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I am privileged not only to be a native of the modern day Ebira Land, the major ethnic group that occupies the present political setting of the Central District of Kogi State, but also abreast with our at least recent past shared political glories and challenges.
Thank God for the names in history that we are proud enough to call ours even if they are not totally exonerated from the misfortunes that are befalling us as a people today. It is so with every group of any kind all over the world. It is only expected that with the passage of time, efforts be made to consolidate on where we have gotten it right and take precise steps to correct and address areas we have not only performed purely but have handled with negligence owing to some reasons summarised into clanish differences and shared political ideologies.
My esteem regards to both the dead and living people who have made sacrifices for our managed firmness and togetherness despite the threats on our cooperate existence.
My concern will be centred on our activities so far from 1999 when we returned to democratic rule as a nation. In the area of Local and National Politics, we have obvious questions pleading for answers. We are in a world of subconscious competition. As it has to do with politics, the whole aim of it which do not really reflect our activities in that regards.
In a Democratic setting as ours, the emergence of political parties and groups are exists to perform the role of alternatives in the manners and patterns through which choices are made when it comes to electing leaders to pilot our affairs at all levels. Unfortunately, this carefully planned political system does not seem to be taken for what it is. Evident to this is the desperacy that our people have resulted into when it comes to elections. This situation is not peculiar to the people of Kogi Central alone. But then every settings has its own peculiarities.
I wouldn’t abruptly condemn the activities of those who for a very longtime have shouldered the responsibility of our political realm. But then I should state categorically that we are far from attaining the best when it comes to comparing what ought to be and what we have gotten. There are several noted causes for this setback and principal amongst them are the lack of political understanding and the intellectual strength on the part of those who have been privileged to represent the area at all levels. This is not to say we do not have good records and achievements to point at.
Clanish differences have also unarguably deterred us from coming together as a people to define our priorities. And to me this is the reason why we have not gotten to where we ought to have, we have allowed sentiments to deter us from giving our mandate to people of high level of orientation in politics and governance.
The major political elective positions that we have ranges from Local Government Area Chairmen, House of Assembly Members, Federal House of Representative Members to the senatorial position binding the five local government areas together.
At the level of state politics, in recent past we do not seems to have gotten a harmonise structure to compete with our counterparts from the other senatorial districts. And this is the more reason why several attempts made by our people to contest and win the governorship position in the state have all ended in failure or deadlock. Even in the face of agitations for power shift from the east with the cooperation of our brethren in the west, foolish divisions still exists among our politicians and political groups, we have refused to have a common and all participating agenda.
I have always been of the opinion that if not for the several ethnic differences that have tore us apart as a state, it doesn’t really matter where the governor is from, but then we can not deny the very fact that ethnic preference seems to play a very vital role when it comes to demanding for government’s attention in solving the several challenges that we face as a people. This is because of the role that ethnicity plays in human association. Not minding the presence of this obvious fact, if we had as a people through dialogue jealousy and carefully guided our stakes, we necessarily don’t have to own a state governor who hails from the central district.
I have good number of friends and associates cutting across the two other senatorial districts and I can confirm to you that they good enough as a people to turn and express their love for the Anebiras and they are not as bad as we feel they are.
Leadership is a very difficult task and I don’t know of where in the world where there are leaders with perfection. Therefore we must rise above sentiments and have a formidable force with the consent and sincerity of all so as to avoid division of interest so that we can always have a say at the centre. I am never at any point believe that the attention we lack in the area of development is due to the non presence of an elected governor from Kogi central.
One can not underestimate numerical strength when it comes politics and every man is by nature greedy. Ethnic differences have not only affected as a state but it is a matter of fact that it is fast becoming a threat to our National development.
Until the death of Senator AT Ahmed at least we obviously had the right set of persons with even political might outside the shores of the state. There are hundreds of people from Ebira Land doing well in their various chosen careers. But yet our collective growth as a people is still facing quite a lot of challenges and to me the faults are ours both as leaders and followers.
The uniqueness of the Ebira Man’s identity which is projected through integrity and love for an another has over time witnessed heavy blows. The unity is no longer there as a people and the painful thing is that the menace is fast passing on from one generation to the other. We must at all cost try to halt this before it is too late if it is not yet.
