- How the imbalance can be corrected.
His Excellency,
Alhaji Yahaya Bello,
Executive Governor of Kogi State.
Dear Sir,
It gives us great pleasure to write Your Excellency and other concerned stakeholders in Kogi and Ofu local government for the second time, after writing you the first time through the former Chief of Staff now Deputy Governor, Chief Edward Onoja.
We wish to commend your doggedness and administrative qualities in piloting the affairs of Kogi State and to also congratulate you, once again.
Our case is very simple, we plead to kindly pay attention to this message.
Ofu local government is divided into three (3) districts namely: Ugwolawo, Igala-Ogba and Itobe with total voting strength of 80,442.
From INEC records; Ugwolawo has four political wards and 36,758 registered voters. Igala-Ogba has five wards with 31,671 registered voters while Itobe district has two wards and 12,011 registered voters.
Your Excellency, from the above data it is clear that Ugwolawo District ranks the highest it terms of registered voters, yet with the least political portfolios.
Also in the last election that gave you the victory on November 16th, the following votes were gathered from the three districts, based on INEC result sheet:
Ugwolawo – 10,786
Igala-Ogba – 8,920
Itobe – 4,038
From the above votes, Ugwolawo district also produced the highest votes. Why kill the goose that lays the golden egg?
Prior to the emergence of Mr Hassan Sani, who represents the interest of Hon Alfa Muhammed a.k.a Alfa Ehule from Igala-Ogba District, we the Ugwolawo people submitted our petition to you bitterly complaining about how Ugwolawo town (the largest town in Ofu) and Ugwolawo District was marginalized but instead of making this correction, an Igala-Ogba man was mandated to bring his puppet for the position of Administrator from our zone to serve his interest which he has been duly serving.
You can do your findings of all we have said here because “the King has many ears”.
Political history of Ofu before Your Excellency came on board has always been Assembly comes from one district, Chairman of the local government comes from another zone, then Commissioner comes from the third district, but the lopsidedness started from when Hon Abu Egbiti, former Administrator, Hon Arome Adoji, former Commissioner, Hon Friday Ali Assembly (PDP), Hon Alfa the Kogi East APC Youth Leader and so many other juicy positions were appointed from just one district, Igala-Ogba.
Take a look at how the appointment was shared in your first tenure and see how Ugwolawo town, the largest town and the largest district is still marginalized;
Igala-Ogba District
- Hon. David Zacharias, Federal House of Representative (elective)
- Hon. Ebije Joseph, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism
- Hon. Egbiti, Administrator and later SSA
- Hon. Alfa Muhammed, APC Youth Leader Kogi East
- Hon. Arome Adoji, Commissioner later Board Member Assembly Commission
- Hon Idachaba Salifu, S.A on Labour and Civil Service
- Six Board Members
- Hon Goddy Ochigbo, Education Secretary
- Hon. Adamu Idakwo, S.S.A Print Media
- Hon Sunday Ohiemi, S.S.A Special Duties Deputy Governor’ Office
- Hon Peace Rabi Emaiku, APC Woman Leader Ofu
- Ofu Local Government Youth Leader
- Hon Abu Sule Egbiti, S.S.A on SIP.
Itobe District
- Hon. Seidu Amodu Barry, Assembly Member (elective)
- Hon. Shagari Abubakar, APC Party Chairman
- Hon. Ndamodu Ali, Elder Advisory Council
Ugwolawo District
The district with the highest votes and population and also see how Ugwolawo town, the largest town with the highest population in Ofu is being marginalized.
- Hon. Hassan Sani, Administrator (14 months)
- Hon. Opaluwa Gideon Okoliko, S.S.A
- Hon. Halilu Omaga, S.S.A
- Hon. Enejo Peters, S.S.A (Ochadamu Ward)
- Ismaila Idrees, S.S.A (Ochadamu Ward)
From the information above, the four (4) prominent positions there are House of Representative member (Igala-Ogba), House of Assembly member (Itobe), Commissioner (Igala-Ogba) and Administrator who served for 12 months and was appointed to serve the needs of an Igala-Ogba man, Hon. Alfa Ejule (Ugwolawo).
Fast forward to Second Term in 2020 as we currently have it:
Igala-Ogba District
1. Hon David Zachariah, House of Reps (elective)
2. Hon Idachaba Isah, Commissioner
3. Hon Arome Adoji, State Assembly Commission
4. Hon. Alfa Nasiru, APC Zonal Youth Youth Leader
5. Hon Alilu, Secretary to Ofu LGA (SLG)
6. Hon Sunday Ohiemi, SSA to the Deputy Governor
7. Hon Ochigbo Godday, Ofu LGA Education Secretary.
Itobe District
1. Hon Barry Seidu Amodu, House of Assembly (elective)
Ugwolawo District
1. Hassan Sani, former Administrator as suggested by Hon. Alfa from Ejule of Igala-Ogba (14 months).
Your Excellency, we are aware from a grape vine again that the two names that are submitted to you currently for chairmanship position are Onu Salifu from Ochadamu Ward, the same ward that produced your current Press Secretary, and Alfa Muhammed who is from Igala-Ogba District who is still the current APC Youths Leader for Kogi East, the zone that is over crowded already.
Ejule town alone host Zacharias, a Reps Member, Hon. Alfa Ejule, Hon. Sule Abu Egbiti e.t.c
Prayers
They tag us the peace loving people of Ugwolawo as petition writers, you know why? Because we have the highest number of learned people instead of fighting through crisis we believe in our pen and papers and through this amicable way we have lost so many things to the people of Igala-Ogba.
We appeal to Your Excellency to look into this imbalance of appointments in order to carry the largest district and largest town, Ugwolawo along by not allowing the power that be from Igala-Ogba and Itobe who claim all they do in Ofu LG are all as directed by you to allow us the zoning formula of our Chairmanship position remain in Ugwolawo town.
Also, Your Excellency Sir, consider us in your next state appointment as one zone (Igala-Ogba) has been lord over us.
We have no powers but the powers we have is through this amicable resolution of writing to you Sir as we Ugwolawo people are peace loving people.
– Akor Ojotule
For: Ugwolawo Town Youths.
