In the last few weeks a lot of issues have been making the rounds, especially on the inability of the Kogi State governor to get an automatic ticket for the forth coming elections in his party the APC and his purported plans to cross carpet to another party in other to clinch a ticket and contest the November elections in the state.
But while all this are unfolding there is a whole lot no body is talking about and that’s the present position of our deputy governor, Elder Simon Achuba.
In my open letter to the deputy governor some years back, I spoke about the continuous silence of the deputy governor right in the face of the worst maladministration in the history of the state. I took out time to explain the likely implications of his refusal to either separate himself from the actions and inactions of the present Kogi state government.
As daring as these suggestions sounded, I was not encouraging the deputy governor to go into a riff with his boss, rather, I was insisting that the deputy governor should not fold his hands and painfully watch the rigorous torturing of the Man in him.
Not up to eight months after the letter, the deputy governor became a “mockery” in the government house. He was reduced to a common inhabitant in a state where he is the number two person, to the extent that there was no light, water or even security personnel at his disposal. That is if we are to go with the complaints published.
As if that was not enough, he was tagged an “ingrate” and called all sort of names by other aides of the same government where he should be part of those calling the shots.
Personally, I do not blame the present Kogi state government for treating the deputy governor in this manner, after all, is it not the way you place your head that the barber barbs.
But, however, I am more concerned about the well being of the deputy governor, his where about, his office and every thing that concerns him. The last time we heard from him was when he went on a leave which a lot of people came out to say it was not binding by law.
Since then, we have not heard from our deputy governor. We have not been seeing him at public functions or state assignments.
Or, is he still on the leave? If yes, why is the deputy governor’s leave this long? If no, why has he been knocked off the issues of the state? Why has his office vanished into tin air?
At a critical time like this when the governor and all his aides are jostling for a return ticket, the deputy governor should be right behind his boss in the struggle, but Elder Simon Achuba is no where to be found and this is beginning to create a lot of worries.
Another side of these bitter story is the fact that most of the pictures and publicity materials that has the picture of the state governor on it no longer carries the deputy governor’s picture. Don’t ask me whose picture it now carries.
Could it be that the deputy governor has resigned without the knowledge of the state? Could it be that the deputy governor has been replaced without the state being aware? Could it be that the deputy governor has been stripped of all his powers without the state being informed? Could it be that there is a certain fire burning between him and his boss that they have been able to cover the fire and the smoke? Could it be that the deputy governor has gone back to Ibaji, his home town, without our knowledge?
Elder Simon Achuba might not have spoken out when he ought to. He might not have stood with us when we needed him to do so. He might have ignored the plight of the people over the years but he remains a fellow kinsman and we must ask to know his whereabouts.
Strongly, I hope the office of the deputy governor of Kogi state has not been scrapped out. Also, I join others to hope that the deputy governor’s office has not been reduced to one of the office of the civil servants who have not been paid for months now. Again, I pitifully hope that the deputy governor’s office has not been moved away from Lugard house, Lokoja to Oyadegà at Ibaji local government area of Kogi state.
– Jacob Unekwu Agada, Author, Ebulejonu, writes from Idah, Kogi state.
