- NO PROPER STAKEHOLDERS MEETING HELD AS DIRECTED BY YOUR EXCELLENCY
Our Dear Governor, Your Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello,
Compliments of the season, it is our prayer that the New Year will usher in a new beginning of greatness in your life and that of Kogi State.
Let us begin by asking you to forgive us for communicating with you through this rather unorthodox medium but we have no other way of reaching you as we fear that a letter and communication to your office in Lugard House, Lokoja may never make it past your Chief of Staff to your desk.
Such is the gravity of unfolding events in the ruling All Progressive Congress in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area that is why we are constrained to ensure that you hear some home truths that will never be said to you by the leaders of the party in the local government.
First, the message of this open letter represents the popular opinions of the majority members of the party in Kabba-Bunu, hence it has become imperative to let you know before it is too late.
You may wish to know that Commander Jerry Omodara, the State Security Adviser, Matthew Kolawole, former Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Wemi Jones, Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Hon Seyi Bello, Member Representing Kabba-Bunu, Hon Moses Olorunleke immediate past Chairman of Kabba-Bunu Local Government and a few others deliberately ignored and disregarded your directive to convene a Stakeholders meeting to select the most suitable individual for the Caretaker Chairmanship and the Committee members because of their personal and self centered interests that may have bad effects on the party going forward.
Your Excellency sir, as we speak majority of the stakeholders in the local government are in the dark of what is happening in the selection of who to govern them at the local government level which is most critical in the life span of any administration; no information at all.
Sir, it will interest you to know that Commander Jerry Omodara only called a few individuals who according to him are the persons he considers Stakeholders despite some of them not even knowing how elections are won in their units and wards into a meeting in his office in Government House, Lokoja without involving those that have been working for the overall success of the party since 2015.
According to our source, Commander Omodara deliberately did that to serve some ulterior interests believing that opening the process to the entire stakeholders in Kabba-Bunu may not serve his interest, making people who just joined the party a few weeks before the Governorship Election of November 11, more important than those that have been consistent in winning their units and wards since the party came on board in Kogi state, sir, it is very painful.
Hon. Owoniyi Femi Stephen Omoga, who is currently serving as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor is of the same family with the former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole who just completed two tenures of 8 years cannot be considered because of equity, fairness and justice.
Also it is also good to note that Barrister Zacchaeus Dare Michael, the incumbent Executive Secretary of Kogi State Disability Commission did not signify any intention to contest for the Chairmanship position and if he is being considered without the real stakeholders involvement, then the party might suffer it. It is a known fact that the Barrister Dare Michael is from Bolorunduro/Odoakete ward but how APC as a party do win election there is not without the giant efforts of the Omodo family, hence if the slot is given to the ward then it shouldn’t be Barrister Dare Michael, as that may work against the party in the nearest future.
It is on record that in any of the elections held from 2015 to the recent ones, Bolorunduro/Odoakete ward used to be the first followed by Otu ward in Kabba District on the performance list and since Hon. Owoniyi Femi Stephen Omoga is the only contestant from Bolorunduro/Odoakete ward and base on the fact that he is from the same family with the immediate past Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole who just completed two tenures of 8 years in the House of Assembly, then it is logical to give the Chairmanship slot to Otu ward who has been consistent in winning elections for the APC.
Sir, it will be wise for the party under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello and the incoming Administration of Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman not to listen to some individuals who cannot add one vote to the overall success of the APC, that if truly the template is for the individual that win his unit and ward, then Otu ward should not be robbed having been consistent in winning even as it is hard for others to win.
Despite some individuals whose anti party activities is well known are now clamoring for zoning because they want the party not to win again in Kabba, an arrangement that sent the main opposition of the People’s Democratic Party off the track in Kabba district and the entire local government is being introduced to destroy All Progressives Congress as a party in the area because they are not happy seeing young men holding positions of responsibility as it was a taboo during their days in the PDP to see such happen.
Your Excellency sir, we are surprised to see Commander Omodara and Hon Wemi Jones working with some individuals who paraded themselves as Stakeholders yet they don’t know how APC used to win its elections at their various units and wards.
Sir, it is good to give respect that is due to the traditional rulers but it is also necessary to do that without any injury to the party structures as the traditional rulers don’t normally go to the polling centers on elections day and it is even on record that some of the monarchs collected money from the PDP candidate and even fought APC agent at the polling unit.
We will crave your indulgence sir, to leave the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi out of politics as the enormous task of maintaining peace in his domain is being eroded due to his undue interference in political activities especially as it relates to the selection of Caretaker Committee members. We are not against him, but it is detrimental to the culture and traditions of Kabba (Owe) and Okun nation to see that the respected stool of the Chairman, Okun Area Traditional Council is being rubbish on political grounds.
Sir, there are many issues he needs to attend to culturally and traditionally especially as it relates to maintaining peace among his kinsmen, domain and even filling some vacant stools in Okunland. That should be more of the focus of his core duties as a traditional ruler not as a politician.
It is also good to note that since the Kabiyesi came on board as the Obaro of Kabba in 2018, he is only bother about his immediate Ijemu family, as it is on records that all his nominations begining from 2019 till date are of his Ijemu blood, even that of Barrister Zacchaeus Dare Michael, he claimed to be supporting despite he did not show any interest to contest for chairmanship.
Your Excellency, our prayers:
A fresh stakeholders meeting be convened where all the stakeholders from the nine wards in Kabba will discuss and agree on a workable candidate among those that signified their intentions in Kabba before moving to the Kabba-Bunu enlarged stakeholders meeting to ratify whoever emerges from the Kabba District stakeholders meeting.
Your Excellency should invite all APC stakeholders from Kabba-Bunu to Lugard House as you did for the Bassa local government area, if not APC as a party might not have it funny in the nearest elections.
That it is only through this, you can help our great party in the local government if not, though we know Commander Jerry Omodara and former Speaker, Matthew Kolawole will never tell you this.
Thank you, sir, Your Excellency.
Signed:
Isaac Adeyemi
For: Concerned Progressives Members
Cc.
His Excellency,
Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, OFR,
National Chairman,
All Progressives Congress
His Excellency,
Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman,
Kogi State Governor-Elect
Hon. Abdullahi Bello Dollar,
State Chairman,
All Progressives Congress, Kogi Chapter
Hon. Durosimi Meseko,
Deputy National Publicity Secretary,
All Progressives Congress,
Hon. Abolarin Anjorin,
Zonal Chairman,
All Progressives Congress,
Kogi West Senatorial District
Department of State Security
Kabba-Bunu local government
