Date: 2014-06-19

We have been following issues emanating from the fracas that broke out in some parts of Ilorin West local government area of the state, over alleged distribution of largesse by a former legislator from the area with keen interest hoping that the security agencies that waded in will unravel its remote cause and deal with the culprits according to the law.

The crisis on its own is needless, barbaric and nauseating at this time of our democratic evolution where youths are rising to the challenge of correcting the ills of the past that are traceable to the older generation. Those who lost their lives in the fracas were mainly youths-who are perhaps hopes of their respective families.

As the families of the deceased were mourning their loved ones, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) jumped into the air to demonize her arch rival in the political chess and struggle for power in the state in a calculated effort to nail the later.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman in a statement mourned those whose lives were cut down in the crisis but failed to respond to the weighty charge dropped at their threshold. Let it be said for the umpteenth time that human lives are sacred even though Nigeria is increasingly becoming a killing field, we insist that the plague of blood letting is rather calamitous.

It is from the foregoing that we encourage the PDP to assist the investigators with her plethora of evidence so as enhance the quality of prosecution when eventually they are brought before the court. Any attempt to make political gains out of the unfortunate incidence can only amount to callousness.

The PDP should equally look inward and invent programmes that are capable of banishing poverty and craving for peanuts when occasionally they are dispensed. We are taken aback that the PDP ward and local government congresses were horrible and spiced with violence. Why allowing another event to turn awry in a very close interval? We fear they are labeled trouble makers!

As we watch from the sideline it is evident, that the PDP like the last baby of the house is seeking attention and striving to curry the favor of an imaginary father by whipping up sentiment that will attract attention of the Federal Government and Police higher authorities. This is reminiscent of the ignoble days when Kwara was in the news for violence and all sorts till election period, the resultant was the deployment of troops here and eventual take over of the state by the PDP.

The government of Fattah Ahmed catches our fancy through his QuickWin programme that in one sweep employed 5,200 youths in a bid to reducing unemployment amongst the army of Kwara youths and stem restiveness. The programme when it reaches its full cycle will take away several thousands of youths off the streets. Then who will be available for thuggery?

The PDP as the father Christmas can do more and be more responsive to the yearnings of those young elements in their midst and the state as whole. The empowerment programme of the state government code named QuickWin was in-indiscriminatory in implementation. The Chairman and a Commisioner of a federal board dispensing jobs in Nigeria are from the state, so we expect more from them.

We look forward to a period when political rallies and campaigns will attract less population of youths owing to their busyness and engagement in profitable ventures. Majority of the people attending political rallies are the youths because they are not gainfully engaged therefore the peanuts doled out could be attractive.

Kwara PDP like her headship failed in the blame game it ventured into but rather has everything at her disposal to turn everywhere into gold having sat on our commonwealth for too long. What the PDP needs now is suasion through massive deployment of interventionist programmes that are capable of eradicating the long time penury inflicted on our people by successive PDP governments in this land.

Once again the mourn the deceased and condole their families; as we call on the political class to be more alive to their responsibilities and honour the dead whose lives were sacrificed on the alter of aggravated systemic failures.

Kayode Oyin-Zubair
Coordinator, Kwara Change Initiative Ilorin