Date: 2016-04-22

The judicial persecution of the Distinguish Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki by some political elements in the country should be seen beyond the immediate circumstances. This is an age long war against the development of Kwara State being championed and orchestrated by a section of the west through extensive media propaganda. Going through the memory lane, this script has often been played at every situation that Kwara would be privileged to have a well focused, dynamic and people oriented Government or individuals at the helm of affairs in the state. It has happened during the regime of the Military Governor Gorge Agbazika Innih when Kwara State was developing at a more rapid pace to the envy of the west that subterraneans stalled the construction of Kwara State International Stadium through negative media war.

We have also witnessed this scenario during the regime of General Muhammed Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon when we had the opportunity to get some Federal projects like the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin International Airport, Kwara Agriculture Development Agency as well as the Jebba Hydro-power Station. Because of the hatred some section of the country had for Idiagbon and by extention, Kwara State, the regime of Buhari/Idiagbon was labeled as draconic through envious press propaganda that saw the termination of the regime with the devastating consequences on Kwara State by the paralysis of all Federal institutions like the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, the Ilorin International Airport and the exertion of Jebba Hydro Electric power station to Niger State.

The agents of destruction are currently playing the old script with the political persecution of Dr. Bukola Saraki who is an architect of modern Kwara, with an extensive media and press propaganda through such avenues like Sahara Reporters, Premium Times, and The Nation Newspaper among other media. These campaigns are being sponsored by the enemies of Kwara state in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) from the west with active connivance of some people in the state. It is high time Kwarans and indeed Nigerians stayed beyond parochial interest and primordial sentiments and allow the state to develop.

It is abundantly clear that what is going on at the CCT tribunal is nothing but political persecution of by some enemies of the state who are not comfortable with the rising political star of the Senate President. That is why we must all rise up against the perceived injustice and give our total support to him because of the immense contribution that the state stand to benefit from being the Leader of the National Assembly today. Within the little time of his ascendency as the President of The Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria, more than one hundred Kwarans have secured one appointment or the other at the National level. A lot of Federal projects have been slated for Kwara state. This includes the construction of Ilorin-Jebba- Mokwa Road and Ilorin-Kabba that has been neglected for decade unattended to. These efforts will thus have great multiplier effects on the generality of people of the state and the country at large.

This is the more reason why Kwara people regardless of any political affiliations must rise up this time around to resist all attempts by the enemies of Kwara State to rub us of another glorious opportunity to develop rapidly through the office of the Senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is Bukola's turn today, whose turn will it be tomorrow?

Hon. Abddulrafiu Abdulrahman is a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly.