Home OPINION COMMENTARY Open Letter To President Buhari On Kogi, By Joseph Ozigi Akomodi

Open Letter To President Buhari On Kogi, By Joseph Ozigi Akomodi

Joseph Akomodi

I have always stood for what is right regardless of how people feel. Those who take their time to study me well know that I call a spade a spade whether it is politically sound or not. I am not a politician and I do not intend to be one and I am not looking for any favor from anyone in any shape or form. What prompted me to write this letter to President Buhari is of many folds.

Ebira as a Kingdom awesomely supported Muhammadu Buhari that led to his victory as President of Nigeria. I, in person knew how much support I accorded Buhari. It is not how much money you have in support of a candidate or how much stolen money that was lavished in an election. The moral and ethical standard of support given to President Buhari should make him wake up from his world of cocoon to face the reality of life. I do not dive into issue without carefully analyzing all the pros and cons of the issues.

President Buhari is a man I knew as young boy growing up in the North Eastern State when he became the Governor of North Eastern State specifically Bauchi that was later carved out of North Eastern State. Buhari was a man in my eyes as a man of action and trustworthiness, which was the main reason I was very passionate in my support for him during his election. President Buhari was a man who would like to be poor as far as someone out there has no food to eat. Buhari was a man who will do his very best for Nigerians because he understood what politics is really all about. He understood that as a leader you ought to serve the people who elected you into voice to make a difference in people’s life. President Buhari believes in teaching people how to fish instead of giving fish to the people. President Buhari believes in educating the young minds of our youths that was why I was so passionate about his leadership skills.

After President Buhari became the President elect the entire world celebrated his victory which was a landslide. I am perturbed that same man that I knew right from when I was a boy growing up could turned the other chick to the situation in Kogi State. I am wondering what has become of a man I knew as the man of action of the then North Eastern State of Nigeria. What has become of a man that majority of Nigerians hope to stand with for what is right at all time? What has become of the President we all whole heartedly supported? Again, I am not here to castigate President Buhari because I knew his nature of responsibility has quadruple a million times.

Nevertheless, when a State is in the stage of anarchy, truth got to be told even if those who you are piloting rebuffed to see the reality. I will now dissect what has been happening in Kogi State right from 1991 which is approximately 24 years ago. One will argued how do you know what was happening to a State that was created when you are not even in the Country? My answer to those kinds of people is simple, I left Nigeria when Kogi State never existed which was a true statement, but Nigeria or Ebira Oiza has never left me. Out of twenty four years of the presence of Kogi State Igalas has ruled Kogi, all of those years, they have nothing to show for it. Kogi State is the least State among all the State that were created around the same time. President Buhari came from a very small place compare to the entire North yet he became the Head of State and President of Nigeria with High values.

During the time when Ebira and Okuns were fighting for Kogi State the Igalas were busy fighting for Okura State. When they could not succeed in creating their own State they decided to team up with West and Central to create Kogi State. Partly it is the fault of Okuns and Ebira in allowing them to join us. I am not also surprised that they suffered in the hands of the majority of Benue people because of their greediness and shadiness in dealing with the affairs of their former State.

When the Igalas were preparing to join Kogi State they manufacture forged documents to show to Okuns and Ebiras. Since the Igalas were the one migrating from Benue to Kogi State they inflated the level of their workers. For example those who are in level 4 in Benue State were given level 7 with the date of service been forged to reflect their seniority over the same level with their counterpart in their new State of Kogi. They systematically displaced every educated elite of Okuns and Ebiras. As I write this article, go into the state of Kogi and compile a data analysis of who heads the various Para status of Kogi State. Igalas are number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 before they can even place one Yoruba or Ebira in the slot.

The problem we have in the State is not because Ebira or the Okuns did not have the common sense to team together to face the Igalas since they are the one that has ostracized the State for 24 years they have brainwashed our youths who all they knew was Igala men have been ruling the State right from when they were born. They have used stolen money from Kogi State treasury to make our youths susceptible. The sad part of it was that we have people of my age who wined and dined with these evils from both Okun and Ebira to sell their integrity. The Late Audu they are all clamoring around calling him the Adoja of Kogi State which I do not care to find the right meaning of it in Igala language. I can predict that might mean the Lion of Kogi State. Yes he was a Lion that stole all our wealth. He was a Lion that stripped Obangede hospital completely naked. Yes he was a Lion that stole our entire budget and bought many houses in the United States and all over the world. Yes he was the Adoja of all thieves. These do not preclude former Governor Ibro and Wada from this systematic way of annihilation of our people.

See also:  Soneye @ 50: A Peer Review And Service Delivery At NNPCL, By Sufuyan Ojeifo

What shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and loses his soul? The profit they all acquired is all vanity upon vanity. Yes I know the ordinary Kogites have suffered in the hands of these looters and they continued to agonize because the Federal Government decided to close their eyes as if they do not know what is happening.

My question to President Buhari is, when are you going to voice out to come out of your box to actually speak the truth? Ajaokuta has been abandoned for decades just because it is in Ebira land. President Buhari, despite the fact that I had blamed you in the past for halting Ajaokuta’s progress when you cut short the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Sagari, yet I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you are looking at the bigger picture for Nigerians thinking if you had had enough time then you probably could have commence the realization of Ajaokuta.

Let us dive into the meat and potatoes of issues Mr. President. You knew late Audu was a criminal you kept quiet. You knew that other ethnic group of Kogi States were relegated you kept quiet. You knew that the Primary election that was held in Kogi State in which Audu emerged as a winner he did not follow the protocol of resigning from his position he held in the party that by law he was supposed to resign yet the big guns Tinubu sheltered him. You knew that after his dead that the INEC made a report that result of the election was inconclusive because of Audu’s death. If Audu was alive and he was sworn in before his untimely dead, the deputy Governor that was handpicked by Tinubu should have been the Governor. You also knew that by virtue of constitution regardless about its clarity the next person who supposed to take over from him should have been Alhaji Yahaya Bello since he emerged the second in the race of the primary election. Yet you continued to stay mute about these injustices that continued to devour the entire State of Kogi.

Mr. President I urge you to use your good office to speak out for the voices of voiceless that I knew you in the past to be a strong advocate for. Where is President Buhari of former North Eastern State? Where is the voice of the President that wants justice for Umaru Dikko back in the 80s? Where is the voice of President Buhari who declared war against indiscipline? Where is the voice of President when I visited home in 1985 Nigeria look like small London? The reason why I am asking all of these questions are simple, you could not have been the same Buhari I knew all my life. For injustices to continue under your nose without voicing out to allow the rule of law to take place is mind bothering to me.

In my final analysis, Mr. President you should be fair to all Nigerians whether it is politically correct or not. Remember your stewardess was what had made Nigerians all over the globe to clamor all around you in your last election. I therefore, urge you to use your good office to fight what is for the Ebiras and Okuns in a State of anarchy. I am a proud Nigerian despite the fact that I left the Nation for more than three decades of my life. I love Kogi State and its people and I love Nigeria as long as I am alive. Again, you can take someone out of Nigeria but you cannot take Nigeria out of them. Long Live Ebiraland! Long Live Nigeria at large!!

Joseph Ozigi Akomodi wrote from United State of America. [myad]

 

Leave a Reply