Honourable, forgive my decision of writing an open advise housing words meant for only your ears, it’s deliberate but my best wishes to you at all the time!
As you get ready to move into the legislative business, it is probably necessary to remind you that the the assembly complex or its prior replicas had housed both large men and small men. Among the very large giants were Late Rt. Hon Musa Abdullahi, Late Rt Hon Umar Buba Jibril, and Rt. Hon Umar Ahmed Imam. It is not necessary to list the lilliputians. It is up to you to decide which group you want to belong to.
It is general known that politics is a game with a particular and certain interest(s) attach to it. It is the most interested game play by all humans because they are political animals in nature.
In Lokoja, the dice was cast, the game was played and a winner emerged under a very tense show of interest at the last April polls. The battle of interest was well fought, well displayed and the collective decision of the Government prevailed over individual(s) interest. This political struggle of who comes into the assembly witnessed in Lokoja can be said was a healthy one because of the interests every player attached in the struggle to protect.
Hon Isa Umar, congratulations. I celebrate you, I wish you a most successful four years in office. However Sir, I have these few nuggets of advice for you.
Be mindful of the fact that the journey is a tasking one, a tedious voyage of four years by God’s willing. This is to say that you will be driving on many dangerous political pot holes, the journey is certainly going to be on a dead traps, gullible bad roads that need an extra focus and attention from you while driving the legislative seat of the constituency, else you will drive to a direct head collision in trying to negotiates for a good bend.
Hon sir, Lokoja is one of the exceptional few local government with unique political identities right from the first republic to date, it has produced ace politicians, prominent sons and daughters in the front line of the state and country’s affairs of leadership. This is to remind you that, you will be leading a mini Kogi state with much divergence superior interest of all sorts. If you can be a little bit careful of the stony roads of your administration and be aware of the destructive thorny roads that leads you to your four years terms errors and issues of representation and governance can be possibly reduce to a minimal level.
More to this, I wish to say that politics in Lokoja is more than just an interest, it is a modified business to whoever that work for you, they consider it a must rewarding venture. While as a union leader, I have known you to be a man whose principles and ideology to leadership is uncontestable. Now you rode on the good will of your utilized opportunities, and today is a history you are a member representing Lokoja I constituency.
Hon Sir, I’m reminding you that God has placed your steps in the sands of time to begin a journey of four years. This journey is best describe to be like the transahara, transborder and triangular of the ancient slave trade in the cost of Africa. This is where you will see the bad,the good and the ugly of who you are as a Lawmaker representing your people. Like your predecessors, you will become a demagogue, be worshiped by political boot lickers, your days in office will be characterised with busy Legislative activities where political friends and enemies will begin to notice your strengths and weaknesses to either praise or castigate you.
You are honoured above anybody in Lokoja, this is your time and special treatment will be given to you, the truth will scarcely be told to you because sycophancy and praise singing will be an order of the day.
Saboteurs and mischief makers you will unknowingly bring on board as intimate and those that will be brought by political bigwigs to work with you will serve as your enemies within. Knowing how to manage them will be your number one wisdom in your four years of representing Lokoja I constituency.
Sir, I know you were told of all these and vividly aware of the precarious nature of your new office. Like the laws of our lands they must be mentioned at all times to safe a soul. It is a need to tell you again and again because the office you occupies holds the destinies of many people, it is the live wire of thousands of people under your leadership influence, people whose life will be shape by the laws your government have for them.
Your first day in office to a pious man should be a reflection to trust in the powers of a super able God who willed you to the seat. You must take time to Pray to your God to save you from the claws of people around you whose missions are, to destroy and to kill the good plans you have for the people of the constituency for self enrichment or personal gains. Because the points raised and stated above will constitutes part of your era.
Yes, Lokoja as it is always known, a place of pride to all sons and daughters, it is undoubtedly a proverbial gold cost of Ghana, the oil land of Niger Delta to all people in the state. It’s a town where your kinsmen, elites and even the commoners always want to benefit from whatever thing is coming and going out of it. Guard it with all honesty, sincerity. You have to blend your style of leadership to suit everyone, it is a choice you do not have.
Power is transient and transitional in nature,to any good leader, he makes the hays to shine at most beautiful shining glory of his days,take the moment of the hard times and utilize it for the common good of all. It’s scary, never advisable to take this moment for revenge of a sort, or have a representation of vendetta approach, it kills the vision of a visionary leader, witch hunting anyone for whatever reasons is a destructive game of self, as you know Sir in politics there is no just permanent enemies or friend, it is the interest in it that remains permanent. And what goes around comes around.
You will be cruising along side political hyenas, jackals where constructive visionary advise are rarely or scarcely muster out to you. While you open your ears to good advise, challenge and query any of your coadjuntar (aides) if they under performing to meet the expectation.
The journey within the space of four years one cannot totally roll out the possibilities, there could be rising issues which will stand as your stones and thorns. You will definitely stumble your legs on them, they will chock you up even when you have good Laws for the masses. At this point your good intention for the people of Lokoja should be your guiding principle.
The dangers are glaring, I see Isa Umar as a pick up vehicle to board few passengers, while the passengers on ground are for luxurious Bus. Sir I mean the expectations of people of Lokoja I constituency on you are too many, meeting them i can say is an exercise in futility. The scarce resource and the little salary coming takes a prudent leader to combine issues of governance and welfare of the people who with much anticipation want to see you becoming the true ATM they professes you to be.
Sir, at this juncture, I implore you to tap wisdom from your immediate predecessor, Rt. Hon Umar Ahmed Imam, your Brother who i respect in all honesty, his level of humility is scarcely seen closeby, his focus on students, and skills acquisition and empowerment programs during his administration has earned him a good (Pathfinder.) He hardly join issues with anybody, he has done his best, now you have all the coats with you to do your best, I think if you can borrow a clue from his wisdom it will go along way in helping you, after all government is a continue process.
All the same, I can say the work will be a little bit easier for you. You have the experience as a unionist, you have the exposure, you have the confidence to do all the needful in your government and above all you have back up support of Lokoja indigenes because it’s a struggle and a burden to lead people who don’t believe in you.
I wish you the best.
– Abbas Yahaya writes from Sokoto.
