'Dare to speak, dare to do, dare to take responsibility; closely follow from small things to big actions' is what Da Nang people remember about Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh - a person whose influence goes beyond the reach of local government leaders.

The greatest "legacy" that Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh left for Da Nang is the "5 no's, 3 yes's" program. Now, everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear, and education, said Mr. Bui Van Tieng, former Head of the Organization Committee of the Da Nang City Party Committee, a close friend of former Party Secretary Nguyen Ba Thanh.

The idea of ​​a "5 no" city (no hungry households, no beggars, no illiterate people, no drug addicts in the community, no murder for robbery) was initiated. Mr. Thanh repeatedly consulted the People's Council and researchers and then set goals to strive for and adjust accordingly. When setting the goal of "3 yes" (having housing, having jobs, having a civilized urban lifestyle), "5 no's" were still maintained.

Mr. Bui Van Tieng, former Head of the Organization Committee of the Da Nang City Party Committee, recalls Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh. Photo: Nguyen Dong.

Having outlined a path to follow through, Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh is never satisfied with what he has done. When Da Nang was recognized as one of the 20 "cleanest" cities in the world, Mr. Thanh said at the People's Council meeting that he "didn't feel very happy" because the city still had many polluted spots. When Da Nang was voted a livable city, Mr. Thanh said that no one praised him, but he himself was not satisfied because people's lives were not peaceful with theft and drug addiction. "That is not only the passion but also the intelligence of the leader," Mr. Tieng commented.

"Can say, can do" - the phrase many people use to comment on Mr. Thanh, Mr. Tieng admits "that is true in reality". Mr. Thanh is the one who thinks of things, creating pressure for himself and his subordinates. Holding the position of Secretary of the City Party Committee, he is also Chairman of the City People's Council, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Da Nang. "Some people say he has too much reach, but that position helps him get closer to the masses, listen to their objections to do his job better. If he had only been Secretary, he might not have done so well", Mr. Tieng explained.

Always supporting bold ideas, in 2008, Mr. Thanh was the "midwife" for Project 89 to bring young cadres to wards and communes of the Head of the Organization Committee of the City Party Committee - a project that later received a patent. The role of talented people has been respected with the policy of "recruiting the wise and treating them well" since 15 years ago. Up to now, the high-quality workforce is contributing to the development of the city, proving the effectiveness of the policy.

The mark of Nguyen Ba Thanh that anyone who comes to Da Nang has the opportunity to admire is a series of majestic bridges and welfare projects...

Apart from the historic Nguyen Van Troi bridge, for many decades before 2000, Da Nang did not have a second bridge across the Han River, causing Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son districts to be so underdeveloped that people had to take a ferry to Phan Dinh Phung Street (Hai Chau District) to go to school or go to the market, and even told each other that they were going to Da Nang. Folklore has it that "a girl from District 3 is not as good as an old woman from District 1" is used to compare the difference in living standards.

Overcoming many objections, Mr. Thanh decided to build a swing bridge. The city chairman at that time directly mobilized people to contribute, children going to school skipped breakfast money, old people stopped chewing betel. The bridge was completed, two years later the temporary houses on the river were eliminated. Tran Hung Dao Street on the east bank was opened, the city gave each cleared household a resettlement plot. The "old shirt" was gradually taken off.

In a meeting with 1,000 cadres at Tien Son Palace before going to Hanoi to take up the position of Head of the Central Internal Affairs Committee, Mr. Thanh advised: "Be ambitious, not ambitious. Because ambition is aiming for what you don't have yet, for your own sake, while aspiration is for the common good." That is his lifelong passion, hoping that everyone will join hands to turn Da Nang into a Singapore in the future.

The letter calling for the construction of the Da Nang Cancer Hospital was written and signed by Mr. Thanh to ask for money to help cancer patients. Photo: Nguyen Dong.

During National Assembly meetings, while eating with the delegation, Mr. Thanh always asked what the most important thing to do in Da Nang was. Then he insisted that the government had no plans to build a hospital specializing in cancer treatment in the Central region, so Da Nang had to build one.

