By Adeiza Momoh Jimoh
The recent rejection of Obadiah Ando as ministerial nominee from Taraba State by the Senate marked the end of the political horse trading that was kick started by the three senators representing Taraba State in the Senate. The country was taken aback when all the three senators from the state addressed a joint press conference rejecting the nomination of Ando as minister representing Taraba State.
They told the world that Dr. Ando did not serve the interest of the people of the state when he was first appointed Minister of Water Resources by President Goodluck Jonathan. They further alleged that he was highly inaccessible to the people of the state who he supposedly represented in the federal cabinet. One would have thought that the senators’ action was a kind of political witch-hunting if the senator representing the district of Dr Obadiah had not consented to the rejection. Worse still, the entire members of the Taraba State House of Assembly unanimously passed a resolution supporting the senators position without even a minority position from the House of Assembly member from Obadiah’s district of Taraba State.
While I praise the role played by the senators from Taraba and their House of Assembly counterparts for having the courage to stand up to challenge what they felt would not be beneficial to their people, I equally sympathise with Dr. Ando for suffering a fate which he is not the only culprit. This is because there are so many Andos who made it to the federal cabinet just because the people of the state where they come from lacked the courage and the tenacity to fight for the common good of the people.
The people of some of these states allowed some primordial considerations such as ethnicity and the desire to permanently oppress and subjugate one another to becloud their sense of unity and the need to work together for the good of the common people. As a result of this, some opportunists seized these platforms to continually enjoy their people’s chances without any recourse to their well being. If some of the ministers and some other political office holders know that they can be rejected based on their people’s recommendation, perhaps some of them would have behaved better.
It is a lesson therefore for ministers such as our current Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the federation, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN. The joy of an average Ebira man knew no bound when Mohammed Bello was named a minister. This is not because he was the first Ebira person to become minister as many, like Ambasssador Judith Attah, Abdulrahman Okene had occupied that position before him from Ebira extraction. But the joy of the people was based on their perceived marginalisation by Obasanjo administration as no Ebira man had the opportunity of becoming a minister during his eight-year rule.
The people of Ebiraland and indeed the entire central senatorial district of Kogi state thronged the family house of the minister to attend a well advertised prayer session and reception for him after his inauguration in his first term. The minister did not only fail to attend the reception but did not even send a representative.
This was easy to cover up as members of his immediate family organised the reception. The people who came in their thousands to rejoice with the family were utterly disappointed. But quickly, a defence that the minister accompanied the president on over sea trip was launched to placate those who felt the action of the minister was insulting.
Shortly after this, the Ebira Youth Congress, an umbrella organisation for all youth clubs in Ebiraland decided to honour and celebrate people of Ebira extraction who had been elevated to one position of authority or the other in the federal service. Among those pencilled for the honour were the minister, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr Austin Oniwon, the clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr Mohammed Ataba Omolori among others. The current Deputy Governor of Kogi state, Dr Phillips Omeiza Salawu led the crème of other Ebira to attend the reception held in Abuja.
http://www.fmj.gov.ng/images/bello%20adoke%20001.jpg
The ever busy minister did not find time to attend the reception again and could not send somebody to represent him but the other honourees as mentioned above attended in persons. Yet, this minister is filling the quota of his people. The question therefore is if a public office holder cannot find time to attend a reception organised for him by his people, is it individual or societal problems he would create time for?
For the people of Kogi state, there is still a lesson to be learnt. It is time therefore for the people to first see themselves as people of Kogi State before thinking of being Ebira, Igala or Okun. It is our inability to see ourselves as people of one family that has made us to tolerate leaders no matter how bad they are. I am very sure the people of Ebiraland would have gone to war if an Igala or Okun senator had raised an objection against a nominee of Ebira extraction for non-performance in his former office. The same way the Igalas would prefer their persons to occupy any available position even if they are failing in those offices. It is when we see ourselves as people with same destiny, that we can unanimously like, the people of Taraba State reject what is not good for our people.
In the interim, our leaders can continue to lead without our consent, use our own very position and our opportunity to our disadvantage, an end to all the sins against the people is around the corner in Kogi State.
