As the battle of who becomes the elected democratic governor of Kogi state and who occupies the ministerial slot for Kogi rages on,pundits have argued emotionally,sectionally,politically and diversionary,throwing above board,the basic requirements of “merit”,that hitherto was the parameter to measure the occupants of this two exulted offices
Fortunately or Unfortunately for Kogi state,the mere,natural and political coincidence has played out for the two top positions accrued to Kogi state in the next few months
Even though, it has some major differences as per the two plum offices,as one is appointive while the other is elective,but the basis of this envisaged occupants is pure merit,precedents and antecedents of tracks records of achievements either in the public and private sector
Juxtaposedly,we also have two occupants of this highly revered offices who are seeking the public knowledge, to return to the same office and invariably some other ones,whose public judgement with regards to track records of achievement in the public domain, that is desiring public judgement
So objectively,I don’t see reasons why we seems to have narrow down our requests are arguments in summation to Kogi governor and ministerial appointment to few individuals, whose input into the public service is below average
Although,this piece is not meant to hold forth for others running for the two exulted seats,but the emotion targeted towards the present occupants felt short of expectations in a sane environment, particularly when there are so many alternatives,that will even push some ideas into conceding to some of the front runners of the two offices, based on their selfless services at the same time, opportunity to showcase their tested and trusted administrative wizards in some cases
In fair assessement of the present development,it is obvious that both the current occupant of the elective and the previous occupant of the appoontive position, had heard alot of outcry against the backdrop of their stewardship both at the state and federal level
So, the sudden upsurge in the candidacy of the position of Kogi governor, as well as that of ministerial slot in Kogi is needless as the top echelon of the ruling party,APC will not throw to the winds,merit,precedents,antecedents and track records of achievements to the winds
Not done with the upsurge,alot of arguments,disagreements and intra/ inter party rivalries taken another level which include,harrassements,intimidation,
embarrassments,threats to life,inducement to harrass under the guise inordinate ambition is uncivil,undemocratic,archaic and illiterate in nature and conducts, over misused opportunities readily available for salvage
The sudden emergence of pseudo governorship candidates overnight, aside the ones with good and patriotic intentions under the ruling,main opposition and other politic party’s to deliver the state from the doldrums of maladminstration as well multiple ministerial slot and recommendation for re-appointment, giving room for intensive and unhealthy lobbying is unfair and not the best practice that will advance development of the state
For over two decades of the creation of Kogi state,Ministerial position were nominated for ratification through appointment of either the Presidency or the state governors as the case may be,based on track record of achievements,political consideration and any other criteria devoid of bad blood,not untill the recent development according to reports, that obviously negated all the same criteria that is likely to favour or tilted towards a non government recommended nominee, for reasons not yet known
The record is clear,for a government and an appointee whose public outcry against their stewardship had become a norm,it will be a disservice to the masses to allow that same trend to remain a status quo
This development had brought alot of schemings for the office of Kogi governor,and the slot of ministerial position from Kogi state
But in a contests,they are front-runners based on perfomance and leadership ability,while others trail in that order,that is the true position of the situation things in kogi, both in the ruling party and the opposition party’s
In Kogi, aside the names submitted by the governor for ministerial appointment from Kogi, based on reports that Include,Stephen Ocheni,former minister,Ashiru and likely Baba Sule Ali,the most noticeable front-runner remains the National Women leader of APC ,Hajiya Salamatu Baiwa Umar-Eluma,considering her political,administrative,precedents and antecedents both in the public and private sector
Mrs Baiwa Umar-Eluma,the natural front-runner to the exulted position by providence,hard work and political mobilisation in the current democratic dispensation deservedly desired reward for her roles
In the last election,as the National Women Leader,she played a leading role in the mobilisation of both men and women in the country,particularly the women of Nigeria and North Central, that contributed to the landslide victory of the APC in the 2019 election
Before then,Mrs Eluma made a greater contribution in the growth of robust private sector business in the 80s and 90s,that transformed into bumper employement opportunities,investors,investment and return on investment for the private entity and Nigeria
She assisted the aviation sector on invitation to carry out a major reform both in equipement,human resources and business adventure in the sector in early 2000
The remodelling of major Nigeria airports which include Lagos,Kano,Abuja the gateway to the country,that transformed to other leading airports in the country knew no bound
Mrs Baiwa also contributed to the major reorganisation in the aviation sector through staffing,equipement to manage the airways,particularly the frequent plane crash that was reduced to the barest minimum, through the introduction of new system in Accident and Investigation Bureau(AIB), during her brief stint and Head Human resources
It was during her headship in the aviation industry,the idea of Air Nigeria and Public Private Partnership PPP, and gradual privatisation for optimum productivity of the sector was muted,that is coming to fruition in the present dispensation
The National Women Leader, also played a major role in regualrising,staffing and rebranding the image of the sector visa vis Nigeria , and payment of entitlements of former staffers of the defunct Nigeria Airways now moribund and replaced with Air Nigeria after three decades
