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I am overwhelmed by the reactions in the form of phone calls, SMS and inbox messages as well as the commentaries that followed my post of last week on the choice for ECHOCHO 2019 Senatorial mandate. I sincerely appreciate all.
However, let us not stop the eagerness, love, prayers, desires and support for ECHOCHO Senatorial mandate at the levels of the social media. This is because there is no polling unit where electorates can cast their votes on any of the social media platforms, at least for now.
Arising from the post under reference, numerous sons and daughters in categorical terms further attested to ECHOCHO good deeds during his banking working career.
Specific mention was made of;
1. Numerous job opportunities in the bank and beyond.
2. Facilitated the establishment of Branches of then “Afri Bank” now “Sky Bank” across the Kogi East.
3. Scholarship for sons and daughters of Kogi East.
4. Built standard schools (primary and secondary) across Kogi East.
5. Built mosques and churches across Kogi East.
6. Sponsored countless people to hajj for pilgrimage.
7. Bought Tractors and seedlings for farmers, most of whom are doing great now.
8. Carter for the needs of the widows, widowers and orphans across Kogi East.
9. Built residential apartments for numerous people across Kogi East.
10. Bought cars for numerous people across Kogi East.
11. Gave contract and provided business opportunities for numerous people across Kogi East.
These are just few by a man who was never an MD/CEO of the private establishment he worked.
My critical mind prompted me to ask if he was extending those generous gestures to our people because he was nurturing any political ambition. The prompt answer I got was NO. That ECHOCHO by his nature can empty his pocket for charity.
It was based on his excellent academic and working careers crowned by his exemplary and extraordinary generosity that prompted some of the direct beneficiaries of his good deeds to besieged and pressurized him into joining the political fray. ECHOCHO as I was reliably informed, reluctantly accepted.
Indeed, that was the beginning of ECHOCHO in Kogi State politics. When he first contested to become the Kogi State Governor in 2011, the support was extremely overwhelming from the masses except some political merchants and elite that felt threatened by his popularity and acceptance.
That those elite worked against ECHOCHO ambition after his emergence as PDP Governorship candidate in 2011, awaiting to succeed former Governor Ibrahim Idris before Court judgement later elongated the tenure is no longer news.
However, many may not be aware of how some people pretending to be closed to ECHOCHO stole his phone and took same to the then “Oga at the top” and dissected all his conversations with the people within and outside the Cabinet to convince Ibro of how ECHOCHO was not going to be a loyal successor that must be stopped by all means.
Based on the atrocities, the 2011 PDP mandate that was freely given to ECHOCHO was not only withdrawn using “politico – legal” means, he was also denied the opportunity after.
Ibro who was used to perpetuate the injustice against ECHOCHO had since realized his mistakes. That was why he supported ECHOCHO Governorship bids in 2015 but couldn’t withstand the “Government backed” Wada candidate whom he also earlier brought against ECHOCHO through the instrumentality of his “Government”.
The same government instruments that Ibro used to bring Wada on board was the same instruments he used to shut his benefactor’s candidate out of the scheme in 2015. That is politics for you. No wonder late Prince Audu reportedly said that, “they don’t send someone to be Governor on one’s behalf”.
All through, in the bid to reclaim his stolen 2011 mandate, ECHOCHO was in and out of Courts severally to the Supreme Court. During that period, the Kogi East political merchants, financially milked and drained the man.
In fact, the little the man suppose use with his family was again drained from him with the 2015 PDP mandate dashed hope by the Kogi East political merchants.
From the above, it is clearer why ECHOCHO was more or less frustrated out of the PDP and decided to pinch his political tent with the late Prince Abubakar Audu in APC.
Like his 2011 predicaments, ECHOCHO was more or less closer to becoming Governor of Kogi State before the demise of Audu dashed the insinuated political hope.
After the demise of Audu, as faithful party man, he was part of the team that was pursuing the realization of the Audu “mandate”, until it became clearer that there is a huge difference between “wishful” thinking and “reality”.
Unfortunately, as at the time ECHOCHO was following “Prof” Isah up and down during the struggle, the political merchants does not view that as reducing himself “very low” as been echoed in the case of his relationship with Edward Onoja. That is by the way.
I am perturbed that our Kogi East political merchants and e – renters who invited ECHOCHO into politics and ruined him financially have decided to turn against him in his Senatorial ambition comes 2019.
I am particularly worried that those people now insult ECHOCHO
1. From the houses he personally built for them.
2. From the cars he personally bought for them.
3. The mosque ECHOCHO built for them is now Centre of gossiping against him.
4. The “Alhajis” and the “Hajiyas” through ECHOCHO are now against him.
5. In fact, those he empowered with job opportunities and contracts with assets here and there are now ECHOCHO haters.
6. Very ridiculous are those that ECHOCHO paid their school fees through his scholarship schemes are now “educationally” equipped to insult ECHOCHO.
Even as I am aware that there is no morality in politics, I dare ask, where is the MORALITY in us?
That ECHOCHO refuses to jump boat and decided to pinch tents with his APC party man Governor Yahaya Bello which some political merchants and e – renters considered as his undoing, to me, is his greatest strength as someone that have exemplified the needed humility for leadership in our dear state.
Again, by pinching tents with Governor Yahaya Bello his APC party leader, is a pointer of his detribalized qualities required for a united Kogi State that is meant for all tribes to govern.
In all of these, it is clear that ECHOCHO needs selfless support from all men of good will that either benefited from him directly and indirectly for him to emerge as our Senator in 2019. He has paid his dues!!!
It is only through this type of gestures that we can encourage others to emulate ECHOCHO to continue to do good. Because doing good is good for today and tomorrow.
As you are aware, ECHOCHO is capable in all standard and ramifications. He is educated, experienced, disciplined and generous to all.
As a matter of fact, I only met ECHOCHO once in my life time, briefly within 5 minutes and I have never benefited directly from him in my entire life.
However, his case is about talking to the MORALITY in us against incessant quest for materialism from the targeted well to do personalities whom after luring them into politics and “milked” them “dry” and not only dump them but turned them to object of insults.
While calling on all ECHOCHO supporters to join our “ECHOCHO NEIGHBOUR- NEIGBOUR” campaign support group, on my parts alongside with other likes mind, we have perfected arrangements to brand 9 cars – 1 per LGA for this project. We are seriously mobilizing to do more!
I call on all of us to deploy the little resource at our disposal for this selfless project for the sake of having humanity in us.
For those of us that are working outside Kogi State, let us begin to make arrangements to fix our annual leave towards the election period so that we can be part of this UJA ACHE project.
The difference between us and the political merchants is that, we are politically grounded and grassroots- rooted with selfless support base for our qualified and preferred candidate(s). We are also far beyond mere social media “ranting” and “dry-milking” of the supposedly preferred candidate(s).
This is UJA ACHE, let us join hands together for ECHOCHO 2019.
God bless Kogi East and Kogi State at large!
– Usman Ogbo PhD
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