Ahead of the 2019 election which will once again gives us the opportunity to give new mandates, there are relatively few things that we must put into consideration. There are no perfect leaders anywhere in the world but God Almighty even when he own perfections to himself has through one way or the other put in place measures for us to recognise and reckon with people who can do well when it comes to assuming leadership positions. The true intention of people are seen when they are given the opportunity to act because every man has the ability to say or present themselves good enough to be worthy of the people’s mandate. There are few of us who can actually determine the genuinety of one’s intention and this is because of the little experience we have gathered when it comes to leadership.
I derive great pride of place when I see a kinsman performing very well in their various given assignments but most times we can not but to be bothered when we see some things working very badly. Leadership needs experience and extra patience and tolerance. Criticisms helps to check the activities of every Leader but its just unfortunate that still part of how we have gotten it wrong is how such criticisms are being handled. Managing people is the hardest thing to do on earth but even as we can not get it all right there steps which must be taken to keep balance between our lapses and glories. In the area of community development projects, what I see is the total lack of knowledge on what the true needs of our people are. Most times some acts are being made just for the sustainability of one’s political stake but life is beyond that.
No matter how long it will take, following the path of just and taking visionary steps will be more visionary. The issue of political desperation must be totally eradicated. Not only preach, but steps must be taken for things that unites us a people to be put in place. And what is required to do this is no other than sincere and objective intention from all the classes of citizens.
We are, most times, not proud of people that are sent on both State and National assignments not because we have any personal grievances towards them but because we feel bad when see them not taking part in activities that suggests way forward for us as a state and a nation. Most times, their voices are not heard when it comes to debate and relating the issues that affects their immediate constituency. We need to begin to have people who are of national importance, this we believe will enable us have what it comes to compete favorably with our counterparts from other districts.
The stake and respect commanded by our leaders must begin to go beyond local politics. Though as humans we are one but then God Almighty in his uniqueness have also divided us into groups. Therefore, from the family setting to the highest and largest settings of human existence, we tend to know and feel concerned about the plights of those who are immediate to us. This is not to say other persons are not important but then everything has steps. This is what I feel is responsible for the label that are placed on us when accusations of tribalism is being made. But in the real sense, its not in all cases. I only object to issues like that when compromise is made on set benchmark for consideration.
We should look forward towards having in place at all levels of representation young men and women of deep knowledge of human and resources management. Not only that, people with diverse ideas in economy, this is to enable us to chart new ways for not only revenue generation but workability of existing policies on taxation and how our overall economic involvements can translate into a better living condition for our people. There are good existing policies on ground already, what is needed is the workability of these policies. And more also it will continue to be meaningless before the masses if all we do is talk and talk without change as to how it affects their living condition for good. Such people should be men and women with verifiable leadership experience , then on our part we must start to expect them to perform miracles for us to have a perfect economic system by folding our hands to feel we are not concerned.
Negligence is what I see to be responsible for the much missing gap in our leadership today. Most often we ignore things that ordinarily we should get concerned about. We always feel we have no role to play when it comes to politics, but the truth of the matter is that, our concern should rise above just affiliating with these people for what we get from them as individuals.
In as much as they have the choice of doing or giving return back to people around them, our collective prosperity should be of concern. An issue seeking for address but ignored today can lead into hundreds of problems tomorrow. The time that was used for clannish crisis and dividing the lines of brotherhood between us would have been better used to sit and take decisions together. Its not a one man job. Cooperation and mutual respect and relationship by those at the helm of affairs is needed.
Most times when I get bothered about the crisis existing between our leaders, its not because I can not stay like every other person and watch the unfolding dramas but I choose to be concerned because they have in their hands at the moment the key to our well being. None of them is self sufficient. They need each other to progress. It is only when they are in good times they can come together to discuss and rule on issues that are of collective effects on all of us. We shouldn’t look at election periods alone to be the only time we can have their attention. If we have a united voice we can achieve whatever we can. Much differences already exist between us, we shouldn’t be looking for ways to cause more divisions.
