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By Zacchaeus Ozovehe.
It was indeed a triumphant entry into Okene for Alhaji Yakubu Oseni (AYO), the candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kogi Central Senatorial District when teeming supporters thronged out in their thousands to welcome him to his constituency recently.
Having emerged victorious in a keenly contested primary election in the area on 3rd October, 2018, Alhaji Yakubu Oseni had earlier extended the olive branch to other contestants in his quest to evolve models for effective representation which he lamented has been elusive of the area in the previous democratic dispensations. While seeking the support of co-aspirants, he had declared, ‘no Victor, no vanquish’, an indication that he is not under the illusion that he can win the election without their support. For him, a tree does not make a forest.
In the spirit of grassroots consultation and reverence to traditional institution, Alhaji Yakubu Oseni had penultimate weekend led his team on a visit to Sarikin Hausawa, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Baba Yusuf Saleh for royal blessings. The palace of Sarkin Hausawa came alive with members of Hausa community in Ebiraland showing their unflinching support for the candidacy of Alhaji Yakubu Oseni.
Flanked by Governor Yahaya Bello’s Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs, Hon. Kabiru Aliyu Onyene, APC candidates for Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency, Hon. Ibrahim Usman and Muktar Bajeh, Okehi Local Government State Assembly, Alhaji Yakubu Oseni reflected on the long-standing relationship between the Hausa community and Ebira people since the first republic. He extolled the virtues of sincerity, uprightness and commitment of Hausa people in dealing with other people. AYO which in Yoruba means joy is perhaps an apparent reference to the fact that the candidate would be a purveyor of joy.
The governing All Progressives Congress according to the Senatorial aspirant, has been working tooth and nail to remedy the anomalies which the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) plunged the country into for 16 years of misrule. To this end, President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello in the last three years have been relentless in their efforts to redirect the country and Kogi State on the path of socio-economic prosperity through workable solutions and they therefore need re-election in 2019 for consolidation.
The revered monarch, HRH Alhaji Baba Yusuf Saleh profusely appreciated his guests for the recognition of the electoral values of Hausa community in Ebiraland. He recounted with consternation that it was only during the reign of current the chairman of Kogi Central Elders Advisory Committee, Alhaji Yahaya Karaku as the then executive chairman of Okene Local Government Area that Hausa community in Ebiraland was recognised with an appointment. The alleged neglect did not deter them from contributing their quota to the development of their host community. The stool of Sarikin Hausawa according to credible sources in the palace has outlived many political dispensations but remained ungraded until the recent benevolent gesture of the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello. For this reason, the Hausa people seemed resolved to show their unflinching support for the continuity quest of the administrations of President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Yahaya Bello and election of all candidates on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Since democracy is popularly believed to be a game of number, certain primordial factors have always been very key to electoral fortune of candidates in Kogi Central Senatorial District. Polarisation along religious line, unlike in other places, has never been given prominence in Ebiraland but clannish sentiments and alignment can make or mar candidates. In Adavi Local Government Area, Uka clan is always revered to be deciding factor of the direction of vote and no candidate would like to toy with that. Apart from Ogori/Magongo, the rest four local government areas that constituted Kogi Central have appreciable presence of Ezi-Uka. In Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area for instance, Uka clan is the most dominant. It is recognition of this that Alhaji Yakubu Oseni took out his time to meet with the Uka Women Group in Adavi Local Government Area to intimate them of his ambition and curry their support.
The matron of the women group, Hajia Oreyi Anda admonished Alhaji Yakubu Oseni to follow the path of peace in his quest to represent the people at the National Assembly. Adavi Uka Women Group prides itself of assured electoral victory for all candidates it has endorsed in the past and Alhaji Yakubu Oseni’s senatorial bid which has received a positive nod would not be different. A former chairman of Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and pioneer chairman Uka Youth Group in Adavi, Hon. Ibrahim Abdulrahim eulogised the decision of Alhaji Yakubu Oseni to seek endorsement of the group which he said has network across the five local government areas of the zone. The slogan of the All Progressives Congress is ‘change’. Hon. Abdulrahim wants Alhaji Oseni to create that change in the Red Chamber. Change from docile to active representation, change from favouritism, nepotism to legislation that has direct bearing on the constituents. All these with the revival of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex, according to the group, are the earnest yearning of the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District who have been unfortunate with ‘I concur’ type of leaders at the Senate in recent time.