• Jimoh wrote in from Lokoja, Kogi State
The recent rejection of Obadiah Ando as ministerial nominee from Taraba State by the Senate marked the end of the political horse trading that was kick started by the three senators representing Taraba State in the Senate. The country was taken aback when all the three senators from the state addressed a joint press conference rejecting the nomination of Ando as minister representing Taraba State.
They told the world that Dr. Ando did not serve the interest of the people of the state when he was first appointed Minister of Water Resources by President Goodluck Jonathan. They further alleged that he was highly inaccessible to the people of the state who he supposedly represented in the federal cabinet. One would have thought that the senators’ action was a kind of political witch-hunting if the senator representing the district of Dr Obadiah had not consented to the rejection. Worse still, the entire members of the Taraba State House of Assembly unanimously passed a resolution supporting the senators position without even a minority position from the House of Assembly member from Obadiah’s district of Taraba State.
While I praise the role played by the senators from Taraba and their House of Assembly counterparts for having the courage to stand up to challenge what they felt would not be beneficial to their people, I equally sympathise with Dr. Ando for suffering a fate which he is not the only culprit. This is because there are so many Andos who made it to the federal cabinet just because the people of the state where they come from lacked the courage and the tenacity to fight for the common good of the people.
The people of some of these states allowed some primordial considerations such as ethnicity and the desire to permanently oppress and subjugate one another to becloud their sense of unity and the need to work together for the good of the common people. As a result of this, some opportunists seized these platforms to continually enjoy their people’s chances without any recourse to their well being. If some of the ministers and some other political office holders know that they can be rejected based on their people’s recommendation, perhaps some of them would have behaved better.
It is a lesson therefore for ministers such as our current Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the federation, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN. The joy of an average Ebira man knew no bound when Mohammed Bello was named a minister. This is not because he was the first Ebira person to become minister as many, like Ambasssador Judith Attah, Abdulrahman Okene had occupied that position before him from Ebira extraction. But the joy of the people was based on their perceived marginalisation by Obasanjo administration as no Ebira man had the opportunity of becoming a minister during his eight-year rule.
The people of Ebiraland and indeed the entire central senatorial district of Kogi state thronged the family house of the minister to attend a well advertised prayer session and reception for him after his inauguration in his first term. The minister did not only fail to attend the reception but did not even send a representative.
This was easy to cover up as members of his immediate family organised the reception. The people who came in their thousands to rejoice with the family were utterly disappointed. But quickly, a defence that the minister accompanied the president on over sea trip was launched to placate those who felt the action of the minister was insulting.
Shortly after this, the Ebira Youth Congress, an umbrella organisation for all youth clubs in Ebiraland decided to honour and celebrate people of Ebira extraction who had been elevated to one position of authority or the other in the federal service. Among those pencilled for the honour were the minister, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr Austin Oniwon, the clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr Mohammed Ataba Omolori among others. The current Deputy Governor of Kogi state, Dr Phillips Omeiza Salawu led the crème of other Ebira to attend the reception held in Abuja.
http://www.fmj.gov.ng/images/bello%20adoke%20001.jpg
The ever busy minister did not find time to attend the reception again and could not send somebody to represent him but the other honourees as mentioned above attended in persons. Yet, this minister is filling the quota of his people. The question therefore is if a public office holder cannot find time to attend a reception organised for him by his people, is it individual or societal problems he would create time for?
For the people of Kogi state, there is still a lesson to be learnt. It is time therefore for the people to first see themselves as people of Kogi State before thinking of being Ebira, Igala or Okun. It is our inability to see ourselves as people of one family that has made us to tolerate leaders no matter how bad they are. I am very sure the people of Ebiraland would have gone to war if an Igala or Okun senator had raised an objection against a nominee of Ebira extraction for non-performance in his former office. The same way the Igalas would prefer their persons to occupy any available position even if they are failing in those offices. It is when we see ourselves as people with same destiny, that we can unanimously like, the people of Taraba State reject what is not good for our people.
In the interim, our leaders can continue to lead without our consent, use our own very position and our opportunity to our disadvantage, an end to all the sins against the people is around the corner in Kogi State.
• Jimoh wrote in from Lokoja, Kogi State
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