At the level of Kogi State government today, we have an Ebira man in charge of affairs, to me this is a great plus for us. Not because I expect him to turn all of his attention to Ebira Land alone but that he is there as an Ebira Man, he should be able to avail to himself knowledge on how the immediate problems of Kogi central where he comes from and have been used to more than any other place can be better solved. And this I expect him to get through cross fertilization of ideas with people who have rose through thick and thin to get to the same level of accomplishment like himself.
Exchange of views and ideas ordinarily boost ones knowledge of what is required to have a stable society in all realms. And again, in the area of image making for the ethnic group, he is expected to perform much role. Where he is coming from has a great role to play in his sense of doing things. The question of where he comes from is natural even if we feel asking such questions sometimes is not necessarily. He can not get all the support he needs to succeed from here alone because Kogi goes beyond Ebira speaking people alone. We have brothers that are required to be given attention as much as we are given here. But what I observe is that most times we mistake politics for governance and vice versa.
A politician is though expected to be politically calculative at all times but there are certain things that we must just shun political divides and sentiments and do. When the time for politics comes, indices for playing it will be summoned and put to use. But being biased at all times isn’t.
Since the emergence of Yahaya Bello, Kogi have had several challenges confronting it as a state, some of these problems are quite natural, some as a result of poor mismanagement in the past and some are self inflicting as a result of poor sense of politicking. Which ever, what I expect is proper management of these problems. People are not blind, they can see if what you say or preach equals what you act.
I disagree with the opinion that the present government is facing the high level its facing today because of where the governor comes from. It so not true. He has proven himself to be a very detribalized leader to all possible means. And the much I know is that he is careful enough in the allocation of resources to everywhere district because of the already existing lines of divisions between us as people. His youth friendly government is a good development, to me youths who are in the middle age are not only large in number to the problems of each other but I look them as the most versatile group of persons, our old ones are at homes, the younger ones are expected to be at home too while the middle go out to strike balance.
I am however bothered by the turn of events resulting from his much inexperience in politics. No matter how good your Intentions are, you need people and systems to get it delivered. Even amongst us as people, political differences arising from differences in shared ideologies and parties exist between us. But when it comes to talking about things that are of general concern to us, we just have to put aside all these. Loyalty to ones party matters a lot but not over our collective peace and wellbeing.
Existing structures are threatening. The agitations are worrisome. Interests are extreme. I am afraid and I can not hide it. Together we can have a harmonised structure, all we need is sacrifice. Its possible. Very possible. And I repeat it’s possible. We all necessarily don’t need to be there, but whose interest is to go down for the other is what the issue is. This can be managed..if you let the interest of where you come from comes first in all we do, we will be surprised ourselves how much we can give for peace to reign.
The present crop of leaders we have at all levels are not actually helping matters. The obviousity of sentiments contained in our ways of acting is worrisome and bad. No man gets peace through deliberate wars, no success is attained through deliberate consistent failure. What it takes for us all to be called to order is leaking. I have always looked at every ethnic group to have a point of call and a point of stop. The person I expect to assume this role is the Ohinoyi. But then I am worried by the unhealthy lost of respect for this stool. Some have attributed it to the much support they need from government for survival. I do not totally agree to this line of thought but however it is an obvious fact that they do. I believe if they have their own interests streamlined and controlled, they will command the respect they deserve. Such respect is needed not for personal use but for the management of crisis. Human management. I am not pleased with activities of the present crop of traditional rulers, but this is not to say I do not have respect for them.
The political tension in the state is just too much. We do not have the structures to manage such level of crisis yet. There are states or places witnessing more crisis than us but at our ends here, the mechanism to manage such level of crisis is totally absent. The world is moving and Kogi shouldn’t be an exception but we need to move at a corresponding level of control.
My advise for His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello is to first and foremost understand that so much is expected of him as of course the highest political office holder from central. I am convinced that no matter how we deny the truth, we can not result into self deceit. No one would want to listen to how far or how much he has fought his battles, the utmost interest will be for him to control whatever may result into crisis. So above his own interest and that of the people immediately around him, he should resist all temptation and act in the fullest sense of fairness.
To the Traditional Rulers, I expect a continuous orientation on self value, unity and peace. On this I urge us all to be humble enough to take part in. The era of thuggery is gone.
– Abdulmalik Hadi Adinoyi
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