They say, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I begin my message to the Yahaya Bello, the executive governor of Kogi and every members of his government by disclosing a wonderful, scintillating, well crafted text of poetry. It has explicitly and comprehensively demystify my worries about AYB’s negligence.
Go tell my son…
the things he sees today
that glow with glitz and might,
are things we saw before
bowed to hollow naught.
Tell him…
the seed he plants today
shall bear fruits of good or ills
that’ll feed his nation’s bowel
remind him…
that life is full of thorns
that hide in transient home
where saints are robbed of garb
and crowned with thorny tags
encourage him…
never to date a cause
to tear a man apart
with pleasant spiteful words
to win an oath of thanks
prod him…
to denounce his wedding vows
to things that fade with time
and sign a seal of love with
eternity’s friendly br*asts
counsel him…
to open a heart account
where deposits of love are kept
to earn bounty yields
Remind him…
to forget not the days of humble start,
when poverty courted us
And spend as wise he can
The wealth he has for now
Warn him
this path he chose to thread
shall bring pain and gain along,
but love shall see him through
when fouled by aching throes.
Here I am now
stripped off – of life’s vanity’s veil
where all I had before
rests on transient’s desk
Advise him…
to attend funeral service
where kings are lowered to dust
perhaps that will make him see
the twists that life presents
Allow him…
to make his heartfelt choice
when adulthood beckons on him
so he may make his falls
and take a cue from that.
Tell him,,,
I swear I’ll cry again
if he fails to heed my words
and do the things he should
that lead to lofty Heights.
This poem was written by Mikail Oluwadare Bashir, he is a creative and intellect writer. I have pondered so much on the message of this poem and I concluded that it will be of benefit to AYB and Kogi state government.
On the 21st of November, 2015, the good people of kogi state came out in masses to exercise their civic responsibility of casting their votes to bringing in the leader of their choice. Prince Abubakar Audu, the candidate of APC was taking the lead in the election, but before the end of the exercise, the unprecedented happened. Prince Abubakar Audu died mysteriously before the end of the exercise. The whole country was in total confusion as nobody could explain to us the way forward. The INEC, being an independent body, instead of seeking for legal advice from the supreme court directly, decided to seek legal advice from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), a politician whose party is obviously winning the election. AGF then decided that APC should be given an opportunity to replace it’s candidate. APC resolved into choosing AYB who was the second runner up in the primary election. And that was how AYB came into the kogi state political limelight after he lost the primary election to late Audu.
I just want to remind us of the scenario that surrounded AYB’s coming into power because of his irresponsible, autocratic style of ruling and his total negligence and lack willingness to tackle the real problems we have in Kogi state which has caused a total failure in the system. When we learnt that AYB is to replace late Audu, everyone believed AYB is highly fortunate and favoured by God. Maybe Audu wouldn’t make a good governor and that was why God called him to dust, especially when AYB won at the tribunal, appeal court and ultimately his victory at the supreme court. We all thought that as a vibrant and energetic youth that he is, he will transform Kogi state into a little London, but the reverse is now the case. The situation of an average Kogite residing in kogi state is deteriorating day by day, so much hunger and starvation in the land, the youths wandering the street up and down aimlessly.
I want to remind us how AYB got into power, and the reason why it is mandatory upon him to put the interests of the people at heart. As a matter of compulsion, AYB must have to perform excellently as we earlier expected him to.
Today, Kogi state is rule by youths, so how would one thinks the workers could be deny of their salaries? How would one thinks that the students, who by right have to be in their various classrooms studying will be left all alone aimlessly in the street. Today, schools in Kogi state are in moribund, the whole system is decaying rapidly under the watch of the so called God choosing governor. Majority of government officials who I know are below 50 years of age, which clearly means Kogi state is govern by people of youthfulness, strength, and enthusiasm to work perfectly, people who suppose to listing to the ululations of the people they govern. Those energetic youths are now known to be interested in accumulating wealths of the state and enjoying themselves, forgetting that an average man out there hasn’t eat. Forgetting that those they govern are dying of hunger and starvation.
I have to concentrate my worries and concerns on the perpetual screening exercise and what seems to be total negligence to our decaying educational system. Education is the bedrock of every nation or society, it promotes and enhances innovations and creativity. Education is a sector which cannot be abandon for any reason or what so ever. I keep asking myself, for how long would this government keep students on street instead of their classrooms? How could AYB expect the system to effectively work when our institutions of learning are completely closed down? Kogi state university, Ayingba, since the date of its establishment, was the fastest growing university in Nigeria, It faculty of law was once rated as one of the best in Nigeria based on exceptional intellectual pedigree of the graduates. Today kogi state university can’t have full semester without strike, the university is as good as being dead, the academic activities are stagnant under the watch of the present government.
Furthermore, I found it highly difficult to imagine how workers in my state will work but receive nothing at end of the day. Why would posterity wouldn’t judge Bello if this continues? Those civil servants have families to cater for, they have families to feed and cloth. It is a sin against humanity for a government not to pay them their salary.
Sometimes, I feel AYB is punishing us for voting APC, but how is that a crime? I am appealing to AYB and kogi state government to reduce the hunger and starvation in our state by bringing to an end this screening and pay workers their dues. AYB should not allow himself to be intoxicated by power to the extend of starving us.
Ultimately, I still want to remind kogi state government that Austin Okai is still in police custody, in case they have forgotten. Austin hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve been locked behind bar. There is no government in the world without opposition, there is no government who can’t be criticise. Why should Austin be punished for expressing his own feelings? I expect kogi state government to focus on dealing with the challenges starring at it, not running after critiques. Opposition is only there to guild government, to help pick out the errors in government’s policies and actions. This is high time this government started applying wisdoms in it’s dealings, if you don’t want to listing to criticisms, then ignore it. Not by getting critiques arrested and detained. To my little understanding, AYB has done more good to Austin Okai than harm. Austin Okai will come out as the Nelson Mandela of kogi state. AYB apply wisdom, release Okai unconditionally. Powers which you have today is nothing, many people hard it before and it doesn’t last forever.
Power is nothing, if your people cannot have quality education,
Power is nothing, if your people cannot have peace and unity,
Power is nothing, if your people keep dying of disease and starvation,
Power is nothing, if your people have no peace,
Why you keep on deceiving the people?
– Comrade AY Hamza,
Kogi state.
ayhamzafabil@naij.com
08116781698/08164692182
