The longstanding quest for unity among the clans and political groups in Kogi Central Senatorial District and other parts of Kogi State continues to receive major boost as the Governor Yahaya Bello led administration have made some tremendous efforts to maintain peace and stability in the state.
A major change that shows this landmark achievement is the fact that people now freely move all over the state without the fear of being attacked by criminals. More than ever before, the Yahaya Bello administration has set a pace of achievement in security, a feat that the next government to be elected in 2023 must work very hard to sustain.
It must be said that the huge success of the Yahaya Bello administration in the area of peace and security has led to the establishment of businesses, thereby making Kogi State a hub of commercial activities while improving the standard of living for the electorate.
Very importantly, because Kogi State totally keyed into the Federal Government’s policy of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ announced by the presidency in 2017, a progressive paradigm shift has been made in the state especially in Kogi Central Senatorial District that has become a chief source of Internally Generated Revenue IGR for the state.
However, one thing that still undermines the effort being made to sustain peace and economic development in Kogi Central is the politics characterized by clannish sectionalism.
I wish to reiterate the fact that there are no registered political parties called Okovi party or Agada party. While doing this, I strongly appeal to the conscience of the bad eggs amongst us to desist from actions capable of jeopardizing the efforts being made by government to secure sustainable peace and security in Kogi Central and other part of the state.
It is very sad to know that some individuals or group of people are committed to misleading other people for their selfish reasons! I ask: Why must few element embark on selfish project that will divide us, why, why, why?
Irrespective of clannish and political affiliation, the illustrious sons and daughters of Kogi Central must protect the political values and ideologies of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello who has strongly instructed elders statesmen to eliminate the clannish politics, stating that the unity and oneness of the people is preferred.
We must never forget the very bad economic and social consequences of clannish politics suffered by Kogi Central between year 2000and 2009 that left Ebiraland completely devastated.
We must not let that happen again. I am sure that no patriot will be in a hurry to forget the deaths and pains recorded at the time.
I vividly recall the agonies which clannish politics brought upon us in the past, at least, the memory of one and half years political/clannish crisis 2007-2009 should still be very fresh in our minds.
The preaching of clannish and sectional politics is becoming rampant in recent times, and must be stopped.
Last week, some elements tried to re-introduce clannish ward meeting for political purposes, even at Okene central market.
I use this medium to urge the executive governor of Kogi state, Alh Yahaya Bello to take a bold step to deal with those preaching sectional politics, warn people of the district to stop preaching divisive politics.
It may also be recalled that on August 22, 2019, the leaders of Okovi Clan presented their request to his Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello. The Okovi leaders said, “It is the turn of Okovi people.” However, upon the governor’s advise, some decided to parley up with PDP to ignore his advise.
I want to remind those behind this move to retrace their steps because this is how 2007-2009 political/clannish crisis was brought to stand. We don’t want the return of the gory days of war, unhappiness, maiming, chaos and destruction of lives and properties.
There is currently tension in the land as a result of clannish sentimental with the intent of dividing and causing disharmony between the son and daughter of Adayi Uga. Similar issue rose between the Agada and Okovi in 2011.
With the increasing sentiments of clannish and sectionalism politics in Okene is on the rise, it is about time that government acts to discourage the menace in order to avoid the recurrence of anarchy in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
– El-Okene Adabara Abduljelil
