Date: 2015-02-13

ON Thursday, February 5, Is'haq Modibbo Kawu treated Kwarans to yet another poodle of hatred, as always, about the person of Senator Bukola Saraki, the former governor of Kwara State. In his sentimental and heavily jaundiced article entitled: Let us collectively save the Emir of Ilorin's palace, published in the Vanguard newspaper, he attempted, without justification to pick holes in the sale of government quarters in the state capital and a fathom attempt that existed only in his imagination, to sell the Eid praying ground. Ordinarily, as a principle, such blatant, audacious and shameless display of ignorance laced with pathological hatred for the Saraki, would have been ignored, but if the madman is allowed to bury his mother, he might roast it ?

While Kawu's impish nature is not unknown, it is shocking that without fail, he has made Senator Saraki the unfailing icing, and, therefore, predictably certain to be the sign-off for his page, week in, week out.

The Thursday piece, apparently, a laborious effort to deliberately distort facts and paint Senator Saraki in a bad light when a few questions directed to the right offices would have assisted Kawu's little understanding, gleefully stood truth on its head. Curiously, Kawu parroted his emotional connection to the complex in a manner that makes you think he knew everything about it when he is actually wiggling on imaginations.

Perhaps, consumed by a deep-rooted and baseless animosity for the senator, who has contributed in no small measure to the development of Kwara and country at large, Kawu missed fact that Senator Saraki is no longer in government and cannot be held accountable for the actions or inactions of the current leadership in the state. It was clear, too, to see that Kawu showed no respect for Sen. Saraki as he referred to him straight as "Bukola Saraki." But the height of mischief, depth of hate and infantile behavior manifested the most as Kawu repeatedly referred to the government of Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed as "Saraki's government in Kwara State!"

When has journalism got to this base level where partisanship has no veil over its face? As one who has had the privilege of managing Kwara Television and Radio Kwara, especially one, who courts attention with everything within him, one thought, for Kawu, it would have been more dignifying to own up to knowing very little about the houses and the Eid praying ground and craving information, than carrying on as if one had privileged information or knew anything other than their existence.

In today's society where government is only involved in ventures that deliver premium benefits to the people, it can only call to mind Winston Churchill, a former British Prime Minister's famous saying that: "We do not know if we will make progress when we change, but change is important if we must make progress." This explains the disappointment in discovering that it is probably only Kawu, who has yet to know that the houses were sold to lawmakers and civil servants as government's way of ensuring they retire into comfort after dedicatedly serving the state.

Yet, while Kawu can be forgiven, common sense being a scarce commodity to the prejudiced, it mirrors condemnable perjury to also insinuate that the government had penciled down the Ilorin Eid praying ground for sale. What can be more self-serving and reckless parade of crazy imaginations! Where are Kawu's proofs? Really, how could any government want to sell a place that symbolises peace and unity in the state? Truth is, even if the government of Kwara looked for money by all means, Kawu can take it for granted that Governor Ahmed knows the importance of the Eid praying ground to the people and do not need the likes of Kawu or any other group to remind him.

Sometimes after reading some of Kawu's banal, uninspiring and gall dipped write-ups, I shudder to think how a man, who has largely benefitted from Kwara government's benevolence could constitute himself an arm-chair critic, and doing so rather sheepishly, without a film of idea what the alternatives are to otherwise government's giants strides and ideas in Kwara, which to him, do not count.

Surely, only Kawu is wise in his warped world, while the entire Kwara people who voted Senator Bukola Saraki to manage the affairs of the state for eight years are foolish. Years after, as Kwara indigenes continue to show appreciation for Senator Saraki's enviable contributions to the growth, development and progress of Kwara as governor and support for Governor Ahmed, who has sustained the development roadmap, Kawu, like all split characters, has continued to twist incontrovertible facts of history. But not many would be surprised at Kawu's behaviour.

What can anyone, who showed disregard for his parents by jettisoning the name they gave him at birth for a name uncommon in the family not do? Show me a Chameleon and Kawu comes fit. One had thought that after dropping Lanre, his native Yoruba name, in favour of Modibbo, just so he deceives people into thinking he is Fulani, but failed to acquit himself in proper Hausa language, Kawu would have grown up. Perhaps, the anger arising from a failed request to equip Kwara Television and Radio Kwara during Senator Saraki's government till date, Kawu has seen nothing good in either Senator Saraki or Dr Ahmed's government that has scored many firsts in several fields of governance in the state as if they were in competition.

In this latest gaffe, heavily ingrained with impetuous remarks and reeking of deeply-felt animosity for the distinguished senator, Kawu showed minimal regard for the sanctity of facts as common in journalism profession. Unfortunately, he forgets that the important thing to the people of Kwara is not criticisms, but better alternatives. And, if Kawu has not been able to provide a better alternative, why footling away his time criticizing?

Truth is, Senator Saraki is a beneficiary of God's awesome favour and a thousand Kawus cannot re-write his place in history even if they lived their entire lives criticizing him. Certainly, regularly making Saraki or Abdulfatah's government the butt of his pen would neither improve nor benefit citizens; only positive works that people can see as done by Saraki as governor and currently ongoing in the state under governor Abdulfatah Ahmed matter.

Kawu should point the people to what he has done for his community over the years in his private capacity or be quiet and allow those working to deliver premium service to the people of Kwara State to have their peace.

Mr. Oba, CPS to the Kwara State governor, wrote from Ilorin, Kwara State.