Once again I use this medium in congratulating the Kogi state government and indeed the entire security agencies whose tireless efforts and work around the clock is beginning to yield fruitful and tangible result. Even though I have my reservation on the way and manner the state law is being currently applied, in the sense that alleged criminals should have been properly prosecuted and convicted by the law court before their properties are destroyed, the level of success recorded in the past days in terms of security is commendable and worthy of applause.
In the past days i have received several calls and messages from individuals within the state and beyond on my occasional constructive criticisms and opposition to a few of Governor Yahaya Bello’s unpopular and anti-people policies and programs. Even though many of the messages and calls were actually to threaten and scare me off commenting and making my opinions known on happenings in the state, a few were actually to plead and persuade me to seek other avenue and means of communication in transmitting my criticism to the state government instead of bringing it to the public domain. Unfortunately, some of the point raised by many of my callers on the subject matter and some of the reasons many have enumerated for me to reconsider on my stand were petty, laughable, irrational and tribal.
If the family of Late Prince Abubakar Audu were ever poor before he became governor in 1992 and 1999, I can bet on it that they can never go back to that status again. If there was ever a trace of poverty in the Ibrahim Idris’ family before he came into power in 2003, it has been erased from that household for good. If the Idris Wada’s family ever lacked money or went to bed hungry before he became governor in 2012, that story has since changed for good. Same goes to most senior special assistance, some former local government chairmen and many of the federal and state lawmakers.
I find it funny and insane when people argue along tribal and ethnic line in trying to justify the level of insensitivity, highhandedness, official corruption and mismanagement, incompetence and immaturity of the Yahaya Bello led government in Kogi State today.
Many have pointed out that the Igala speaking part of the state had ruled for close to nineteen years as elected governors. According to them, these nineteen years of Igala rule was characterized with massive looting and widespread corruption, lopsided appointments and sitting of developmental projects and a colossal waste of financial, human and material resources. Assuming these are true, is it really an ample justification for the executive and administrative recklessness being witnessed under the present administrations? Is it in line with common sense to use the perceived evil of the past to justify the current evil? Come to think of it, if the Igalas were so bad then how come they have continued to have massive votes from the central and west senatorial districts of the State?
Even if governors in the past who incidentally all comes from the same part of the state actually did some wrongs, is it wise for the present governor to continue on that path instead of doing it rightly and earning the love and respect of the masses? By my level of exposure and education, I have since gone past ethnic chauvinism, tribal sentiment and consideration. Despite his clamp down on constructive critics and members of the opposition, starving the state civil servants to death, closure of all state owned tertiary institutions as a result of strike, making reckless and unguided statements and utterances by aides of the governor, and the current spate of lawlessness and impunity, if the only reason people are asking me to be praising and hailing governor Yahaya Bello is solely because he is a fellow of Ebira man or “our brother” and not because he is putting smiles on the faces of the civil servants and pensioners, providing dividends of democracy and putting policies of programs in place to end poverty then count me out.
– Hussain Obaro writes from Lokoja, Kogi State
oseniobaro@yahoo.com
