The Honorable Speaker,
Kwara State House of Assembly,
Asa-Dam Road,
Ilorin, Kwara State

Dear sir,

MY OWN REACTION TO THE DISCUSSION OF STAKEHOLDERS WITH YOU

May peace and blessings of God be with you sir. In respect to the round-table discussion made on the 16th, June, 2016, you invited us as a stake holders at Kwara State House of Assembly, I must be sincere with you that it was a brilliant step in a brilliant direction. I struggled to contribute that day but I was not recognised by you sir. I want to believe it was not deliberate as several people whose hands strove for recognition were equally not recognised. It was not the speaker factor but time factor as everybody can not be called within the available time. The topic is the state of Kwara state and how do we do things in different way and get a good result. Aside the topic on the table for discussion, extracts are made out of Nigeria Budget indicating effort of senate president (Dr. Bukola Saraki) contribution to better Kwara and Kwarans. People contributed brilliantly well except the unavoidable few. So many discussion were on Dr. Bukola Saraki brilliant step. Few discussed on diversification of economy but one area was not talked about and I have not been comfortable since that day for not flogging the issue sir.

I think this avenue can accommodate a million speakers at a time unlike the round-table discussion sir. Coupled with this, I seek the indulgence of the Honourable Speaker sir to address the house. I hope it is granted sir.

Sambo Muritala is my name and I represent the helpless masses of Kwara state. I stand by the existing protocols as established by the speaker. I will like to address one single issue in two instances sir; first, you arrived to the hall to join us for the discussion about 45 minutes behind schedule and you did not deem it fit to give reason for your lateness, not to talk of apology. It is not good enough sir. On behalf of myself and other stake holders, we overlooked that as we noticed in your humble display at the forum that it was not deliberate.

The same issue in the second perception sir, minus first four years of this phase of civilian government, Kwara state has been a government of continuity under the leadership of Bukola Saraki, you and other disciples but you have not done well in terms of saving for the hard time like this and you equally had no long plan for upgrading this helpless state. In the good time of excess in allocation, it has always been sharing the excess. In your opening address sir, you said peace is in Kwara. I disagree with you as peace is not determined by calmness in the streets, there can not be peace where there is hunger, insecurity, and poverty. Equally in this hard time sir, you and your disciples have not demonstrated how you have been affected like these civil servants who have lost their wives to adultery, their children to hired thuggery and robbery and themselves to a cooperate begging. I will like to be controverted if senators and house of representative members are owed by the federal government. I want to be challenged if the governor, you, and other disciples are owed by state government. Then it is obvious that telling the civil servant that you feel their pains is untenable and deceptive sir. Honourable Speaker sir, I swear you do not feel the pain of teachers who were owed ten months salaries and pray you will never feel such pain. I pray you will not lose the control of your house to your inlaw because you can not give a round table feed to your immediate family.

The Honourable speaker sir, this problem of lack of fund has not just come, what have you been doing since you observed this? It will not be accepted that you are just learning for the first time that agriculture is the viable alternative to sustain economy. Several state have been in their farms to tackle economic problems. I don't want to believe that you are just thinking of way forward now. If that is the case sir, these civil servants will still have to wait for nothing less than another two to three years to be paid. However, it is better late than never sir.

Sir, I will like to submit further that this administration has not been sincere in the past sir and this insincerity of the past is haunting the present. To me sir, the distributions of the extracts from Nigeria budget to demonstrate how Dr. Bukola Saraki holds Kwara in high esteem is a mere canvass for support for him and it is a welcome idea and I embrace it like other speakers. Considering every speakers in this forum sir, you have succeeded in that mission.

The Honourable Speaker sir, in all honesty we know Kwara is broke, we equally know how much you are struggling to make ends meet but our fear is whether or not you will go back to your insincerity of the past when things change for better. Your present is wonderful and brilliant but obnoxious past is haunting your present performance. I remember that few speakers like Barr. Jawondo made references to the submit at AMTI which has yielded nothing till now sir. How are we sure this forum will also not be labour in vain. You may give us the slogan of CHANGE but we find it hard to believe in leopard changing its spots when you are the same set of people in the past and the present.

This is a very good development sir but I will have love you to commence this proceeding by acknowledging and admitting inefficiency of the past on behalf of yourself and your brotherhood. After this, you promise also on behalf of yourself and your brotherhood to change for better. After this, we would believe you, bear with you, and join hands with you to actualise a good Kwara and Kwarans where genuine peace will stay. I must commend your bold step toward re-branding Kwara and Kwarans. I hope to be invited and recognised once again when the forum will be accommodated sir. Thanks in anticipation.

Your brother,
Sambo Muritala,
Principal partner,
Sambo Muritala & Co,