The eight-year rule of Dr. Bukola Saraki, son of the strongman of politics in Kwara State as governor, no doubt leaves an indelible mark of physical developments. Starting from the renovation of the state stadium to an international standard to the founding of Aviation College, the building of Ilorin international Airport Terminal House, the Cargo Building, Zimbabwean Commercial Farms in Shonga and many more, the medical doctor, who is never known to have ever practised, can boldly show these as legacies to dwarf his predecessors in office. But of late, the accolade that he got barely a year ago after leaving office has evaporated as the people are now singing a different tune. The people that sang hosanna at the time are now shouting, crucify him.

If anything, the senator now representing the Kwara Central District, strangely, did not attend this year's Eid-el-fitri prayers in Ilorin, likewise his father who understandably is old and weak for the stress of long journeys and rigours. It was said that the people are simply angry with Bukola over his alleged meddling in the affairs of the state and particularly the finances of the incumbent government. He is being accused of being the brain behind the plight of the state workers who of late are not paid their salaries and denied promotions since his tenure. Besides, the former governor is widely believed to be the one that instigated some policies that the people consider unpopular. In particular are the land acquisition, otherwise called urbanization policy; his use of government apparatus, even when he is no longer in office and alleged making policy statements of the present regime, including his wife.

The people in the Southern District of the state are unhappy with the senator who is the 'leader' and kingmaker in place of his father. Their grouse, according to findings by Sunday Mirror, is that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed from Share in Ifelodun council of the state is spending the slot of the Kwara South Senatorial District while Saraki who had spent eight years, in addition to the earlier four spent by the late governor, Mohammed Lawal, had used the slot of the Central District. The aggrieved Kwarans believe that the credit or otherwise of the present regime should therefore be left to Ahmed alone who in the end would account for what he did with their slot. The cold feeling and build-up anger is however engaging the close aides and protege of the senator, each employing strategies and programmes in their kitty to do an image laundering for their master.

In the few weeks after the Ramadan, this class of loyalists has been involved in initiating and sponsoring programmes on radio and television to highlight achievements of the 'leader' in a manner that makes observers to wonder the purpose these are meant o serve. Is it to possibly prepare a friendly atmosphere to make Saraki junior arrive home any time he chooses to do so into the welcome hands of the people, they wonder.

An opinion analyst who asked for anonymity told Sunday Mirror that it would be better Senator Saraki learnt from history of what became the fate of godfather and godsons in the political history of the state. He cited what he called sad instances of Adamu Atta and his father (Bukola's father) as well as the one between his father as well and the late Governor Mohammed Lawal. The two 'war' episodes were indeed bloody. "It is strange that the ngovernor is saying as we read in the press that there is fight between him and Bukola Saraki when we were not told in the first place that there was one. At any rate, the way Bukola carries himself as if he is still in power portends a possible feud later. How soon that will be depends on the endurance of the present governor but that is to say that Dr. Bukola Saraki should let the poor man be fully in charge. It is only fair that way. After all, Bukola himself defied the dictation of his own father; it is only fair that he should steer clear as much as possible. He is doing it too glaringly and it is unfair".

Meanwhile, the opposition posture of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) reactions to it took an interesting turn during the current long break by school children. While the ACN looks like wanting to position itself as the alternative party to the PDP in the state, to form a government by organising programmes that can entice the people, the ruling PDP also is trying to suppress the idea by the use of the machinery at its disposal, including government. That was what happened last June when a free coaching class programme for secondary school students across the state that was sponsored by Mr. Dele Belgore (SAN), the ACN governorship candidate in April last year, was allegedly halted by the Ministry of Education. The state chairman of the party, Mr, Kayode Olawepo, was the first to condemn the action of the ministry. According to him, the action was "repressive, anti-people and short-sighted, the decision of the PDP-led state government to stop the free holiday classes". The state government was not to be outdone. It countered, saying: "The promoters of the exercise" did not adhere to laid down rules". Olawepo had said the action of the government "has further plunged its rating to a record low among the masses who are the beneficiaries of the gesture. What this disgraceful, short-sighted and repressive act shows is that the government is not interested in the empowerment or development of its youth, but only interested in saving its own skin."

He added: "We have read the lame excuse the PDP government gave to justify what public reactions have shown to be reactionary behaviour of this government. How low is this government prepared to go in the name of politics by attacking MDB volunteers and threatening schools that provide their facilities? The effort by MDB, Belgore said, is not intended and cannot replace the educational facilities provided by the state. What he is doing is granting additional support through extra lessons for JAMB, etc and in the areas of IT. As a matter of fact, the government should encourage private individuals and institutions who help in doing this. Nothing, and we repeat, nothing should get in the way of uplifting our youths educationally. No right-thinking government that is concerned about the future of its youths would seek to hinder an educational opportunity for its youths. This should be number one priority for any right-thinking government, unless you are the Kwara State Government which has clearly shown that the future of its youths should be compromised in the name of politics," he had fired back.

However, the state government in a reaction by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed, Dr Femi Akorede, stated that the "permission to hold the free lessons should have been sought from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development rather than from school principals. "This is because government's laudable education reforms are based on ensuring high standards of teaching for pupils and students. The ministry screens such initiatives to ensure compliance with set standards. Sadly, the ACN candidate failed to follow procedure, hence government's cancellation of the scheme."

An ACN member in the House of Assembly, Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke, representing Essa/Shawo/Igbodun Constituency of Offa, Hassan Oyeleke, in his own reaction, said the decision of the state government to stop the free holiday classes for secondary school students was "myopic or parochial". He had said: "The governorship candidate of the ACN in the 2011 election, Mohammed Dele Belgore is sponsoring the free holiday classes and state government instructed its secondary school principals not to allow their premises to be used for the programme". The ACN legislator, who is the House Committee Chairman, Public Accounts had said that the Kwara government's reason for stopping Belgore's holiday coaching for secondary school students in the state was political.