By Femi Olugbemi
Senator Joe Funsho Obasaju is an ‘elder statesman’, but he goofed. Honestly, I would not have bothered myself with the submission of the very Distinguished Senator Obasaju on Prince Abubakar Audu and his running mate, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke which was published in The Nation newspaper and dated 22nd October, 2015 titled: “Kogi’s Political Transcendentalism”, but one cannot but ask the ‘elder statesman’ critical questions arising from his write-up that aimed deliberately at demeaning our esteemed leaders and the father of Kogi State, the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the person of Prince Abubakar Audu.
Issues raised in the said write-up are in the least not only baseless and deficient but also lacking in substance and sincerity in its juxtaposition of the performance of Prince Abubakar Audu as Governor
of the state between 1991-1993 and 1999-2003, side by side his now converted position as much more preferred bride, to the near inept Captain Idris Wada, that Obasaju feisty tries to promote but has woefully failed to proof not to talk of convincing Kogites in particular and Nigerians, including those in the Diaspora, his ability to transform the state in the last four years, hence I do not see anything meaningful in the writ-up.
The Distinguished Senator Obasaju should know how to relate historical events to suit his motive. Anyway, we are certain that readers of the write-up very much know Baba Obasaju and his stance on who he wants as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively.
Obasaju surly could not have seen anything wrong in the administration of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris that laid off over thirteen thousand (13,000) civil servants and sending them into the unemployment market and ‘rewarding’ them with compulsory retirement without any benefits since 2009, through the wicked and satanic Sally Tibot screening exercise, thousand of who were from Kogi West and Central, the very people Obasaju is now pretending to be championing their cause. Senator Obasaju will again not see anything wrong in the sacking of at about 250 workers in each of the 21 local government areas across the state by the Wada-led administration and the non-payment of the local
government staff salaries for upward of 18 to 20 months as the case may be, varying from one local government to another, or the incessant strike of the primary school teachers owning to the non-payment of their salaries as at when due, nor the shutdown of the healthcare system and facilities across the state for close to one calendar year. All this he did not see since he is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
For your information sir, government is a continuum and if all the bad things in Kogi State today are the handiwork of Prince Abubakar Audu as you want the whole world to believe, why have the governors that came after him not corrected the abnormally that you highlighted?
Perhaps, the speed at which the current administration reversed or renamed the Kabba and Obangede General Hospitals to Specialists Hospitals, is well understood and we will tell you sir, that ‘OJUTILA’, (we can no longer be deceived). We understand the circumstance behind the reversal; it being purely political and for election purpose and I am sure he will fail as our people are wiser
and will resist “Leaders” who are ready to trade with our collective interest.
On power rotation, the game will always be won by those that understand it, work hard for it and be ready for it.
Therefore, it is a known fact that the leadership of All Progressive Congress (APC) at both national and state level and the sincerity and commitment of its Governorship Candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, possess the will at ensuring the realization and implementation of the power rotation arrangement. It is crystal clear that come 2019, power will rotate from the eastern flank of the state to either west or central owning not only because of the APC flag bearer’s continuous public declaration of his readiness to implement the deal, but also coupled with the party’s credibility and its sincerity to deliver on its agenda.
It is also on record that the immediate past governor of the state under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ibrahim Idris did promise Power Rotation in 2007 when he was contesting for his second term in office, a promise he failed to fulfill by deliberately declining from implementing the agreement reached in 2011.
I pray 21 November 2015 will be a date that God will use to redefine our history politically in the west and central senatorial districts in particular and Kogi State in general.
God must retire some greedy politicians compulsorily from the public space, with a disgraceful result beginning from their polling units to their wards and local government areas.
Finally, Prince Abubakar Audu and Hon. James Abiodun Faleke are on a rescue mission to salvage the already battered and much pummeled state in all ramifications, and we are not surprised at the stance of Senator Joe Obasaju, as the fact remains that the current administration led by Captain Idris Wada has nothing to show as achievements close to four years in the saddle and considering the
resources available to him.
It’s no secret that Senator Obasaju and his ilk are of the ‘Stomach Infrastructure’ creed and even though Wada is basically an ‘Apostle’ of ‘Chop Alone’, the crumbs that fall from the latter’s table is good enough for them.
Kogi people are wiser than before and are no longer swayed by jaundiced newspaper opinions orchestrated by self-centered individuals to discredit a performer whose records remain unbeaten in the last 13 years of the Peoples Democratic Party rule in the state.
November 21 is the date and electorates in Kogi State are more determined to change bad leadership for a pragmatic and result oriented one that will move the Confluence State to the next level.
Femi Olugbemi writing from Kabba
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