The former commissioner of information in Kogi state, Hon. Tom Ohikere has called on the people of Kogi central to forgive him for not living upto expectation when he served the state.
Hon. Tom Ohikere told his facebook friend yesterday saying his zeal to protect the interest of his master made him to neglect his own community and with this attitude he was unable to attract state government presence to Kogi central, a place where he hailed from.
Hon. Tom Ohikere served as Commissioner of information during former Governor of Kogi state, Idris Ibrahim for two years. It was during this period the state in conjunction with federal government made effort to site NTA television station across the nation.
Hon Tom. Ohikere had privilege of using his state influence to ensure the completion of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in Okene and failed to do it.
The equipment for the Television station is presently in Okene and none of the politicians in the area has made concerted effort to ensure its completion.
His words: ‘In my interactions online in the last 2 years, some persons have always said that I made some mistakes while serving as the Commissioner of Information for the second term in office of Alh. Ibrahim Idris as the Executive Governor of Kogi State’.
‘I am human, with flesh and blood. One thing that is very common and it’s no secret to every human being is the ability to offend people or make mistakes. I made my own kind of mistakes as the Commissioner of Information. I want to seize this opportunity online to tell some people in Kogi who felt offended to forgive me to have fallen short of some of their expectations’.
‘Like I took certain decisions to market the policies, activities and achievements of the administration beyond even the expectations of some of us then. It was because I was thirsty to appreciate “Ibro” for the appointment which I saw as a measure of resurrection of Ohikere’s political dynasty. I was carried away in my attempt to give gratitude to Ibrahim Idris, in service to the people of Kogi State’.
‘In the course of the foregoing, I stepped on toes, so many toes! Is it when certain groups were expecting me to make self beneficial public comments on the location of the Federal University and the NNPC petroleum refinery? I had to do my job to the condemnation of a pocket of people.
‘I have resolved to put this straight in order to correct the avoidable mistakes of some of our men in government today. From my present understanding, you cannot please everybody at a time, but you can please your master by striking a balance between the government and the people for posterity. Government is about the people!’
Reacting to his plea, Muhammad Seidkuti Aboki Onota said, it is too late for him to ask for forgiveness while Jatto Danbello was of the view that his pleas is highly articulate.
Mr George Ezeh on his part said, Hon. Tom is right as it is very difficult to please everybody. He noted that for him to come out openly and said, he erred when he served the state, it implies he is a man of conscience.
‘You are right. You did well. Don’t mind what people say because like u rightly said, you cannot please all. Once your conscience is satisfied in what you did, let people’s opinion remain with them. Ok’.
‘James Emmanuelotori also said: ‘Anyway you might offend others but me as the son of the same soil, you don’t do anything bad. But ask yourself this question. Ask a Commissioner of Information what message have i brought to my people? What have I done for people to be remembered of? Did i serve my people or myself and family? Will my past qualify me for the future? Will i be voted for again? Will people stand by me or against? Think about it sir.’
Ibrahim Enesi Abdullahi Find responded: ‘See my people; we shouldn’t blame Hon. Tom Ohikere because the work of an information officer is always full of lies. He must be a good man for him to have acknowledged that he did avoidable mistakes just to promote his master. We have many of them who never know that they wronged Ebiraland and they don’t care or give a damn. At least, Hon. Tom has conscience. Please he is our Father, we should not over-flog him’.
Abdulganiyu Adeiza Aliyu while responding to his plea demanded explanation from Hon Ohikere on what hamper Radio kogi Otite from working. He demanded to know whether it was an orchestrated design of former governor, Idris Ibrahim or a part played by him, Hon Tom Ohikere.
Hon. Tom Ohikere responded that he made radio otite work for some time, but it was vandalized. He fixed a new Tranformer,repaired the transmitters and the generator. He added that radio otite is on analogue transmitters which must give way for digitized systems before 2015. The cost analysis and approval of the new idea was on his table before he left office. There is more to the poor working of otite radio than meet the eyes, he remarked.
– By Shaibu Stephen Ojate
