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“Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it”
– Lord Action 1834–1902
Consider the power of the gushing water. It could be destructive. But when channeled it could be so beneficial. Yes, power is nothing and even dangerous without control!
I would prefer to use a positive word ‘agency’. There is a human need to have agency that is the ability to direct and to practice autonomy over ourselves and our environment. People become mentally ill when their agency is threatened.
Our own Governor Yahaya Bello must be informed that you cannot run a state like TRANSPORT COMPANY OR MOTOR PARK, this is, Kogi state is not FAIRPLUS MOTOR GARAGE.
There are institutions of government that enjoy some degree of autonomous power, there are some rights and privileges the heads of such institutions must exercise freely.
Usurpation of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education’s powers by the governor is direct infringement and outright abuse of power and executives recklessness. There should be a red line to the power to appoint and remove a Dean student affairs or Head of Department, and when the need arises it is vested in the Vice-Chancellor or Governing Councils that is why we have University Senate, and Governing Council of the polytechnic and others. These institutions are established by Act of parliament and necessary legal backing which defined and stipulates it administrative procedure that must be observed, going contrary amount to ultra-vires.
I am very sure, very soon, admission into Kogi State University, College of Education Ankpa, Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja will be done from Governor Bello’s office in Lokoja.
It is saddening and a misnomer that the Governor himself or his aids using his name are deciding who should be the Head of Department, Dean Students Affairs etc in established higher institutions of learning.
In their quest for absolute power, the Governor is usurping the power of Vice Chancellor, Rector Of the Polytechnic, Provost College of Education and Head School of Nursing Obagede. I am very sure someone is targeting all the available contracts in those institutions.
According to John Adams, “Democracy must be respected; democracy must be honored; democracy must be cherished; democracy must be an essential, an integral part of the sovereignty.” Democracies, like all forms of government, can result in abuses of political power. My opinion is, and always has been, that absolute power intoxicates.
The institutional framework must be strengthen instead of weakening it for personal ego and cheap gains. Today, in Kogi state, there is no any instruments of checks and balance in place, the governor decides who emerge as the Legislative heads. The Chief Justice of the state is like he is sleeping, though he seems helpless in the game of power tussle and the governor has made himself a superman by giving meaning to the saying that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Governor Bello arrogates unrestricted power to himself, he eventually meddle in every day to day running of agencies and parastatals of the state, not strengthening those agencies but in weakening them. This development is dangerous for the state and capable of sparking tribal crisis and ethnic rivalry. Clear example is when an Okun Man is due for second term in School of Nursing Obagede, he was ordered to handover to an Ebira man who suppose to proceeds on terminal leave. Also, an igala man was ordered to handover to an Ebira man in College of Education Ankpa even when he was never qualified. In same vein, an Ebira man, selected to head Bursary Department, Kogi State University. The current office holder, who still have over three months remaining and is qualified for second term, was ordered to handover to the Governor Cousin who has no little knowledge of the Bursary Unit. He was actually imported from outside the institution to resume as Head Bursar without the Vice Chancellor’s knowledge.
They sacked an Igala man who was the Permanent Secretary Government House and recalled an Ebira man from retirement to assume the office. What of the College of Education Technical, Kabba? The Provost and Register was sacked and asked to handover to an Ebira man. This idea is not noble but direct divide and rule strategy. Everybody should be treated equally and as part and parcel of the state, enough of this mis-management of Kogi state. All ethnic groups, Ebira, Igala, Bassa, Okun, etc must be given fair share in appointments and promotions as this will give every tribe a sense of belonging. The governor should not be caught championing ethnic cleansing or playing tribal cards, the governor should assume the role of being father of all and grow tall above ethnic or tribal pressure.
In my estimation, it is a dangerous situation where the office of the governor decides who and how the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Projects in Kogi State Polytechnic is awarded and the Company that should benefit from such contracts instead of the Rector and the council, who has the mandatory power to award the contracts to the qualify companies that applied.
After much deliberation on this development, if not checked, it will bring us back to the era of clan problems that usually occurr in Kogi Central that has been resolved by previous administration. Ethnic crisis is now a thing of the past here.
It is time the governor should be cautions against actions capable of instigating ethnic crisis today. Clan disputes and battle for supremacy among various clans in Kogi Central is back because of the inability of the governor to carry everybody along.
God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self-control (2Tim 1:7). MY SUNDAY SERMON
– Usman Okai Austin
Abuja,
Nigeria
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