Hello FFK,
I find a lot of thought-provoking and attention-grabbing sentiments, views and punch-line thoughts on the internet these days regarding the flip-flop state of the Nigerian economy, corruption, unemployment, the sorry state of insecurity in Nigeria, the unreasonable demand for a Biafra nation and the unending pursuit of this prize-fight by intellectual rogues. I always have found some of your own side of the Nigerian perennial story fascinating rather than interminable. Notwithstanding, your recent contribution with the polemic tag, “An open letter to President Buhari” is instructive and timely but it is also a smoke and mirrors for Jonathan’s presidency. I have some reservations about some of the issues you raised therein.
Two years ago sir, you came to Ondo State for a personal tour. On another occasion, on the 17th day of October, 2014, to be precise, it was a day before your birthday, a day after the swearing-in ceremony of your friend, Governor Ayodele Fayose; you also came to Ondo state as planned from Ekiti state by road. On those two occasions, you had insisted Ondo state was making monumental progress under the watch of Dr Mimiko, your friend and political brother.
Sir, if you could still remember, you argued that “Iroko”, as Dr. Mimiko is popularly called in some quarters is clearly rolling up his sleeves to work for the people. From the personal tour and scheduled visit, you had believed the government of Iroko has been largely a welfarist government, a government helping the less privileged, poor, ill-fortunate and reducing the pains of his people and so by design or default, Ondo state was a welfarist state.
I have been on your trajectory for quite some time now and have become an ardent follower of your timely interventions in ink because of its historical nourishment and mystical revelations. I believe the impact you have had on the media and political space is quite huge and incredible. It is therefore instructive for you not to sell that voluble voice of yours on the altar of “turn-by-turnism”, north-south dichotomy and partisan politics. The truth must be told at all times no matter whose ox will be gored.
Sir, I believe you have turned over many stones, you have ventured along many cul-de-sacs, and you have explored many boulevards just to contribute to the course of nation building. That alone has made you one of the finest writers in the country of the new sheriff. Yes, President Muhammadu Buhari is the new sheriff. On top of all this, you are a smooth, pale, and fluent little chap. Permit me to use that word.
I grew up and live in Ondo state, I was largely educated in Ondo state and for me, Ondo state is a place of pride. I don’t mean the clichéd slogan that lives in the realm of the unknown among the Ondo people. I have critically analysed the happenings in Ondo state for a few years running now and I had come to discover that Governor Olusegun Mimiko, your friend and brother has not only mismanaged state funds and revenues, he has continuously stolen from the poor directly or indirectly through his anti-people policies. Sir, stealing from the rich is a sacred act under a revolutionary environment but stealing from the poor is an aberration and rape of democracy.
I became extra worried with the turn of things in Ondo state when even you as, a social commentator, political analyst, essayist, poet and lawyer had seen nothing wrong with the state of affairs in the sunshine state. Is it that you love Dr Mimiko more and Ondo state less? Is it that Dr Mimiko has done the right thing for not conducting the local government elections for a large part of his tenure and looks set to conduct one in February 2016? Is it that the many anomalies of Dr Mimiko are part of the dividends of democracy the people craved for?
Two years ago sir, just like I said earlier, you came to Ondo state and you told us you were flabbergasted by the achievements of Dr Mimiko, you reeled out some of these achievements and you said, the five-hour personal tour experience was a memorable one which left you speechless. Many things you said that day were excruciating to the ears of decent people, but for time and space, I would have showed you if not for the thought of sparing you the throes of a lengthy letter, some of the flaws, hullabaloo and inconsistency in that your speech.
Nevertheless, the intention of a democratic leadership is to transform the lives of the ordinary people, to make their community a far better and easier dwelling to breed and live in. I mean a case in point zero tolerance for toxic leadership. Also, the intention of democratic leadership is to offer the plausible opportunities and enabling environment for the governed to be able to achieve their full potentials among other necessary and sufficient plus.
Sir, if you look so closely at how the land lies in Ondo state, you will courageously admit that the government of Dr Mimiko has not been fair to its own people. He retrenched workers and yet no physical replacement was made. Many civil servants in Ondo state as at today had retired voluntarily or compulsorily and no visible replacement has been made to cushion the necessity of effectiveness and efficiency in the civil service.
In the teaching service today, the teacher’s workload is damn too high because the work force is proportionately low. Sir, your friend has embarked more on cosmetic projects than capital projects which are not even feasible. These have been the bane of Dr Mimiko’s administration for over seven (7) years, and it is a misplaced priority and an ignoble act of governance. Sir, Dr Mimiko’s ineptitude as a public officer is not a general municipal phenomenon and his refusal to pay corps members is not either. His non-payment of workers’ salaries as and when due, no matter the economic realities is not a state phenomenon.
For the records, no serving corps member in Ondo state is paid any longer the state monthly stipends. The last time it was paid consistently to respective corps members was during Dr Olusegun Agagu’s regime. Are you not aware of this bedlam and you are keeping quiet? Sir, one thing I infer among other things is that Ondo state under the leadership of your friend and brother, Dr Mimiko has gone insolvent. Governor Nasiru El-rufai, your acclaimed friend and brother is the governor of Kaduna state. As of today, El-rufai has paid corps members serving in Kaduna state their December Stipends of last year. Sir, they are both operating under the same Nigerian Phenomenon (corruption, and flip-flop economy), only their region, religion and perhaps, administrative acumen differs.
Let’s face it, Ondo state is abundantly blessed compared to Kaduna state, Osun state, Ekiti state, Anambra state et al. The reason for this among other things is that: Ondo state is an oil producing state, while Kaduna state is not and yet, El-rufai is putting some sunny smiles on the faces of corps member serving in the state, improving the lives of his people, establishing legacy of good governance by making huge sacrifices. After all, governance is simply a leviathan contract with the people. Dear Sir, the truth is that: Dr. Mimiko does not believe in the people, the people matters less to him, Dr Mimiko hold his people in absolute contempt. If not, he should have stopped bamboozling the people with his various printed lies of governance.
Sir, the dictum of Ted Gurr, the prominent and eminent author of the book, ‘Why Men Rebel’, “let people hate, so far they fear” is a prelude to ad nauseam unfeeling bureaucracy. This is what many of those who govern us, even your friend and brother give or take in the face of scrutiny of governmental policies by the people. They pretend to forget the role of accountability as democratic leaders. They believe every constructive critic is a political opportunist seeking relevance. Sir, I am not one and will never be one.
I will advise that you use your glib control of English language better for the good of the greater number not the good of a privileged few. It serves no one any good if you continue to play the hide and seek game at the detriment of some hapless, mal-nourished and defenceless people. You are better placed to ask Dr Mimiko some hard questions; you are better placed to call him to order; you are better placed to teach him some administrative lessons in matters of fairness, equity and probably in morals if pride will not take over his sense of self. For that is what your Bible says- to stand for justice and for the helpless in the society, or are you no more a bible-believing Christian.
Two things you can be: a hero or a villain. You can be a hero who has discovered that, we still need people like Gani Fawehinmi, Aminu Kano, et al. in the Nigerian space no matter how plethora. I don’t wish for you to be called a villain after the similitude of posterity, divinity and living history. I wish our children yet unborn will not call us fools that lived without a noble course; one that lived, but had nothing tangible to show for a living. Sir, it is only a wish, but your actions or inactions will determine which side of the coin faces you. Wish you all the very best this new year.
Orukotan Ayomikun Samuel, a graduate of Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure writes from Ondo.
mail: orukotanayomikun@yahoo.com
Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates
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