Date: 2013-01-21

The Kwara State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has faulted Senator Bukola Saraki's statement alleging the opposition lacked community service.

In a statement in Ilorin ACN Chairman Kayode Olawepo asked what were Saraki's personal contribution to the socio-economic develoment of Kwarans.

The statement read: "We think the former Governor is entitled to his views, however self-contradicting and flawed such opinions are. In the first place, as a Senator representing Kwara Central, what in real terms has been his contributions to his constituency? As a former governor, what was his personal contributions to the socio-economic development of Kwara people?

"If his personal contributions can only be measured in terms of how many bags of rice or semovita he distributed to those impoverished by his brand of politics, then we leave him to the verdict of history. That fits perfectly into the politics played over the past 40 years, outcome of which is the State's appalling poverty rate.

"Senator Saraki's statement is yet another acknowledgment of their well established brand of politics which the people of Kwara have unfortunately been at the receiving end of over the past 40 years. A brand of politics that does not believe in empowering people on any meaningful or sustainable basis by creating opportunities for them to earn a livelihood. Rather it is a brand of politics that practices and actively encourages dependency, giving paltry sums to people and greek gifts and improvising an entire populace to enrich a few. That is the kind of politics we seek to end in this country. We believe in politics that creates opportunity for everyone and promotes equality, merit and excellence.

"Besides, was Saraki expecting the opposition to take after their own style of politics where every donation or philanthropy is announced in the media? Was he expecting the opposition to call a press briefing to announce holiday coaching for students, education scholarships or economic empowerment? No, we don't subscribe to such politics because the less privileged need not suffer the twin humiliation of state-imposed poverty and the one of showing their faces or names to the world in the guise of philanthropy! And ultimately, we believe politics should be about teaching people how to fish and not in buying them fish from funds that belongs to them.

"And finally, where was Saraki when we were alerting the public to the misrule and misplaced priorities of the PDP-led government in Kwara State? Or has he forgot our role in rejecting the many lies about nonexistent performance, Saraki's appropriation of Presidential Wing of the Government House as his living quarters despite drawing huge funds as a 'Senator' and dubious pension package as a former governor, non payment of workers' salary, the KWSG-Valsolar Consortium fraud, the burglary and the stealing of vital documents from the State's Ministry of Finance, and so on. And is Saraki expecting the opposition to start engaging PDP goons in a public fight to prove we are on the ground? Where was he when the PDP and the government resorted to name-calling when we drew their attention to the anti-development budget which prioritised recurrent expenditure above Capital expenditure?

"For the avoidance of doubt, we in the ACN remain fully committed to the aspirations of our people for better life for all based upon the principles of equal opportunity for growth and development to all, free education, free medical services, improved infrastructure and employment generation. Saraki is well advised to imbibe these principles if he wants to be on the right side of the people and history."