Spread the love
The Akeweje of Ayere land, Kingsley Fanwo, has called on the electorate from Kogi West district to select leaders based on capacity and capabilities. In an interview with Kogireports.com, the Mopamuro-born politician spoke on the zoning arrangement of political offices in Kogi West.
Three months ago, you joined the race to represent Yagba Fed. Constituency in the House of Representatives but pulled out barely two months after. What informed your decisions?
When I came out, I was focused on the need to provide purposeful representation to my people. However along the line, I saw the other perspectives. I am a very strategic official of Government. When you hold a pillar, it will be dangerous to abandon the pillar which serve the general to erect another one which serves a section.
My intention was to serve. So it was easy for me to stand down the ambition and support the strengthening of my party to win all the 2019 elections. I will support anyone who picks the ticket of our great party.
Having stepped out of the Yagba Reps race, what’s your assessment of the aspirants vying for party’s sole ticket viz-a-viz your vision for Yagba land?
Both of them are competent enough to represent Yagba in the House of Reps. I wouldn’t have pulled out if I wasn’t convinced of their capabilities. They have their programs but I will also have conversation with them to share my ideas about how I think we should be represented. It is a family show as both are from Takete Ide Amuro. There is no tension between them and I can assure you they will work together even after the primaries.
There is a raging controversy over zoning arrangement. Some argue that it is the turn of Amuro, in Mopamuro LGA, to produce the next Reps member while some claim it is the turn of Oke-Oyi in Yagba East. What is your take on this?
I think both Amuro and Oke Oyi can fairly lay claims to it. But we shouldn’t forget that Yagba West caused the whole confusion by not relinquishing it in 2015. If Yagba wants justice, we should ask when even our internal arrangement was abrogated on the alter of selfishness.
You mean Yagba West is guilty of what they accuse Ijumu of in respect of Kogi West Senate seat?
Yes. I stand to be corrected. After Hon Aro’s tenure in 2007, we wanted it to come back to Mopamuro. But they said the person picked last should pick first in the next round. Both Aro and Karimi contested and Karimi won. Instead of it to come to Yagba East in 2015, Karimi bastardized the arrangement by re-contesting. They did three terms instead of two. Mopamuro’s turn should actually be now ordinarily.
Where do you stand on the much touted ‘Yagba Agenda’ ?
I am a Yagba man. I want the best for my people. I recently wrote a piece in which I clearly made my stand known. Okun is a big village. We are one people. If I support any Yagba person, it should be because of his or her capacity and not basically because he or she is Yagba. Let us look at capacity and capabilities. Let us look at life-long opportunities that can transform Kogi West as a people. We do not necessarily have to vote based on a sectional agenda.
Our aspirants should tell us how they can fix our roads when elected. Federal House of Reps seat is entirely ours. What have we done with it? How have they helped us? Hon Samuel Aro did well through empowerment. But what can Karimi show us he did for our people? These are the questions we need to ask.
Won’t it be beneficial to even Yagba if we elect someone who will command respect and influence on the floor to fix our roads and give us more Federal projects? We need to kill this parochialism before it kills us. Let us sit down and think deeply and determine what we actually want.
We have to redefine the agenda to Okun Agenda. We cannot afford to fan the embers of divisions and parochialism. In the Okun Agenda, all Okuns are the same and the interest of Okun will be the interest of Owe, Ijumu, Gbede, Yagba, Bunu and even Oworo.
Spread the love
