If found the story of this young cattle boy so inspiring that I just have to share it, if it speaks to you, don’t front, share it… let it speak to others around you. It is poetic justice done on the lessons of leadership.
“Yes, he leads cows but yet he is not leading from behind
They follow him
He is their bearing
The cows are diverse
White, black, brown… male and female
Yet they trust him COMPLETELY
Yes he is a small boy and even “shoeless”
But they don’t care because they know him
He is sincere and their interests lie in him
And his interests in them as well
For, he milks them and satisfies his needs
And he in turn takes them kilometers to greener pastures for grazing
And he doesn’t eat their food
His self confidence emanates from the fact that he knows they depend on him
There is mutual trust between them and they won’t hurt him
He is a great example of leadership.
The Cattle Boy from…” — Bashir Maidugu
Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from being a simple cattle rarer in the Savannah of northern Nigeria, enough lessons to guide the sail of this hailing nation at sea to bay. If you want to know this little boy and learn his ways, I know him and I can lead you to him when you and I are willing and ready to learn his ways. I can guarantee you he will do anything to protect his heard, I once met him in the grassland of Jigawa after he sunk three arrows from his bow into the back and buttock of a man who tries to steal from his herd (true story); yes he protects and will never allow any harm come the way of his cattle even in the face of danger and death.
It is sad we can’t even find a single person in the position of leadership in Nigeria (from local government to the number one citizen) that knows his duty has a leader and performs such with definitiveness of purpose and value, not a single man, woman or hermaphrodite in Buba, Khaki or Gown that we can like unto this cattle boy… It’s a shame; all we see is hullabaloo about stealing. It is funny how leadership can be right? It is so easy and needs no genius to achieve. Leadership is all about doing the right thing consciously and unconsciously, it is about living for others; its purpose is to serve and protect the interest of many while protecting the interest of self and not being selfish but selfless at it.
I pray that today that someday, we will find “A Cattle Boy” worthy and ready to lead Nigerians and Nigeria to a greener pasture without killing our calves for sport and pleasure or seeing only the price of the hide and beef, but rather see the nation as a whole as a part of him.
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We do need the cattle boy in this country.
Amen to that prayer