I have always believed that it is the right of every citizen to aspire to actualise his God-ordained destiny within the framework of the larger society. It is also my firm conviction that one should never be silent or docile when his or her fundamental right are being trampled upon by those who have sworn by the Constitution to safeguard the welfare of the citizens. These, to a large extent, have for years defined my guiding principles; actions and utterances as citizen of Nigeria.
I did not shy away from saying the gospel truth whenever it was obvious that the State was being led astray by the leadership. My ordeal with the SSS has given me much zeal and passion. A couple of times, I and other like-minds namely; H.E Goodman Akwu, Muhammed Nasir succeed in pricking the conscience of those in authority as to make them re-think their anti-people policies. But for a larger period of time, it is on record that we were able to help galvanize the civil societies into standing up for their rights and hold their leaders accountable for their stewardship. How well these agitations have been sustained to achieve set goals over time is a topic for another day.
Well, it may interest you to note that though I may not be as visible as I used to be, I have however not relented in my commitment and desire to see to the entrenchment if a truly egalitarian society where justice, equity and fear of God would reign supreme. These have always been my desire. How can I remain quiet when seventeen years into our democratic dispensation, the ship of our dear State is being tossed about by self-inflicted storms that are tossing the people up and down? How can I keep mute when Kogites have continuously been taken for a ride over the years by our politicians, who rather than serve the masses, chose to play us like the game of chess? I believe it is the responsibility of everyone of us to continue to contribute our quota to a better society for us and the generations yet unborn.
May 29, 2016, we marked Democracy Day under the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC. And 27th August, 2016 marked 25th years anniversary of creation of Kogi State. But is there much to really celebrate about? 17th years into our democratic dispensation; have we really mature as a State? What lessons have we learnt from the errors of the past and what efforts are we making to avoid a repeat?
– Hon. Alfa Tijani
