There is nothing illegal about the proposed deductions from local government allocations.
Seriously speaking, I have come to learn something about the two concepts used in calling the government of the day to order, toward providing good governance to the people. The concepts of activism and criticism are often mis-interpreted by so called social activists and political opposition.
While genuine criticism is an attempt to bring the government to do the greater good for the greater majority and provide vital solutions and way forward for any listening government, activism is just a political negative weapon aimed at making a government look unpopular and gain personal recognition or otherwise.
I guess what Usman Okai Austin is doing is more much more of activism than criticism, judging from his recent stand on the mode of funding for the new tertiary institution in Kogi, Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara. This is one of the gigantic project that every Kogite should be proud of, giving it cost benefit and effectiveness analysis.
To the government, it is a huge revenue generating venture, while on the other part to the citizens, it is an avenue for socio-economic development via direct and indirect jobs and other business ventures that will generated as a result of the establishment of the university.
So, it is clear that the cost benefit and effectiveness analysis of setting up the state university is more than that of not setting up the university. Criticizing such ventures will amount only to what I refer to as modern day political activism aimed at achieving nothing.
On the issue of funding, criticizing the government for deducting 5% from local government allocations to fund the university is a colossal failure in the course of trying to criticise the government. So called modern day activist turn self acclaimed critics should try to package themselves with basic historical and soco-economic facts before any attempt to portray the government in bad light.
We can recall vividly that one of the benefits of states been in a federal system is learning from the successes and failure of other federating units. This system of funding was successfully used by the then Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna. When he wanted to establish the state university, he passed a law that some percentages of the local government allocation should be used in managing and sustaining the day to day activities of the institution. Up till now, same policy is still been maintained by the university.
What citizens and genuine critics of the government should be concerned about is not whether the bill was passed by a rubber stamped legislative house or the source of funding but critical areas such as the effective utilization of the deducted funds, equality and equity in terms of employment of staff as well as the admission process of the students, regardless of their age, tribe or religion, unnecessary government intervention, basic infrastructural and educational materials.
Despite the fact that its is obvious the government should obey the law of the land, to show examples to others, sometimes the government must be innovative and creative viz-a-viz delivering good governance to the people.
My advice to all the critics and activists in the state is that we can make Kogi great by not criticizing the government unnecessarily but realizing that there is a government in Kogi state, and no man or government is perfect and that we as citizens have a vital role to play in good governance struggle in the state.
– Sam Akubor Enemama writes from Ankpa, Kogi State.
