lives, or earn the respect they deserve amongst their peers from other parts of the world who, as Dr Otti himself told in the story of his Indian classmate at Harvard, kept wondering why a country so blessed with very brilliant minds, kept performing so abysmally on multiple and critical development frontlines. Today I noticed that most Nigerians in the audience were just praying and hoping that one day, the Abia story and the miracle of the Otti age, can become our national reality. And I say amen.
4. A call to Nigerians: In his closing remarks, Governor Otti invited his compatriots to look past the tragedy of the hour and recommit themselves to working for a better, prosperous future, he invited all of us to be inspired by what our kind achieved in the West and now in the East. We are all humans right? So if other humans have built societies with limited incidence of poverty, insecurity and corruption, what is stopping us from doing the same? The job for us now is to challenge ourselves and insist that going forward, we shall all work together to build a society where individuals don’t have to travel 8, 000 miles to see public convenience that are actually decent and fit for human use for the first time. May God help us. Amen.
5. Prepare yourself everyday for greatness, especially when you are a “nobody.” Yes, that word, “nobody” was used today and I am glad that the Governor redirected the author in a way that caused no offence. For me, however, the most important lesson is the place of preparations, what you do before the spotlight, how you ready yourself for the possibilities that life can throw at you. Wherever you find yourself today or tomorrow, keep your dream alive, never stop believing, learn everything you can about what you plan to do, study, ask questions and keep challenging and developing yourself so that when the moment finally comes, you will demonstrate that truly, excellence has no racial identity, just the natural result of vision, preparation and focus.

To our dear Governor, I say congratulations to you for making all of us proud.