Mrs Baiwa a consultant and employer of labour in the private sector,also contributed in no small measure to engagement of our youths and teeming unemployed graduates through reforms, that led to her invitation to contribute her quota to the political development of Nigeria.This portfolio is not commensurate to other shortlisted or recommended candidates for the top job,whose experience is not versed compared to her resume
Luckily for Kogi state,the genuine front runners to the seat of Kogi governor are numerous and of immense achievements both in the public and private sector,having distinguished themselves in their various fields
To worsen the situation,the glaring incompetence,inefficiency and poor perfomance on the part of the present adminstration of of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, will give a lee way, to the emergence of good leadership at the state level
On the roll call as at the last count,with disregard to the stooge like 37 APC aspirants,was a former and immediate past DG NASRDA,a well recogniaed space agency expert worldwide, were he held forth for over two terms, as a result of extraordinary perfomance
A professor of repute,an academic who started his career at the famous Remote Sensing Centre in Jos, that metamorphosed into a space centre,with his two terms witnessed a major breakthrough, in a rare area in the field of space technology with world recognition
His tenure as the DG of the space agency,witnessed a major turn around in equipement,break through,staffing of professionals in space development,expansion of the agency regional and state offices across the country and tertiary institutions with particular attention to Universities,massive employement and partnership with major technologically developed countries of the world
The space experience of Professor Mohammed Saidu Onailo Ogah is what he intend to bring on board in kogi state,that desired total overhaul of all its system
Another very strong contender and achiever of great image for the conveted Kogi governors job,is the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff,Admiral Jibrin Oyibe Usman(RTD),a trained sailor of great repute,who had served the country meritoriously for about 35 years,retiring from the peak of his career
He served in various capacities in the Navy,before risen to the no 1 man of the sailors,and during his leadership of the Navy,he established so many Naval base and schools in various parts of the country,among them were Idah,Lokoja and Okura was part of the areas, that benefited from the schools and Naval bases, to reinvigorate the activities of the Navy in riverine areas a decision that hitherto, Lokoja and Idah were not beneficiary since the inception of the Nigeria Navy
The former Naval chief carried out a major reform in the Navy, by acquiring high capacity new Ships and refurbishing the existing ones, totalling about 10 now,which include NNS Okura,NNS Ogani,NNS Akapbana to boost the activities of the Naval personal in and out of the sea
This brought alot of employement opportunities both to the civilian and Naval personel as well skilled and casual trainee workers in the country and Kogi in particular
Aside this two major contenders and challengers of Yahaya Bello,whose resume as a sitting governor can not equate them,a seasoned politician and business conglomerate both in the public and private entity,former governor’s son,Mohammed Audu is also in the race to Lugard house under APC
Mohammed Audu for over two decades had crisscrossed the political landscape of the country and Kogi in particular,coordinating the activities of his late father and side by side building his political empire to toe the career of his late father
Like wise his younger brother,Mona Mustapha Audu who can favourably compete and defeat Governor Yahaya Bello under APC owing to his exposure and general acceptance
Aspirants like Sani Abdullahi Lulu,former NFA President, an astute football administrator of repute have all gathered their resume to counter Yahaya Bellos inexperience in Kogi state by November election, to mention but few out of the 20 aspirants from the ruling party
In the opposition party PDP , former governor Idris Wada would use all parameters to defeat Governor Yahaya Bello in a fair contest, without engagement of any sort of anti democratic forces ranging from Thuggery,rigging,coercion and vote buying experienced in the last election
The likes of Abubakar Ibrahim,Dr Joseph Erico,Aminu Abubakar,Dr Omede Idris,and several others in the PDP to the least Iye Grace Adejoh will defeat Governor Yahaya Bello, based on the experiences of kogians in the last three and half years
Our joy is that President Mohammed Buhari is a no nonsense leader,who does not believe in lobbying and all sorts of political gimmicks to arrive at political consideration, in the area of appointment and selection process of who to govern Kogi state from APC
President Buhari is an upright leader had officially and unofficially shared in the pains of the people of kogi state, over series of malfeasance been perpetrated by the kindergarten government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and will need to protect his personal and political integrity and image by redressing from Bello’s conduct going forward
Apart from that,President Buhari is a leader that will not meedle in the affairs of the party,usurping the rights and privileges of party leaders,in as much as his deploy merit,hard work,good record and above all perfomance and incorruptible conducts to determine his list of appointees
All said and done,Mr President impressed on Nigerians publicly on how the last cabinet was done at the premise of his party,the APC and that situation may not repeat itself
Whatever the case may be,it may be a win win for Kogi and our indefatigable hard-working person to either cling the state slot or on the other hand meet up with other criteria as regional slot as the present adminstration is tilted towards featuring more women in the next cabinet
In few months to come,President Buhari will not allow political opportunist to cajole him into another costly decision against Nigerians,but desiring of the generalty of the people
In all,prayers is a corrolary to all forms of political schemings,but a new entrant stands a better chance than Governor Yahaya Bello’s surrogates
Yahaya Abdulkareem Writes From Lokoja