Pioneer Chief Executive Officer of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Barrister Babatunde Irukera, has declared that if the clamour and quest to have an Okun person as Kogi State Governor is based only on entitlement, then it is not worth the while.
He stated this during a recent discourse on Okun Patriots’ Personality Interactive Session.
He opined that at the moment, the clamour is on, ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander’ which he said is based on entitlement couched in pursuit of fairness.
He reiterated that an honest answer to the following questions will aid a better understanding of his position.
“How have we demonstrated the capacity that others believe?
“Is our clamour not an offence to others? What are we looking for?
“If there is a constitutional backing for rotation; what makes the Governorship an exclusive preserve of an Okun person with the minority ethnic groups in Kogi West?
“How do we find the most appropriate persons for leadership?”
He believes that Okun people believe they are entitled but are still begging which is paradoxical.
For the governorship quest to be real and purposeful, Barrister Babatunde Irukera insisted that Okun people must organise better and have a standard of good governance criteria for the credentials of those to be put forward.
He believes Okun people must be clear on who they are and what they want.
“Pruning and sieving must be done to separate the chaff from the grain in making choices when it comes to leadership,” he added.
He stated that the present situation where those who stumble on positions are purposeless is no longer acceptable, while pointing out that sadly those with purpose cannot continue to invest their time and resources in a warped political system bereft of integrity.
He admonished that the quest must not be activated only during election periods. There must also be a deliberate effort to get support from other parts of the state and the way to build this support is to have a credible option.
“It is about persons with credible legacies that others are willing to support,” he emphasized.
Barrister Babatunde Irukera stated that though rotation is good for equity and fairness, it is most times not based on anything meritorious and if it is not to make things better for the people, it is not worth it.
He urged that, at all levels, Okun sons and daughters must be the reason for people from other regions to support any political quest by Okun people because of the quality of leadership experience under their watch over time.
In conclusion, Barrister Babatunde Irukera believes the dream of an Okun person becoming Kogi State Governor will be a reality only when there is a united sense of purpose and commitment to general good that satiation of personal interest.
