When a government lacks the recognition and cognitive ability of the basic principles of democratic administration i.e the three basic Rs:
REPRESENTATIVE: Working or carrying out government and governance based on the wishes and aspiration of the people who are the ultimate virtues/tools of a democratic government.
RESPONSIVE: Providing the basic necessity/needs of life with the view of making life more meaningful and purposeful to the people. It call for provision of basic governmental intervention, policies or programmes as at when due.
RESPONSIBLE: It goes to tell that government must be sincere, straightforward, committed, corrupt free, and fraud free. Government should be seen as a role model to the polity not been a publishing house for lies, mal-administration, fraud and misplaced priorities. Governmental policies, pronouncements should be marked by corresponding actions, inconsistencies should not be the order of the day.
The Kogi State Situation
It becomes a political disaster when a government in a political democratic arrangement lacks the basic three R’s as listed above. Here in kogi state, where we have an imposed unfortunate situation, a situation where the selected not elected Government of the state, headed by Yahaya Bello, lacks the basic elements of REPRESENTATIVE, RESPONSIVENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY. Hence, the government has turn itself into a manufacturing industry of anti- people policies, lies and deceptions.
Since the assumption of office, over six months ago, no visible socio-infrastructural policy framework/palliatives has been put in place, thereby exposing the people further to the cruel hands of hunger, poverty and disease. Insecurity of lives and properties is on the increase at geometric proportion. One can describe the state as when men were in the state of nature, where survival of the fittest becomes the order of the day. In kogi state one is not assured of his socio, economic or biological survival the next minute. The pathetic truth about this unfortunate political ill-luck we are having in the state is a two way thing: It is either GOVERNMENT/GOVERNANCE EXIST IN A VACUUM OR THERE IS A VACUUM IN GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE.
With over 60 billion naira accruing to the state in the life span of this administration, Kogites have not seen any dividend of a functional democratic government, even the civil servants that are said to be eating the large chunk of the revenue are complaining of not been paid. Not even a single borehole, or road network, hospital or any basic intervention programme has been initiated, completed and commissioned by this present administration. A situation that has led the administration to engage in dubious administrative lies, deceptions, fraud and propaganda aimed covering the missing link between the actual revenue accruing to the state and the actual deeds on ground. As for the average Kogite who have been deprived of his full socioeconomic rights by men in power, the over 60 billion naira revenue is yet to be fully accounted for.
With the government now at its peak of confusion, now jumping into the arena of intimidation of perceived opposition and tribal anarchy, via open threats and displacements of workers in state owned institution in favor of another ethnic group. In fact, the confusion in the actions and policies of the administration have diffused into the socioeconomic fabric of the state, setting a precedence for a further division and dis-unity based on ethnic/tribal lines in the state. Kogi state is in need of a qualified political surgeon and midwives who can dissect the political anatomy of the state using anesthesia not traditional and non-qualified surgeons and midwives using tyrannical and undemocratic tools
Thank God, now that the ghost workers-chase that took the administration over five months to complete is over, what we expect is a functional administration that is representative in nature, responsive to the yawnings of the people and devoid of fraudulent intentions, lies and propaganda.
LET THE CARDINAL POINT OF THE ADMINISTRATION of YAHAYA BELLO revolve around axis of the three R’s i.e. REPRESENTATIVE, RESPONSIVE, AND RESPONSIBLE as enshrined in the COMMON APPROACH PRINCIPLE IN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE.
– Sam Akubor Enemama writes from Ankpa
