A few questions keep bothering my mind about Okun generally. Our people are dying of hunger and starvation yet none of our leaders has enough courage to speak out openly. They prefer to lament and wail secretly but they will never come to the open.
My question is this: If Senator SB Awoniyi. Chief SB Daniyan, Arc Olorunfemi, etc were alive today, would they keep quiet about the plights of workers in Kogi today? What would likely be their reactions?
I have read the responses of former Governors, Alh Ibrahim Idris and that of Capt. Idris Wada one time or the other. But how many Okun leaders have come out openly to condemn what is going on in Kogi today?
Many of our leaders prefer to be pursuing aspirants up and down begging for positions instead of providing good leadership to their people. They forgot that power belongs to God alone.
Some others are benefitting secretly and as such would not want to be associated with any anti government comments.
Okun leaders have suddenly lost their voices when they should speak truth to power. Someday, sooner than later, the whole truth will come to the open and Okun will know whether it has credible leaders or not.
Honesty, I don’t know how some people sleep well when workers and pensioners are not paid for two or three or more months consecutively.
How do we expect them to survive,? Go and steal? Or go and die? Hmmmmm!.
Those who venture into farming are in perpetual fear of being killed on the farm by Fulani herdsmen. So I ask again, where do we go from here?
But I know that when we get to a very hopeless situation such as we are presently, God in His divine and infinite mercy will proffer solutions.
The Bible in the book of Daniel Chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar in great wealth and opulence asked in pride, deride and disdain: “Who is that God that will deliver you from my hands?” The three poor slaves Jews replied and said, “Our God whom we serve, shall deliver us from your hands, O King”.
That same God is still alive. He will deliver Kogi workers and pensioners from depression, starvation, oppression, rejection, dejection and even death.
I know that many of you can no longer eat without scavenging, some can not pay school fees of their children, many of our women have become prostitutes in order to feed.
So many in anger and agony daily wet their pillows with tears asking God to help them. I say to you all, please don’t give up. God hears. Suicide is not an option. Believe that the same God of old will deliver you.
To worsen matter, the traditional institutions which should have been our last hope, are also decaying. Our monarchs are now cajoled or coaxed or tempted by very temporal things such as higher upgradings of their stools, monetary inducements, cars and houses.
Our monarchs forgot the injunction “seek ye first the kingdom of your people its welfare, happiness and righteousness and all others things shall be added unto thee”.
Of course, we are aware that some of our highly respected obas have suddenly become government appointees.
This is our story and this is our song. In all of these, our hope “is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness…”. Those who know this song should join me sing it now and always until this ranging storm in Kogi State is over.Yes, we shall overcome! Tough time never last but tough people do!!!
– Cdr Folusho Daniel(rtd)
