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We have placed our fate in the hands of him that weaved, knitted and keep knitting us into His form as everything seems overwhelming and exhausting, and to by extension imagine that there is no infinitesimic end to all these logjams and unneeded political muscle flexing, gives one a glimpse of considerable despair for a decent and sane society.
The scene we were faced with in Kabba Day – an annual event that celebrates the Owe Aboriginals – people’s cultural heritage and race was one that was most disdainful and regrettable. No sane man would give credence and applause to the destructive end of a program that has ab initio sapped time, energy and resources to put together. No man would stand akimbo and watched the destruction of the celebration of their cultural heritage irrespective of our mind’s leanings and tilting.
We are all called upon to speak in the face of this tragic abnormality and disgraceful condescension which we have glaringly and purposefully seem to have embraced. Before we delve into who were responsible for the violence that breached and took the shine of the much prepared and celebrated Day, we must, first, as a people collectively condemn, disassociate, distance ourselves from that odoriferous show of shame.
The state of our affairs as a Nation and as a State does not warrant such ignominy, as we all know, it was the mantra of ‘CHANGE’ – the break and total departure from the paths, one of which we witnessed yesterday, that ushered in today – this political dispensation. We can’t live now as if that campaign was a mirage of imagination which was never intended, but used to assume power. We can’t insult the sensibility of the people by our today’s actions and inactions.
Since the inception of this democracy, we have come to realise that the true revolution and emancipation is in the enlightenment of our minds, improvement of our characters and our individual, but when our collective liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near. What is the cause of our contemporary pessimism, turbulence and conflicts? Is it individual survival or survival for economic life between groups in politics? Amidst all the parameters that divide us, it is a couched responsibility of every leader to promote harmony in diversity and that since no individual, for or against can express the whole truth, it is essential to treat with understanding and goodwill those whose views differ from our own. It is clear also from our history as a people and what we have passed through as a Country that intolerance is the door to violence and brutality.
To my Owe people and Okun Nation by extension, know that a great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. Love is the most practical thing in the world. To love, to be kind, not to be influenced by people but to think for yourself – these are all very practical things, and they will bring about a practical people. People should be wary of their actions because power dements even more than it corrupts. It will be a mistake and a grave danger to think that the past would be dead after what happened yesterday in Kabba, we know that nothing that has ever happened is quite without influence, especially at this tensed and volatile political moment.
Kabba is not a flashpoint or an epicentre for violence; it is a relative land of peace and peace-loving people. What played out yesterday was alien to the cultural heritage of the Owe speaking people. When we delineate boundaries amongst people prone to violence and peace, Kabba people would be at the fore amongst people notable for peace and its advocacies.
As many have subscribed, I disagree, this is not a prelude to 2019, nothing will happen in 2019 that we have not witnessed and or experienced, but using cultural celebration to show might and influence only makes one weak and small. It doesn’t preach anything other than disregards for the people and their cultural heritage. See folks, to speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves; let us be above such transparent egotism. If you can’t say good and encouraging things, say nothing, it is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
There are many ways to fight Dino, disgracing and contending with him at a cultural function is the least. Those who ill-conceived that idea misfired and miscarried it, Dino came because he had a premonition of what could happen and somehow from his posts on all social Media it was clear he got his pre-emption right. People should know that Dino rarely attends functions he’d not have due advantage. He’s a politician that thinks. He is a politician that calculates. He is a politician that plans and he executes. He takes his time and uses his chance. And somehow everything just falls for him. If you must contend with person like Dino, don’t always put him in the media. That is all he wants. That is all he needs. And that is how he enjoys his game. There is a wise saying – “don’t fight a pig in the mud”.
News of the Governor being in Kabba, with all the security attache and architectures stationed at strategic areas, people still muscled up to cause chaos is despicable on the part of securities. Such shouldn’t happen, not when the State Government has assured the good people of Kogi State couple of days back of adequate security, protection of lives and properties, and some distance away from the Governor, was major a chaos and it prevented him from making his presence into the venue of a program he left the State Capital for. This cannot happen! It shouldn’t stand.
Enough of these continuous embarrassments! The Governor deserves better than what he’s being served. For whatever reasons, those miscreants are not enough to stop the Governor from gracing Kabba Day. Not when he’s blocks away from the venue. Unless some self assumed political Lords tactically meander the Governor away from Kabba Town to make it look like “haven’t we told you? These people don’t like you”. Unless you have not met the Governor face to face, he is a good man. They should stop making it look like he’s not loved by the people. The Governor should be set free to mingle and interact with the people. This cage is exhausting. The People Love their Governor! There is no iota of barricade and fencing that will make the governor look like a bad man.
We know he’s a good man. Set him free!! He is too isolated from the people!! This disconnection is doing a lot of damages to his image.
How can the Governor be less known in terms of impacts compared to his subordinates? And rather than ascribe all accolades to the principal, every other subordinates is priding on it as if it’s their achievements and not that of the Governor. When things go bad all the blame falls on the Governor, but everything goes right, you won’t see them mention the governor for praise, how long shall we continue on this path of nothingness an eye-service… shioor.. ‘yeye de smell’.
The Governor is not a Governor for some and few, but for all. Those close to him should make telling the truth the oxygen they breath. Telling your boss the truth unblemished as we know in a political world is the absolute loyalty.
Those who have worn the garb of monopolised violence should continue, if history has not taught them a bitter lesson, posterity is like a menstruation with its pain, it will come at the appropriate time with all its flows. They should continue. There is always a time for recompense, it may take time but it shall come. People will get paid for every work done. That is Nature and it is natural.
In the end, of all these things we are priding ourselves on, the only thing we would all the remembered for is the love we have shown. The gifts we gave and not the reward we received.
– Francis Henry Folaranmi writes from Lokoja
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