Opinion: Much ado about Saraki and Kwara,By Sikiru Adebayo

Date: 2014-09-03

As usual, the latest brew from Is'haq Modibbo Kawu's pot of half-truth delivered through his column in the Vanguard newspaper, leaves a trend and trail of garnished falsehood. Moddibo's case readily reminds one of the pitiable situation of a stammerer, who rather than learn how to talk slowly so he can be understood, decides to gargle and garble at the same time.

In the last six months, Moddibo has written six opinions all about Kwara State such that a curious mind would wonder if the column is all about Kwara. Worse still, his take is not about making Kwara, his home, a better place for all, but usually direct attacks and unsubstantiated allegations against Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS). One would have expected that for a cerebral individual, it would have been a huge opportunity to reach out and speak on many issues bedeviling the nation and ordinary Nigerians by proffering solutions to issues, but Moddibo seems to have a different idea and a warped one at that about the role of a columnist.

Somehow, today, it might not be out of place if a reader asked if the column was dedicated to Kwara and ABS! Or, perhaps, wonder if he has agreement to use the platform to discuss ONLY Saraki, week-in-week-out . Else, how can one explain the fact that Moddibo is fast breaking media records as the only known columnist in Nigeria with only ONE SUBJECT and ONE TOPIC to talk about! Really, even a researcher seeking a chair in the university would have diversified focus to demonstrate inter-disciplinary competence to get his or her award!

To underscore Moddibo's vacuity of intelligence and elementary history, in his penchant to create a monster out of Saraki, he muddled up several facts about the nomination of ministers. Just for the record, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, was not the first minister from Kwara State who would not be appointed by Saraki or come from the Saraki political dynasty. There was Hajia Aminat Ndalolo, who was nominated by the former Chief of Staff to President Olusegun Obasanjo, though it is public knowledge that the Sarakis contributed to Obasanjo's emergence. What about Princess Funke Adedoyin, who was a candidate of then Vice President Atiku Abubakar. His memory is too blur to remember Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo who emerged from the ranks of pro-democracy activists?

By this, therefore, there is no such thing as victory in the appointment of Suleiman by people who are not working with ABS. And in any case, how would he have been appointed without the input of ABS if the federal lawmaker was still with the PDP? If ABS was still working with the ruling party to appropriate our collective resources for the benefit of a few in the name of oil theft, he would still have got the nod to present a candidate. Even at that, his candidate, who was nominated from the rank and file and later removed in a fit of political anger, would have still been there. But Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) is above petty politics.

Moddibo's misfiring did not stop at that. It is so sad to read what Moddibo, who belongs to the group of privileged elite whose agenda is to dominate the rest of us because of our humble background, also dished out to the public as knowledge of the state of education in Kwara State. While admitting that no human institution is perfect, the picture as painted by Moddibo so clearly contradicts what is available on ground. The once in a year visit by Moddibo can definitely not afford him a good grasp of real situation in the state. The every child counts policy of the Saraki administration in the state, which was endorsed by both the Department for International Development, (DFID), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), remains a road map for Nigeria's education advancement.

Those familiar with this situation would continue to wonder whether Moddibo's unceasing attack on ABS could be because Saraki, as governor, refused to provide funds for the floating of his proposed multi-million naira printing press after he lost his job at Daily Trust. Surely, many of those he used to pester the former governor, would not forget the forlorn look on his face when it became apparent that ABS was not going to divert millions of naira in public fund for a private engagement. And, so if for that reason, Moddibo remains a life-time-ABS-critic, so be it.

The Saraki, I know, has paid the school and examination fees of some of our indigent pupils. Just as his father, Oloye, rehabilitated a number of community schools in the state. While building rural roads, health centres and empowering numerous number of Kwarans, the younger Saraki also embarked on an unprecedented community development projects, yet the likes of Moddibo who has contributed nothing to their communities see nothing good in ABS.

