By Cmrd. Mohammed Ibrahim Adah
14/10/23
Warmest of greetings to you, your Excellency Sir. This letter is necessitated by my encounter with a video clip on the 10/10/23 where you were addressing some Royal Highnesses and Excellencies from Kogi state over issues bothering the forthcoming November gubernatorial elections in the state. If I heard you clearly Sir, you were talking of continuity and consolidation of APC government in Kogi state to align with the federal government.
Today, it is not a secret to all Nigerians that what has been going on in Kogi state called government since January 2016 is nothing less than a disaster and a colossal waste of scarce resources, nobody will call for continuity or consolidation of such palpable inestimable waste and unmitigated disaster. Even if anyone will, it should not be you who should know what good governance is and have exemplified it in Borno state Sir.
First and foremost, what is democracy and its essence Sir? Democracy has been defined as the government of the people, for the people and by the people. But, what we have in Kogi state today, can be defined as a government of the minute cronies, for the minute cronies and by the minute cronies, who exemplify a ruthlessly oppressive and tyrannical regime.
According to Lord Action, “the state is made for the individuals and not the individuals for the state”. This is a basic principle of liberal democracy. The rights of individuals should be of supreme consideration. Liberty is the supreme good, freedom of citizens must come first. However, in today’s Kogi state, citizens have no liberty or freedom whatsoever. Bello is the law, knowing and following Bello’s dictates is the only way to freedom and liberty, anything otherwise is imprisonment.
Bello has nicknamed himself “White Lion” and declared all Kogites as Antelopes. This is not news to Nigerians especially you Sir. I want to appeal to your living conscience, Sir, that you should not support the continuity and consolidation of “a Lion vs Antelopes relationship” in Kogi state. Let me make it clear here that the success of the APC in the last presidential election should not be cheaply attributed to the activities of the governor, it was the popularity of the SDP candidate who was a member of the NWC of the APC that pedalled that victory with his efforts and resources. This too is verifiable.
Let me outline some of the salient features and essence of democracy here to remind you, Sir:
(1) Freedom of Assembly and Association: Today Kogites have no freedom of assembly, you gather at your own peril, as any assembly not in support of “The self-acclaimed White Lion” is bound to be disbanded by the army of government-backed thugs. If you are not swift to scamper, your family will be carrying your dead body.
(2) Voting Rights: in today’s Kogi state, voters are not free to vote, they fear for their lives due to intimidation and harassment from government-backed thugs. Recall that in 2019, a Helicopter was used to shoot at and disperse voters in Lokoja, the state capital supported an army of thugs who were shooting on the ground. Dead bodies littered all over Kogi state, and especially Kogi East. We cannot forget Mrs Salome Acheju Abu, a PDP woman leader who was pushed into her house and burnt alive with the house.
Again, the primary aim of government is the provision of security of lives and properties for its citizens but in Kogi of today, the government is the one orchestrating the destruction of lives and properties with state’s sponsored thugs. Government exists for the welfare of its citizens but what we have in Kogi state today is Radicalism, Dramatization, Unorganized, Uncoordinated, and Non-directional group of opportunist cronies who see state funds as personal funds for self-aggrandizement to the detriment of the welfare of the languishing, impoverished, and helplessly suffering Kogi masses.
It is no news to all Nigerians, especially you Sir, that many workers and pensioners in Kogi state are not receiving salaries while the few that receive occasionally, are being paid all forms of ridiculous percentages ranging from as low as 2% to 15%. This was attested to recently by Kinsley Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information in the state in Politics Today on Channels TV. In Kogi state, salaries are not fixed, whatever you see is your salary for the month and where you do not see at all, just thank God, no one to ask, no plans for arrears.
Kogi state is known for bad and deplorable roads, empty hospitals with unpaid hungry and angry doctors, dilapidated infrastructures in primary and secondary schools, with unpaid, hungry and angry teachers. Our higher institutions are left at the mercy of TETFund.
In Kogi state, LGA Chairmen are mere elevated errand boys who have lately been reduced to THUGGERY COMMANDERS, leading an army of thugs against any opposing voice. Commissioners are nothing different, they have no work to do because there is no work to do.
Assembly members are mere lawbreakers who are not left out as General Officer Commanding thuggery.
Traditional rulers are not left out, they are been tossed like flip of coins and forced to bear false witnesses that all is well due to intimidation and threat of deposition.
What about numerous workers whose appointments were unjustly terminated? For example, over 120 Lecturers had their appointments terminated in one swoop at Kogi State University in 2017 because they dare demanded their unpaid salaries, and it is over six years now, what become of these Lecturers and their families? Nobody cares, Nigerians have moved on.
On the issue of hostile government Sir, remember, the late Prince Audu was in ANPP while Chief Obasanjo was in PDP, yet they were good friends in governance, and Chief OBJ visited Kogi State about four times during Prince Audu’s tenure. If I may ask Sir, Yahaya Bello was PMB’s and Aso Rock Villa’s friend, fraternizing with the federal government for eight years, but what did he attracted to Kogi state all through PMB’s tenure? Nothing, I cannot remember one sir.
So, which continuity and consolidation are we talking about sir? Kogi people are humans and deserve to enjoy good governance and dividends of democracy such as the one you left behind in Borno state and Prof. Zulum is consolidating and advancing it today. This is a situation where you can talk of continuity, not the current Kogi situation.
*Remember Sir, that we are first human beings before we become members of political parties, let there be empathy, sympathy and pity for the suffering masses of Kogi state. We are humans too, we are dying!*
God almighty is against oppression and injustice in all its ramifications.
*According to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), “No one can be called a Muslim yet until he loves for his neighbours what he loves for himself”.* I am very sure Sir, you will not love Bello’s legacies in Kogi state for Borno people, let alone its continuity and consolidations. I know you are a good man and will not support Bello’s abysmal failure, let alone its continuity for any reason, not even for party loyalty.
I, therefore, plead with you, for humanity’s sake, for the sake of the day you will stand before God almighty alone, to support the Kogi Liberation Movement headed by Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka and the SDP (the main APC in Kogi state) to save Kogi people. Kogi people will not hesitate to plead with Alhaji Murtala Ajaka and the SDP to return to APC after winning if it is his alignment you do not want to miss owing to his performance in the last presidential election.
We can even begin to promise you that on his behalf for the sake of our souls. It was the hijack of the APC’s primary by Yahaya Bello that pushed him to another political party after all.
Inestimable regards and best wishes Sir.
Cmrd. Mohammed Ibrahim Adah
mohammedexcellent46@gmail.com