On the revival of Ajaokuta Steel Complex, Alhaji Yakubu Oseni dismissed as a mere wishful thinking of any politician who may claim to have the sole wisdom to revive the steel complex. Issues pertaining to the steel complex according to him need a systematic, diplomatic and technical approach, a course which Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has been unrelentingly pursuing. The recent visit of all Kogi State APC National Assembly candidates to the Federal Ministry of Mine and Steel Development, in the views of Alhaji Oseni was to establish a sustainable template for the steel complex to bounce back to life as against playing on ignorance of the people by some gullible and unscrupulous politicians in Kogi Central.
Alhaji Oseni, a successful banker and Tax Administrator is poised to break some jinxes in the political trajectory of Ebiraland especially Adavi Local Government Area. The people of the council were hitherto reckoned to always be parallel with the ruling political party in the state.
However, Alhaji Yakubu Oseni had in partnership with the Adavi Local Government Area Administrator, Hon Joseph Salami unraveled the remote cause of the frosty relationships which had depleted the electoral fortune of the then ruling parties in the state. The reason for this was laid bared at last; some sections of the society, the artisans have constantly been neglected for years. The duo of Alhaji Yakubu Oseni and Hon Joseph Salami had as their guests, representatives of over forty artisan groups at the local government secretariat, Ogaminana.
The artisans, through their chairman Mr Ezzu Umar said aside recent multiple taxation, there has been misappropriation of empowerment schemes meant for them in the past. He lamented further that distribution of empowerment items like sewing machine, motorcycle, grinding machine, hair clippers and others which ought to be channeled through their respective association are always hijacked by unintended beneficiaries at their detriment. This unwholesome scenario of rubbing Peter to pay Paul and neglect have over the years deepened mutual suspicion between artisans who constitute about 60% electorate and the government.
Members of this informal sector of the economy however heaved a sigh of relief when Alhaji Yakubu Oseni, Hon. Joseph Salami and a host of other APC candidates in the area vowed that if given the support solicited by the APC, the age long neglect suffered by the group would be rectified.
The APC Senatorial candidate, Alhaji Oseni however pledged that good business environment and soft loans from national and international donors would be facilitated to meet the artisans in due course when elected. While he bemoaned the alleged multiple taxation, Alhaji Oseni noted that tax payers could officially their complaints to them and model of tax payment that is convenient for the artisans.
He appreciated the artisans and the people of Kogi Central for diligent payment of their taxes which had resulted to infrastructural development like revival of Okene Waterworks, rehabilitation of Obehira-Okengwe-Adavi-Ihima roads where he had earlier performed on-the-spot assessment.
Alhaji Oseni’s meeting with the artisans alongside other political appointees in the area was described by many as being unprecedented and rewarding. The excited Adavi Local Government Administrator, Hon. Salami enthused that the APC has already won about 65% polls in the area as a result of the overwhelming support of the artisans. Drawing inspiration from unbiased and detribalised leadership qualities of Governor Yahaya Bello, the council boss reiterated, that he would continue to fashion out policies that will unite all the sections of the society.
In Kogi Central, the die is cast as the race for the Senatorial seat gathers momentum each passing day. The Central Senatorial seat in the views of many observers, has never been this keenly contested in the annals of the zone. The key players are Alhaji Yakubu Oseni, Barr Natasha Akpoti and Senator Salawu Ahmed Ogembe of the All Progressives Congress, Social Democratic Party and People’s Democratic Party respectively. Time and tide would tell who occupies the coveted seat come 2019.
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