By Muhammad Nasirudeen
Against what AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was propagating during electioneering, it’s safe to say our O To Ge dealer has reneged on all his promises to Kwarans. One would remember the heat, the bile, and all the unsavoury experiences that accompanied the 2019 general election in Kwara State. We were made to believe that Kwara will be in the safe hands after the exit of the Saraki hegemony that was thought to have held the state to ransom.
Kwarans were pictured on the streets dwelling in the euphoria of O To Ge, a movement they so much believe that it will birth a good change in the state, but little did Kwarans know that the incoming governor is here to settle some old personal scores.
One will see from the Ile Arugbo’s expedition to his fight with his fellow partymen; it is so baffling that AbdulRazaq can forget so soon all his campaign promises, leaving governance at the expense of politics. At first, I wanted to take my eyes off it. I perceived it as a dog eats dog fight, and the winner would be the most brutal in everything; money, power, and the support of their conglomerate. But I was wrong; I forgot the saying that “while the wicked people are having the taste of their wickedness, a good person might share from it.” And that is the case in Kwara state of today.
While our governor and his fellow O To Ge ambassadors keep engaging each other in frivolities, Kwarans are bearing the brunt of their sheer greediness. When the chips are down, you will be alone posited a common saying, but can we now say the chips of Kwarans are down and they are now alone to find their way out of this blue sea?
O To Ge ambassadors did promise us that their emergence will be the clog in the wheels of Kwara’s developments. We were not told that they are coming to power to turn our state into a volatile zone with their errant fights for power.
To AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, everyone is his sworn enemy. Some days ago, I was in discussion with a friend when he raised the issue of governor AbdulRazaq not giving contracts to our indigenous engineers and contractors with the excuse that they have worked with the past administrations. If you can ask our governor who constructed all the edifices he inherited, I guess he would be forced to say these contractors he cannot trust.
Our governor has an interest in throwing Kwara’s wealth outside. What is wrong with him giving jobs to our indigenous contractors? Nothing but politics at the expense of governance won’t allow him. Why does he covertly wants everything to himself? Because that is his way. But there is one Omron (if I got the name right) that is having every construction contract at a snap of fingers. My friend said the name behind the pseudonym would amaze us all, but we are not ready for it.
We can’t afford to be under the rule of someone that would be ruling our state like a family business.
I would repeat this is not what we bargained for at the beginning of this alliance. We signed a pact different from what AbdulRazaq is giving us now and well-meaning Kwarans should tell Gov AA to take full responsibility. It is two years since we gave him our mandate, and we are expecting much more than politicking.
Kwara needs help at this moment, and our helpers are God and AbdulRazaq. While God’s strength keeps us together, AbdulRazaq should stop politics at the expense of governance so that history will not forget him. No, history doesn’t forget any, but I do not think AbdulRazaq would like to enter the bad book of history all for mere politics. Take responsibility; Kwara has it below par at the moment from security to education, and whatever you might want to say, it is the responsibility of the government to provide for her people.
Nasirudeen, a public commentator writes from Ilorin.