It is good to drum into Moddibo's ears, as well as into the ears of those he has been milking through his 'shop' of jaundiced writings that if they think by turning the truth head down, they will effect any change in Kwara State, they are clearly wrong. The kind of change Kwarans and entire Nigerians crave for is the type that seeks to explain where the stolen oil money go into. How millions of youths cannot secure employment after painstakingly studying in the universities only for government not to have a well-designed programme of job generation.

Truth which Moddibo and his co-travellers have refused to see is the fondness and bond between ABS and the Kwara people. A bond built on trust and people-based policies, and not the ranting of some self-seeking gang, who only come to Kwara to seek votes only during election times. Dr. Saraki does not visit home once in four years or pay hospital bills or distribute food items only during election period, but during and after elections; almost daily and there is no pretence about it.

One last appeal to Moddibo is that: if you so much care about the people of Kwara, then use your column to raise issues that will help Kwarans. There are general issues such as the level of unemployment and what the federal government can do to help. You should help Kwarans put the question of whether a state must be under the control of PDP before the people can enjoy basic entitlements as Nigerians, to the federal government?

Sikiru Adebayo, a social critic, wrote from Ilorin, Kwara State.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bolaji Nagode     Amusa Bello     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Abiodun Oyedepo     Sa\'adu Salau     Garba Ayodele Wahab     Bayo Lawal     Young Progressives Party     Mustapha Olanipekun     Agbarere     Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Amasa     Magaji Erubu     ER-KANG     Aliyu U. Tilde     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Oke-Ero     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Kwara State Television     Fulani     Alliance For Democracy     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Ilorin East     Inside Kwara     Ilorin.Info     Aliyu Alhassan     Mike Omotosho     Ahmed Bayero     Bisi Oyeleke     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Galadima     Omotoso     Ganiyu Taofiq     Jaigbade Alao     Ibrahim Bio     Owode Market     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Olatunde Michaels     Alapansapa     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Vasolar Consultoria     Yakubu Danladi     Binta Abubakar-Mora     Abraham Ojo     Tafidan Kaiama     Yusuf Mubarak     Abdulrahman Onikijipa     Ibrahim Issa Jetti     Ishaq Abdulkarim     Neo Mundo Ltd     Agor     Sobi Hill     Lanwa     Law School Scholarship     Babaita     Babatunde Ajeigbe     Aliyu Adebayo     Marufat Oladosu     Abubakar Olusola Saraki     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     Saad Belgore     A.E. Afolabi     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Baruba     Musa Abdullahi     IFK     KWAFFA     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     Yomi Ogunsola     Muhammad Ghali Alaaya     Ayo Salami     Kola Shittu     Kayode Laro     Zainab Abass    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bamidele Adegoke     Post-utme     Offa     Kpotum Mohammed Baba     Kishira     Femi Gbajabiamila     Kaiama     Florence Saraki     Doyin Awoyale     Omar Bolaji Gambari     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Ndakene     Opobiyi     Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa     Stephen Fasakin     Tinubu Legacy Forum     UNILORIN Alumni Association     First Lady     Adeleke Ogungbe     Standard Organization Of Nigeria     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Peculiar Allowance     Haleeman Salman     Offa Grammer School     Adeola Abraham     Jimoh Olusola Imam     Afolayan     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Madawaki Of Ilorin     IsDB     Yusuf Ali     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Samuel Adaramola     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     High Court     Tunji Moronfoye     Abdulrauf Yusuf     Aliyu Muyideen     Minister     Abdulraheem Olesin     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Hakeem Idris     Kwara TV     Senate Presidency     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Dorcas Afeniforo     Ishola Moses Abiodun     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Valsolar     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Alaaya     CACOVID Palliatives     Kazeem Oladepo     Babata     Moshood Mustapha     Third Estate     Mohammed Halidu     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Kehinde Boyede     Rasheed Jimoh     Toyin Abdullahi     Michael Imoudu National Institute For Labour Studies     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     Tunde Saad     Niyi Osundare     Bahago     Neuropsychiatric Hospital     Yusuf Aiyedun     Christian Association Of Nigeria     2023 Elections     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Oloyede     Pategi     Odolaye Aremu     Abubakar B.M     Roheemat Hammed     Kwabes