THE TASK BEFORE OUR GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO IN KOGI STATE.

The political events of the past five months that GYB took over the mantle of leadership of Kogi State needs overview in order to guide us as to what lies in wait for us. The governor inherited lots of crisis ranging from House of Assembly to nonpayment of workers' salaries, the menace of ghost workers and infrastructural decay that all characterized the immediate and past administrations. The youthful governor has tried within the means and availability of resources at his disposal to surmount the lingering problem of arrears of salaries owed to workers, checkmating the menace of ghost workers and rehabilitation of decayed infrastructures in Kogi State. One area I find disturbing and which has not received the genius attention of the governor is the political crisis rocking the sail of the State's boat.

God, in His infinite mercy has sustained the electoral victory of our governor through resounding victories (one after the other) at the Kogi State Election Tribunal. However, the ugly scenario playing out in Kogi State is that a group of 5 members of Kogi House of Assembly purported to impeach the Speaker in a House of Assembly that comprises of 21 members!! The court has ruled that the group of 15 members led by Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal is the authentic leaders. The group of 5 members has appealed against the judgment. The recent development is that the group of 15 members approached the court on their inability to access the House of Assembly having been taken over by the group of 5 members with the help of security agents. The court ordered last week that both groups (5 & 15) should seize conducting legislative functions until the pending case is determined. This means that the Kogi House of Assembly will be in limbo and will not be able to make laws for the good of Kogi people pending when the case is finally determined.

Although the government inherited the assembly crisis from past administration and has also denied involvement in their current crisis, a courageous, enlightened and politically conscious mind will see that there is government's vested interest in the leadership crisis facing the Kogi House of Assembly. The governor, as the leader of all, should be able to call the two warring groups for a meeting for amicable resolution of their differences. This does not amount to interference of executive into the workings of legislature. We have seen PMB called a meeting between him and National Assembly members. A meeting aimed at fostering good working relationship between the executive and legislature and between the legislature inter se does not amount to interference.

The second issue at hand is the APC panel set up by APC leaders in Kogi State on allegations of anti-party activities set up by APC leaders. The allegations borders on the appointments made so far by the governor which, the party leaders alleged, favours the opposition party (PDP) more than APC. The Governor, through his aides, have denied this anti-party allegations. The party leaders had constituted a panel of 11 members disciplinary committee and anchored their action on Article 12(8) of the party's Constitution. It remains to see how the party APC can prove the allegations or how the governor will defend himself. To me, this is another ugly political situation in Kogi State.

Surprisingly, some of the members constituting the APC panel are notable APC leaders from Kogi Central, the senatorial district that produced the governor. The immediate reaction of my people within and outside government circle is to tag the people as 'anti-Ebira', 'people fighting God' 'people pursuing selfish interest' etc. This reaction of my people is understandable and is premised on 'the governor is our own', 'It is our time', 'we must protect our own'. However, beyond this sentiment, we need to look far beyond our noses and see what consequences await us in all these political crisis, especially in Ebira land.

The governor may be right on this issue. It actually might be a political vendetta orchestrated by the APC leaders just to get at the governor. In politic, just anything happens. But the mentality of some of us that 'the governor will always be right' or 'the governor cannot make mistake' is, to me, an absurdity. Only God is imbued with such attribute of infallibility. Therefore, anybody who believe that he has valid and genuine reason to be aggrieved by the governor's decision should not be seen as 'fighting God'. We should ask question of our leaders where the need arises. Constructive criticism of a leader is a service to humanity and, we owe that duty to the society. The governor is truly a product of divine intervention in Kogi State politics. But the divinity should also be maintained divinely.

The governor and some of his perceived detractors are sons of Ebira. God chose GYB today as our governor. God may decide to chose any of these other people tomorrow. Who knows? There is need for us to give sincere advise to the governor to see that most of the political crisis, especially among Anebiras, be resolved. My fear is that this crisis may take a wider dimension of clannishness. Before you know it, our people will start burning their houses and killing each other. It happened in the past and only people of shallow memories fails in learning from past histories.

Am not unaware that the governor may not want to go along with old politicians of Ebira extraction. He may want to develop his own political dynasty by bringing up new people. But there is a way he can achieve it without too much of these crises and rancour. It is however difficult to remove food from one's mouth and expect him to dance with you. But if he choose to dance with you, beware of what he stores behind.

The governor as a leader should be able to douse this political tension in Ebira land. I support him wholeheartedly to succeed to the glory of God and uplift of Anebira. He will definitely make us proud. But the task before him is to clear the obstacles on his way to succeed and he should be advised to deploy the means to achieving it. He should deploy means to reduce the number of his perceived enemies and detractors in Ebira land. These perceived enemies; Senator Mohammed Ohiare, Hadi Ametuo, Momohjimoh Lawal and others are political heavyweights in their own right. Some of them are members of the said APC panel. I could remember how Senator Mohammed Ohiare stood against Falake and his people at the APC national secretariat in November 2016 when the issue of nomination of GYB hots up. Everyone was praising Senator Ohiare for his outstanding and fearless display at the party Secretariat in support for GYB. We seem to have forgotten so quickly without asking what suddenly happened between GYB and Senator Mohammed Ohiare. These people that are now seen as enemies have contributed one way or the other to the stage we found ourselves today. Dino Melaye is only being very clever. He saw that there exists serious division and fights among Ebira politicians in Ebira land, he capitalized on the situation to establish the committee with active support of Ebira politicians. That's what happens when a house is divided against itself.

The supremacy of the party was re-echoed in the recent judgments in which our victory was sustained by the election tribunal. It is that doctrine of supremacy of the party that makes our governor to step in and continued from where late Audu stopped in the election. It is the same party that has now set its machinery in motion to probe our governor for anti-party activities. Aside the legality or otherwise of the party's actions, it does not augur well that the governor be at loggerhead with his own party while contending with court cases of the opposition party (PDP). The remote cause of this APC petition is the state of disunity and lingering political crisis in Ebira land. That's the genesis and, no one should blame it on Dino Melaye.

These perceived enemies have their followers and sympathizers in large numbers. They have the means and potentials to cause trouble for the larger society. Anyone who underrate them does so at his/her own peril. A leper (ojavu) said: 'if I cannot make tea, I can use leg to pour it away'. Any adult that is familiar with the political terrain of Ebira will easily remember the play-out of this particular adage at certain point in our political history. Whatever is their motive, it is still my belief that the governor can diffuse this political tension as the leader of all. It is not to call their bluffs or demonize them or crucify them. Such cause of action only breeds and invites political chaos, turmoil, disunity, violence, tension and eternal crisis. The governor should, as a matter of urgency, call the leadership of Ebira Peoples Association, the traditional rulers and Ohinoyi of Ebira land to wade into this matter. The national secretariat of the party should not be left out of the peaceful resolution. Political crisis occurs everywhere and you see parties to the dispute succumb to mediation. The governor should not listen to people goading him on. Some of them are sychophants, praise singers and political layabouts looking for what will come into their pockets. It is dangerous to listen to them.

The governor is working, to the administration of all and sundry who appreciate hardwork. Much as I pray for his success for the overall interest of the generality of Kogi people, I sue for peace in my fatherland. The governor is for all Kogi people but I prefer to see him as a unifying force and rallying point for Ebira people. We have no person presently to adequately address as our political leader in Ebira land. I want him to develop himself as one. What it takes is humility, courageousness and perseverance.  I prefer to see him as laying foundation for sustainedb  peace, cohesion and unity in my fatherland.

May God guide our governor in all his steps.

Suleiman Abdulraheen Esq