Award in this context I will define; to give, assign or bestow as due or merited. This piece was provoked by the deluge of awards to people especially political office holders particularly during the Yuletide. It came garbed in several nomenclature, shapes and sizes with the spouses not spared the award tsunami. As the true meaning of the word is indicated earlier, anything given, assigned or bestowed must be merited. As a stickler for standard in all things especially measure of performance, what becomes bothersome is not the recipients or the givers but the quality of measure side by side the agony of many in the state.
This is not in any way meant to denigrate many even in government who truly deserve to be honoured for diligence in performance of responsibility or service to humanity but when essence is absent in any concept it becomes bereft of value.
Against the backdrop of the state of affairs in Kogi state, awards, if any ought to be scarce and stingily doled out.
One can count on the fingers of one hand those who have really been the light in darkness as far as the composition of the administration is concerned.
When people are made to cross certain threshold in penury, sense of value and judgment not only become cloudy but warped.
Considering what we know that awards are more than the plaques, card and papers; can the various donors we honestly say the citations on the symbols of award is the true representation of the recipients and can the recipients in all sincerity say they deserve to be honoured?
On a general note, does it add up to honour anyone especially political officials for performance of duties they are heavily remunerated while still in office?
Particularly in Kogi state now, is it not a oddity to be displaying, doling and accepting awards in the atrophied atmosphere unpaid salaries and pensions have engendered?
As I stated earlier, lack induced hunger will strip almost any man of dignity and self-esteem. The sheer number or paucity in the impoverishment tagged stomach infrastructure is an exhibition of the collapse of a system meant to give succour. Grown ups are now emergency almajiris in 21st century democratic Kogi state because of callous and inept leadership.
Apologies to the Awards Entrepreneurs but this is just the truth. When the agony is reduced and trauma removed from the lives of majority, then we can rejoice and honour those really deserving but not in the midst of the gloom tainted with untimely and avoidable deaths caused by twisted sense of value; is nothing but self deception.
No administration in the history of Kogi state has the fortune to have received so much within such a short period and it’s saddening to see potential for greatness frittered on frivolities. Involvement of state officials in this awards bazaar is akin to fiddling while the state is in flames. The time to do things differently is now for the sake of our people.
– Aiyenigba Olalekan
