Whenever I think about the prevailing situation of this state, I sometimes shed tears. The most popular state in the country as at present, always in the news every moment for one thing or the other, but a careful look and observation of what is making the state to be in news never reveal anything positive but always for the wrong reasons. It is either the state government and a senator is attacking one another, the senate assembly and the state government, ASUU and the state government, non-payment of salaries and many other reasons.
The situation of Kogi State has made me believe that the best punishment God can ever give to a group or a set of persons is bad leaders. I almost conclude that the statement “ My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” is in reference to the people of Kogi State.
Many are dying each day because they have been denied their means of livelihood, many are moving to the world beyond through the inhuman activities and policies of our government.
Imagine someone that served for 35 years, served the government with all his strength in his youthful strength, retired after his strength has been used up by the government. He can no longer do anything to earn a living than to rely on his pension which the government should be paying him but the government now abandon him without him knowing his fate if he is still on a payroll or not. A pensioner that have not received anything since the inception of this administration without anyone to fight his course, without anyone to help him.
How inhuman is it for a government to subject his people to over 18 months of non-payment of salaries and pensions yet we call it a new direction, Yes indeed! It is a “NEW DIRECTION” because we have not moved in this direction before. One thing I am yet to understand is that: Can someone not be a genuine worker and yet serve for 35 years? Do people become ghost pensioner after their service? What about people that have genuine appointment and yet they are labeled ghost workers? These questions are still running through my mind with no one to give an appropriate and satisfying answer. What do we say of an old pensioner that died of thinking with his documents under his head as pillow?
One thing am sure of is that one don’t have people’s blood on his head by only directly shooting and stabbing people to death, but also when one’s action leads to someone’s death.
I met a girl of secondary school age which I know should be in school, when I asked her why she did not go to school, she told me she is now out of school as her parents can no longer afford her school fees, that moment I started bleeding within my heart. I started thinking about how people’s destinies and future are getting diverted through hard time imposed on them.
Will this people ever forget this administration?
What story will we tell to our oncoming generation about what we have presently in our state?
Can generations to come and the present generation ever forget this in a moment?
Whenever I travel around and see what is obtainable even in states that were created after Kogi state, I always ask, when can we get there? The most unfortunate aspect of it is that those that would have let the people in the helm of affairs know the truths are only telling them what they want to hear and not the truth they should know.
I think we should just know as Kogites that we have entered “ONE-CHANCE” and only God can help us. One chance in the sense that we are “in for it” already and we cannot change anything but just have to bear it for the time being. One chance because those in the helm of affairs don’t care about the well-being of the people.
I just hope the governor will seek advice from those that will tell him the truth so he can do something significant. If not, history will never forget him for the pain he has inflicted on the people and posterity will judge because of those their future has been aborted through this hardship.
– Elijah Babatunde Sunday
Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA.
08105343762.
