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Saturday, 4th of November, 2017, was the day set aside for the celebration of this year’s Kabba Day – an annual event that brings together sons and daughters of Okun land for the celebration of their cultural heritage. The event also usually serve as an avenue for relationships to be rekindled and to also help to chart a new course for their collective development.
Early on Saturday, I stated clearly and precisely on Facebook that this year’s celebration of the event is surrounded by quite a lot of significances which made it difficult for me to have a clear or definite imagination or thought of what was going to happen there. So I only resulted into offering prayers for the success of the event with the promise of treating issues that may later happen there as to how it affects our collective existence as a state.
For the sake of this piece, let me also humbly and quickly draw our attention to an appeal that I made sometimes ago for His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello to halt the threat to our image as a state before it is too late due to the risen unnecessary political tensions which has further divided us as a people and thereby causing heightened tribal discrimination and gradual collapse of the struggle for the actualization of the United Kogi dream. Harassment of many kind on my person was not only what the appeal fetched me, but it also resulted into creating fears in my loved ones about my security considering the mysterious killings everywhere so far. Especially those who were called to warn me for being too open on some certain issues. Little did I know that it was going to get to this stage.
To the glory of God, Kabba Day celebration came and the summary of activities that took place there was a harassment on Senator Dino Melaye and what was described as the escape of Governor Yahaya Bello from similar treatment even when he was yet to have gotten to the exact venue of the programme.
There are three things I want to point out here;
First is the embarrassment the situation has caused on us as a state. Second is the now-obvious eye service of the present government appointees from the area, and lastly is the reaffirmation of my long call on the Ebira speaking people of Kogi Central, where I come from, to shun politics of violence and recognise the urgent need to remind ourselves that no ethnic nationality can survive on its own without peaceful and harmonious parley with other ethnic groups.
But just before we go into that let me also state categorically that I won’t because of what my kinsmen are saying collapse my hard earned existing mutual relationship with our brothers and sisters from the non-Ebira speaking extracts in the state especially the Igalas. Power belongs to Almighty God and if future politics is my calling, he will make things beautiful in His own way, therefore I consider not relevant the threat being sent to me by those who came out openly for saying the obvious mistakes we are making that I am pointing out will deny me of a space in future politics and as well as those attacking my person and not being concerned about the issues retarding our political growth as a people.
I am proud to be a full blooded Ebira born but that shouldn’t serve as an indices to choose who I relate with. This is because my friendship circle is decided by character quality and not ethnic or religious identity.
1. Whether we like it or not, Saturday’s tragedy was a total embarrassment on not just the Okun People but all of us as a state entirely. If the differences that exist between the various political interest groups would have been resolved before now, there is no way what happened yesterday would have happened. Now, due to the continuous and childish politics being played in Kogi state by the present political big names, we all no longer have peace and the Kabba day which is of utmost importance to the celebrants was scattered by few selfish individuals.
When we as ordinary citizens preach unity and tolerance in the ways we play our politics, it is because whatever they do as our leaders we are in one way or the other affected. But it seem to them that time that I was making noise, but here we are today, anger are been put on the entire Ebira people for spoiling their occasion. Whereas it is the sin of one man that we are all held responsible for . How long then will this fight continue? Isn’t this enough to make them realise that not minding the political strength that they all possess differently, no meaningful development can take place if we don’t have peace?
2. I am happy that this scenario has helped to make the man in charge realise that Kogi west is far from him. It is now obvious that despite the key present government appointees from Okun Land, the people of Kogi west are not feeling effect of the government both in sustainable community development projectsprogramme or youth empowerment. It is obvious that none of these appointees from the Okun extract can have control or influence on the decision of their constituents. As fake as they are, the same Dino Melaye they came together to fight by a way of recall controls more respect in Okun land than they do o. Who then is deceiving who? Isn’t an embarrassment on them that their Boss dodged the programme because of the fear of the unknown even as the chief security officer of the state?
Lastly, I will continue to emphasise that its unfortunate that we are yet to accept politics of peace and tolerance for one another and as well as for our brethren from other senatorial districts . Even with the obvious sins of the past hunting us arising from the politics of violence peculiar to the area, we are yet to have a common dream for political and economical prosperity. So far, the present administration of the state is faced with quite a lot of obvious mistakes. Yet power shift was clamoured for like a miracle was going to happen in the development of the state if an Ebira Man is in charge.
Power is here, how far have we gone? Where have we gone wrong as a people? Notable perpetrators of evil acts so far are from Ebira Land, every time we keep seeing on News Headline one thug or the other involved in criminal activities. What about the issue of non payment of salary that this government is known for? What about the aggressive approach to resolving industrial disputes ? Haba.!!! They keep misleading this gentleman. Indeed experience is a wealth .
With this, isn’t obvious that the needed structures are not in place? Why then do we fail to have a rethink and embrace each other with love. Can we still continue to blame the people of Kogi East for this our misfortune?
We must begin to tell ourselves the truth, we are the problem of ourselves. No respect for our cooperate existence, the Elders are keeping quite, the youths in large numbers have refused to be responsible. It is a pity.
Once again, it is not too late, I will advise Gov Bello to settle his scores with all the aggrieved groups before it is too late.
God bless Kogi state!
– Abdulmalik Hadi Adinoyi.
President, National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS),
Kogi State University, Anyigba Chapter
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