For a majority of the people in Kogi State, since the release of the much anticipated ministerial list, there have been outpour of grief, sorrow, sadness and general condemnation.
This misfeelings may have been due to several reasons, which may be traceable to the unknown factors that may have occasioned the choice of the nominee from the confluence state.
If democracy as defined to be the Government of the people for the people by the people, then the issue of who occupies an elective or appointive positions must be all inclusive affair, where also the majority plays dominant roles. This also gives credence to the popular saying that, “the majority will have their way, while the minority must have their say”.
Looking at the politics of Kogi State therefore, it appears the majority are no longer having their way which is contrary to democratic tenets. If not, how do one explain the current travails of the Igala /Bassa people in Kogi State where they constitute over 50 percent of the population being reduced to the background in the governance of the country.
It is on record that the Igala /Bassa people produced the largest votes which brought President Muhammad Buhari in his first outing in 2015. Interestingly, also in the last general elections, the people of Kogi East Senatorial District voted massively for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Presidential, National and State Assembly elections.
From the foregoing, the people of Kogi East, who are the majority and have proven so in all the elections, deserve nothing less from a government that it has worked assiduously to put in place both at the Federal and state levels.
What the people of Kogi East are witnessing is a reverse from what ought to be. If not, what justifies the unusual becoming the usual? That is, the majority that produces the highest votes are not considered fit for ministerial position under the present dispensation.
The injustice is obviously glaring given the fact that the immediate past Minister of State Labour and Employment from Kogi East, Professor Stephen Ocheni was merely appointed to take the place of the late James Ocholi (SAN). Again, Professor Ocheni probably would have been a forgotten personality by now if he had lost his life following the helicopter crash in Kabba involving the country’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo during an official assignment to the area.
Another sad issue is the recurring decimal in which Ministerial position given to the people of Kogi East have not actually match their huge human and material contributions to the emergence of governments in the country. Perhaps, one begin to question the rationale behind such recurrence that when the Igala people are considered for Ministerial appointment, they are made to play the role of a second fiddle.
Even in the governance of our dear Kogi State at present, the people of Kogi East have lost out in all ramifications. It is a well known fact that since the Igala held sway for close to two decades as Executive Governors, there has been equity, fairness, justice and all inclusiveness in the governance of the State.
Sadly, however, under the present administration, the narrative has changed, with all the relevant political positions now residing either in Kogi Central or West. For instance, the Governor of the State is from central senatorial District, Speaker of the State House of Assembly is from West, Secretary to the Government of Kogi State is equally from the West, while the Minister designate also comes from the West. It is also on record that most Heads of juicy Ministries, Departments and Agencies are from the Central or Western senatorial district of the state.
One may argue that the position of Deputy Governor is being occupied by Kogi East. Those that are familiar with the political happenings in Kogi State in recent time know that the Office has gone into extinction. So ineffective that the present occupant of that Office have cried out on several occasions that public utilities to his Office and official residence have been disconnected.
When Igalas reigned as Governors of Kogi State, the Office of the Deputy Governor was accorded all its rights and privileges as contained in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This seemingly indicate that there is political gang up against the people of Kogi East. For the avoidance of doubt, the Igalas while in Office as Governor never showed this kind of disdain or hatred for other ethnic groups in the State.
Could it be viewed that the predicament of the Igalas is in direct connection with the openess, fairness, justice and transparency they exhibited in the leadership of Kogi State? A big question begging for urgent answers.
The current Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello derived his present status on the benevolence of people of Kogi East. Recall that an Igalaman in the person of Late Prince Abubakar Audu, along with other compatriots, formed the block with which the stage of victory was set before his demise.
Ordinarily, one would have thought that Governor Yahya Bello will on his own do whatever necessary to reciprocate this divine opportunity. However, the reverse is the case.
If the traditional theory of democracy which promotes a majority rule without violating minority rights is anything to go by then the people of Kogi East deserve a better deal rather than what is obtainable now. The Governor of Kogi State can not absolve himself from the current clear case of marginalisation of the Kogi East people, under whose supervision a Minister was nominated from the State.
As the Governorship election for the state is around the corner, Governor Yahaya Bello should not be under any Illusion that the people of Kogi East will in the face of this impunity and political miscalculation throw their weight behind his re election bid, because the people have been so traumatized under the present administration.
It will be a total disaster if the people of Kogi East do not rise as quickly as possible to challenge the political imbalance in the State which has placed them in disadvantage position politically. To address this ugly scenario, political gladiators from Kogi East must come together to prune down the endless list of those aspiring to be Governor of the State from the area.
The pluralist theory of democracy holds that people with common interest form organized groups to promote their causes and influence political agenda. In line with this, the people of Kogi East senatorial district must unite and work as a group with a common front in order to navigate themselves from the present unfavorable political climate.
– Sir Ojochegbe Samson Enemaku, a Public Affairs Commentator, writes from Ankpa LGA, Kogi State.
