Exclusive: Otoge: Family members bomb Gov Abdulrazaq in open letter

By Mumini AbdulKareem
Youths who are family members of Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and other relatives have openly accused him of abandonment even as they complained of lack of appointment or government patronage since his assumption of office last year.
To this end, the youth from the governor’s family compound, Idi-Igba, Ilorin West Local Government, have issued him one month ultimatum for him to respond to their predicament even as they noted that the situation has brought them ridicule and put them at the mercy of opponents.
They expressed their grievances in an open letter to the governor last week dripping with venom which was cited by this medium.
The governor, the youth noted, has not facilitated any appointment, contract or employment for them adding that it is an irony that graduates amongst them are working as labourers in the renovation of Government Secondary School Adeta which was originally built by their father and awarded by their brother, the governor.
“We have tolerated his excesses for long”, they added.
They also accused the governor’s siblings – Dr Alimi, Sen Khairat, Mallam Is’haq, Mallam Rauf and Hajia Aisha Mohammed Lawal of total neglect since the family rode to power in the state.
The accusation of the aggrieved youths is coming on the heels of similar one from top party stalwarts and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who have accused the Governor of not carrying members along in decisions and appointments.
According to the youth, who wrote under the name Yerimisa Youth Idi-Igba, it’s saddening and disheartening that despite being blessed with the likes of the Governor and his siblings, they are still living in living in austerity without any succour from him or his siblings.
National Pilot reliably gathered that when the youth of the family first wrote the letter, they threatened to take the “next line of action” if the governor fails to respond to their grievances.
Although the next line of action was not stated in the open letter, a reliable source in the family told this medium that they may convene another meeting to finalise on their next decision if the governor failed to respond to their grievances.
According to the source who was privy to the development but demanded to speak anonymously on the issue because of its sensitivity, “the aggrieved youth complained bitterly during the meeting with the elders about what they were going through and the dilemma of their predicament in the state since the assumption of office of the governor.
“They compared Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq with his predecessors, especially late Governor Muhammed Lawal and Dr Bukola Saraki. They said although Lawal who spend just one term of four years was initially guilty of the same thing, there was however a change of gear after complaints from his people and many of them were given appointments and patronised by the government.
“But in Dr Bukola Saraki’s case, he did a lot for his people in Agbaji as Governor and has continued to better their lots, always giving whatever concerns them priority. But now, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq just has about one year left to make any difference before the season of politics commences and yet we are yet to derive any benefit from him as our brother or from his siblings.
“They were then told to write another letter of apology to the governor over the action”, the source added.
It was not clear last night as at the time of filling this report whether the youth yielded to the directive of the elders to write the letter of apology, but one of the arrowheads of the youth who confirmed the development was evasive when speaking with this medium last night.
“Although I was privy to the letter of ultimatum by the youth, I was not behind the drafting of it and so why will I be made to write another letter of apology”, he added.
According to findings, after the meeting of the elders with the youth, the elders held a further meeting where the whole situation was appraised and a subtle support was declared for the youth.
Speaking on the elders meeting, another source who was also privy to the matter said the elders where frank during the discussion.
“One of them who led the meeting that was held at the family compound Idi-Igba said they (elders) where just blaming the youth that they are also been neglected and suffering the same predicament and that they have not also gained anything from the governor or his siblings since he was elected”.
According to the letter, the youth wondered why graduates from who are family members of the governors had to engaged in laboured work at Government High School, Adeta, Ilorin, which “was founded by our father and the contract to renovate it was awarded by our brother”.
Part of the letter reads:
*JOINT MESSAGE FROM YERIMISA YOUTH IDIGBA*
OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAQ, DR ALIMI ABDULRAZAQ, SEN KHAIRAT ABDULRAZAQ, MALAM I’SAQ ABDULRAZAQ, ALHAJA AISHA MUHD LAWAL AND MALAM RAUF ABDULRAZAQ…
A Family is like a tree with greenish, yellowish and brownish leaves. The green leaves in a family are the successful ones that are being shielded by the brownish and the yellowish (Average) ones.
There isn’t any family without the green, the yellow and the brown leaves. The Green (Successful) leaves are the vulnerable ones that if not for the yellow and brown leaves that is protecting them, they would have been taken out by man completely.
We are nothing but product of our family and community at large, no matter how big and successful you are, you can’t rule out the fact that you are a product of your family and you must give back to them especially in the time of need.
It’s saddening and disheartened that we the good people of Ile Yerimisa despite being blessed with the likes of Sen Khairat Abdulrazaq, Mallam Isiaka Abdulrazaq, Dr Alimi Abdulrazaq and above all the executive Governor of Kwara state Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq we are still living in barrenness.
Just like the brown and yellow leaves mentioned earlier, we have been protecting your interest as family, shielding you from external and internal enemies, receiving banters and stealth of insult on your behalf, yet, you are still treating us with kick in teeth.
We the good people of Yerimisa Family are disappointed in you, we are not asking you to use the state money to attend to our needs but we are asking you to be responsive and responsible as members of our family.
I wonder how the governor who is equally a member of our family will govern the state successful when he has not been responsive to the needs of his people not to talk of his community at large.
Mr Governor, we have been condoning your excesses and indulgence for a very long time but we believe it’s high time we voice out since you are not ready to change.
We are the root, you are the leaves that supposed to be providing us with shade, you should always bear it at the back of your minds that without the root (us) there will never be leaves (You) to provide shade.
Our family is seriously lacking behind, armies of unemployed youths have flooded the family house like plague, there is no any form of assistance from the governor to us to uplift and take them out of their present ill condition since he assumed office not from his siblings as well. Have you sever the family ties with us already since the demise of our father?.
It will interest you to know that people are no more ready to assist us purposely because they believe the governor is from our Family and most people are making mockery of us. Definitely, you are blocking our chances.
Since you assumed office as the executive Governor of Kwara state, you have not deem it fit to bring any opportunity to the family, no single employment opportunity, no contract and no appointment and placement to uplift our people. We would like to know exactly your insinuation so that we tell the whole world.
Are you happy that some of our youths (Graduates) had to engaged in laboured work at Government High School Ilorin, the school founded by our Father and the contract to renovate it was awarded by our brother?. How does this sound to your hearing.
We the youths of Yerimisa compound are suffering and we can’t have big trees that supposed to shade us and still be living under the harsh Sunlight.
Most of the youths are graduate with no employment, the so called employed are under-employed feeding from hand to mouth. Dear Sirs/Mas, we are sending this message believing we are your family members and we want you to respond as members of our family, if not we would have to go with the insinuation that you have already sever the ties.
We shall appreciate you having an audience with us the youths so that you have better understanding of our plight.
For the benefit of doubt, we are giving you a month to react to our needs or we shall take the next line of action.
Thanks.