Monday Column By Hameed M. Bello, PhD
hamdbelo@yahoo.co.uk
It is worthy of note that Indians are breaking grounds across borders, not only in Science, Technology and Medicine, but also in Information and Communication Technology, ICT. And of note also is the inroad that the former British colony for over 200 years is making as a major exporter of political leadership to the most industrialized and advanced countries in Europe and America.
It is quite inspiring to countries that have similar political and historical experience as India, including Nigeria, that two of the most powerful nations in the world today, the USA and the UK, have individuals with Indian roots as political leaders and heads of government, outside their countries of origin. Specifically, the Vice president of the largest democracy in the world, the United States of America, is an Indian woman in the person of Kamala Harris. And should the current President of the USA, Joe Biden be absent for any strong reason, the Vice President, Kamala Harris will certainly take over leadership as required by the USA laws. This dynamism of the US system explains why the country continues to play a leading role in world political affairs.
Recall that President Joe Biden had tested positive for Covid-19 in July, 2022. Biden, 79, had mild symptoms and went into isolation. He later tested negative and returned to work, after about two weeks of isolation at the White House from where he worked. However, if Biden had been unable to discharge the duties of the office of President, the Vice President Kamala Harris would have succeeded him. The Presidential Succession Act stipulates that the presidential line of succession includes heads of Congress and then the president’s cabinet. The law, first enacted in 1792 and most recently amended in 1947 at the dawn of the nuclear age, is designed to ensure the peaceful transfer of power in all circumstances. Vice President Kamala Harris is the first, among the five people currently in line to take over in place of Biden. The mere imagination that an Indian has a strong and lawful chance to take over the political leadership of the most powerful nation on earth is gratifying enough. India has demonstrated a palpable capacity to produce men and women of character who are making waves outside their country of origin.
Although former President Barack Obama had set a precedent as the first black President of African descent to have ruled the USA, the example of Kamala Harris is unique, being the first non-native American woman to occupy the office of the Vice president of the USA, with prospects of even becoming president.
Joe Biden had selected Harris as his running mate and their ticket went on to defeat the then incumbent president, Donald Trump, and vice president, Mike Pence, in the 2020 presidential election. Harris became vice president upon being inaugurated on January 20, 2021, alongside President Joe Biden.
Kamala Harris was elected Vice President after a lifetime of public service, having been elected District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and United States Senator. Harris was born in Oakland, California to parents who emigrated from India and Jamaica. She graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law. The story of Harris is an inspiration to other non-native Americans, especially the Afro-American, that with hard work, discipline and dedication to service, they can indeed rise to the very top of their career.
Similarly, the United Kingdom is currently being headed politically by an Indian, Rishi Sunak. He has been the prime minister of the UK since 25 October 2022. As quoted by CBS News, Rishi Sunak became prime minister of the United Kingdom after meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. The 42-year-old former treasury chief became the country’s third Prime Minister in under two months, the youngest leader since 1812, and the first person of color to serve in the role. He is of Indian heritage and Hindu faith.Sunak, who used to work in finance, is — alongside his wife, tech heiress Akshata Murty — one of the wealthiest people in the U.K. and served as treasury secretary under Boris Johnson. What a smart way to climb to the top by dint of hard work. As British Prime Minister, Sunak, born 12 May 1980, has been leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, and later as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022. Sunak had been Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) since 2015.
The story of Harris and Sunak should inspire Nigerians in the diaspora to give a good account of themselves in their various fields of endeavor. When Harris was working as District Attorney of San Francisco, and later as Senator, perhaps she never knew that she would become Vice President someday. Likewise, Sunak was an excellent finance officer and parliamentarian, and rose to become Prime Minister. Should I say the duo were destined to achieve greatness, or that they worked their ways so hard to greatness. I think the latter seems more reasonable, because hard work is the surest way to greatness.
There is a popular saying that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. It is an adage attesting to the need for time to create great things. Nigerians in the diaspora can start small and grow to the top with time. It was a soothing piece of news when reports came in November 2022, that eight Nigerian-American politicians had emerged winners in their respective elective posts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and the District of Columbia (DC) in the US midterm elections at the time. They are Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, Phil Olaleye, Carol Kazeem, Oye Owolewa and Esther Agbaje who won legislative seats as State Representatives in their respective Districts. President Muhammadu Buhari had accordingly congratulated them for making Nigeria proud and also wished them well in political contributions to the US. The Harris and Sunak examples are worthy of emulation by Nigerians in the diaspora. Already, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has flown the Nigerian flag for up to ten years in a row as the richest man in Africa. We hope to see more of such outstanding distinctions on the world stage of politics.