"People with cancer are no different from being sentenced to death, they need a place to screen, detect the disease early and treat it," Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Lan - Vice President of the Association for the Protection of Poor Children and Disadvantaged Women in Da Nang, recalls Mr. Thanh's idea of ​​building the largest Cancer Hospital in the Central region, which was conceived in 2005.

Five years later, he drafted a letter of appeal, printed 10,000 copies and signed each one to show respect to the investors. The hospital was inaugurated on January 19, 2013 with a total construction cost of VND1,500 billion. "Without Mr. Thanh, there would be no Cancer Hospital," Ms. Lan affirmed, adding that the hospital is a place that provides free medical examination and treatment for the poor, has a charity kitchen, and free accommodation.

Mr. Thanh always makes his mobile phone number public, and even when people call him in the middle of the night, he answers the phone. After each meeting with voters, he immediately records any cases that need attention in a notebook, reminds them, and checks them thoroughly. "Many people are afraid of Mr. Thanh's authority, but his concern for the unfortunate makes them respect him. People in prison, bad children, husbands who beat their wives, Mr. Thanh talks to them all. He was once reminded by the City Party Committee about receiving people at his home, but he still tried to wake up earlier and sleep later so that people who need housing or money for heart surgery don't have to wait too long," Ms. Lan recalled.

Having worked closely with Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh for a long time, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City, Van Huu Chien, considers himself a junior. "I often went with Mr. Thanh to places where I met people, so I learned a lot from his character, manners, and working style. Later, when he became the Central Internal Affairs Committee, I took on the responsibility of Chairman of the city, seeing that the way of working of my predecessor was very effective, I also learned and followed suit," said Mr. Chien.

Mr. Le Sang with stories about the chairman of Hoa Nhon 3 Cooperative, Nguyen Ba Thanh. Photo: Nguyen Dong.

Going back in time to the memory of member Bui Ngoc Cang of Hoa Nhon Cooperative 30 years ago, the head of the cooperative, Nguyen Ba Thanh, was a big and strong man, riding the most impressive Honda 67 in the area, but he lived in the cooperative and rewarded and punished him clearly. When he discovered someone cheating, he criticized them accurately so no one dared to argue.

Former production team leader of Hoa Nhon 3 Cooperative, Le Sang (77 years old), said that after more than 30 years, there were many things about Mr. Ba Thanh that he could not remember, but he could never forget the Truoc Dong reservoir that was irrigating 120 hectares of rice and the Tam Thanh bridge that helped students avoid falling, which Mr. Thanh earned money from working on himself. Another time, he caught deserters stealing firewood from the people, Mr. Thanh reported to the authorities and was surrounded and beaten by a group of soldiers. After Mr. Sang rescued him, Mr. Thanh went into the house with a homemade gun and chased after the group of young men, causing them to run away and not dare to return.

After that rescue, the two became closer. Meeting the young cadre Le Thi Quy who went to the cooperative to promote family planning, Mr. Sang introduced her: "I think Ms. Quy is good, her job is stable, Thanh should marry her". Ms. Quy and Mr. Thanh later became husband and wife. "Even though he was the highest official in Da Nang and then went to the Central Government, when he visited Mr. Thanh's house, everyone was surprised to be warmly welcomed, thoughtfully asked about and remembered everyone's name. That's what we appreciate about him", Mr. Sang said.

Lawyer Do Phap (head of the law firm of the same name in Da Nang) said that every achievement in Da Nang is associated with the name of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, but people also mention him for Da Nang's limitations. "Some people think that without Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, Da Nang would be more developed than it is now, but no one denies that his role and influence on Da Nang is too great. And no one in this city has done what he did," the lawyer affirmed. During the 35 days of treatment at Da Nang General Hospital, every day Mr. Thanh asked his relatives about work, not spending time for himself.

Witnessing the crowd of people standing in front of Mr. Ba Thanh's house from noon to night on February 13, lawyer Phap said there were things that could not be described in words. "I do not mean to compare Mr. Thanh with other historical figures, but he is a unique phenomenon of contemporary society. A city leader who leaves an impression on the people like him is rare," Mr. Phap commented.

This Tet, the people of Da Nang cannot have complete joy, because they are in a common mourning.

According to VNE