BOOK REVIEW

Author: Abiodun Kolawole

Publisher: Infra-consult Associates

No of pages: 159

Those who fought for Nigeria's independence have a common focus despite their different ethnic background. They agreed to free Nigeria from the hand of the British colony, which was ruling the country for its selfish interest. They did not bother about their lives. They were not selfish. They fought and they conquered. These great heroes like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Aminu Kano, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Chief S.L.A. Akintola, Chief Anthony Enahoro among others left good names because of what they believed in. Most of them never ended up as Nigeria's president. They didn't kill to rule by force. They did all they did for posterity. After 50 years of freedom from the British, it is sad to discover that the labour of these heroes has never manifested into positive dividend because of the aggressive leaders that have ruled and that are still ruling the country. Today's politicians are reaping from where they never sow. They have turned the government house to their heritage. They rule and when their term expires, they enthrone their children to continue the race whether the people like it or not. They force themselves and their family members on the unfortunate masses that have probably been cajoled, brainwashed or confused. And because of poverty, even the elite have been enslaved.

Kwara A State in Bondage is another literary bombshell that relays the biographical analysis of the politician and medical expert, Dr. Olusola Saraki. The book, written by a Kwara born human and political rights activist, Abiodun Kolawole, emphasises the need for the people of Kwara State to seek for freedom from the ruling dynasty of Olusola Saraki who the author says he is not a Nigerian but hails from Mali.

The author begins the story with the history of betrayal, rebellion and subjugation in Kwara State. He describes how Saraki was 'smuggled' into Ilorin in 1964 by the combined effort of the Afon community leaders in Lagos. After he contested the parliamentary election of 1964, Saraki, according to the author, returned to Lagos but came back to claim his political ambition in Kwara in 1979. Since then, the name Saraki has become an indignant password to Kwara politicking. The author goes down memory lane and traced how the circle of betrayal began in Kwara in 1800. He reveals how the Fulanis, known as Fellathas or Poulh subjugated many of the heathen tribes up to the northern part of Nigeria. The book keeps the record of the story that surrounds the death of Afonja and how his corpse was publicly burnt to ashes by Alimi soldiers. He also establishes how some Baales and Obas were forced to bring their tributes and ransom to the Emir in Ilorin for loyalty.

This author's anger raged with the Ilorins dominating the ruling class of Kwara. "Olubukola Saraki, the first child of the Waziri of Ilorin is the governor and about to exhaust his second term of four years; his second child Gbemisola, a single mother, is warming up to become the next governor after spending 12 years at the National Assembly representing Ilorin and the rest of the emirate...After 12 years of governorship by Ilorin, 98 per cent of the 12 was by a family, Olusola Saraki is preparing another of his children ostensibly as another candidate representing Ilorin. If successful, Ilorin would be spending 20 years of the ongoing democratic dispensation in the saddle of power while other sections of the state remain secondary attachments." (9 & 10)

The author confirms in chapter one that Saraki's origin is shrouded in controversy from Iseyin, Abeokuta, Mali to Ilorin. While he agrees that Saraki's mother's roots is traceable to Iseyin, he doubts his paternal roots, claiming that there is no Ilorin man that does not have extended family spread from one quarter to another, either through marriage or migration from one area of the emirate to another. "Saraki's family is one of the very few exceptions that do not have any claimed relations or historical family house in Ilorin." (15)

In one of his references to buttress the controversies in Saraki's origin, the book in page 16 presents an extract from an interview published in The Sun on August 17, 2009, with Saraki. "My mother is from Iseyin in Oyo State, while my father is from Ilorin in Kwara State. My great grandfather originated from Mali and I am talking about 150 to 200 years ago..." The author says Saraki's claim in this interview is totally fallacious partly because his grandparents migrated from Mali 200 years ago whereas history claims that the arrival of the Fulanis in Nigeria is just a little above two centuries.

The author also used the book to show various strategies that Saraki applied to gain ground in Kwara such as the construction of ground water tanks among others.

The book also reveals how Saraki claims that when he was a senator, he was giving a monthly allowance of N50,000 to the then governor, Adamu Attah, meanwhile the governor cried out to the emir how he could not fulfil his obligations to develop the state because of the huge ransom he was paying to Saraki from the state grant. The era of Governor Lawal and how the emir also objected to his candidacy was revealed in the book. It also contains the report of the disagreement between Lawal and Saraki which led to his refusal to continue to pay monthly ransom to Saraki from the state purse. This violence according to the author led to the eventual collapse of Societe Generale Bank, belonging to the Sarakis.

"The story of Kwara State today is a pyramid of failure; of mortgaged potential; of succession of unbelievable incompetence; a pyramid of corruption..." (40) The author further claims that the political realm of Governor Bukola Saraki is full of corruption, failure and servitude. "We live in a state today where our present is not only denied, the future of our children is already been (sic) exploited. We belong to a state where Saraki determines every facet of our life." (40)

The book publishes the six-year revenue accruable to Kwara State government from the Federation Account (2004-2009) and also the monthly minimum wage for Kwara State public service workers.

The author refers to the 16 local governments in Kwara State between 2005 and 2009 raking N85,602,590,513. However, he claims that there is nothing close to justify the huge revenue in any of the local governments. Series of cases referred in the book spans round illegal deductions from staff salary to settle contactors, looting of public funds and abuse of power.

It also pictures how an alleged shady deal between Societe Generale Bank, its chairman and other 11 shareholders landed them in the dock of the NDLEA.

The author declares war against oppression, fraud and corruption which he levelled against the Saraki family. He stressed how important and timely it is for Kwarans to reject in total terms Saraki's imposition. He calls out the youth to revolt against the threat of the dynasty and to ensure they liberate their future from the bondage of the political whip.

The book is historical, educative, expository, revealing and convincing. However, the book is not free from writer's devil especially in the fixing of punctuation marks, translations and syntax. In page I, the author writes 'Comrade Abiodun Kolawole is an alumni...' instead of '...is an alumnus...'

The book is recommended for those who insist on justice at all cost.