By Kasum Rahman Bileola
From the onset, let me make it clear that I am not a politician. I am a bureaucrat by training, experience, and career. Now, I am retired but still strong and well. I have experienced in close quarters what I am writing about. As a victim, this article will set the governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq thinking. He would search for who I am but he probably will just remain guessing as many like me have been given the short end of the stick.
In recent times, almighty Allah has been intervening on behalf of Kwara State as a few of our people are getting key federal appointments. That is six years since these appointments have ceased, signifying that the state has cascaded down the ladder in the pecking order of importance in the comity of states in Nigeria.
Now, we have seen the appointment of Dr. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe as chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and that of Eng. Bayo Ojulari as Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL. These are good news for Kwara State as the men are competent and would make us proud at the national level.
It is also noticeable that as these appointments are being made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Abdulrazaq has deployed his media handlers, particularly the online people, to start creating a false narrative that these appointments are attributable to him or that he played a role in making them possible. As our people say, if the one being fed with lies fails to know he or she is being deceived, the liar knows that he is not saying the truth and understands why he sets out to deceive his victim.
Governor Abdulrazaq knows that he has nothing to do with these appointments. He knows that if it were left for him, these men would not have got the posts for which we are all now congratulating them. He knows that he lacks the influence, the connection, the leverage, and the ability to pull the stunt that will put those men in those positions.
Also, where he has the influence, he would not have gone for the round pegs that we would now have in these round holes in Abuja. He is not somebody who likes encouraging competent people to occupy positions. His usual fear of being outshone or that such qualified people will not take dictates from him will not make him recommend them.
As he is reading this article, he should ponder over how many of us from this state, experienced, capable, and retired bureaucrats have come to him to help us put in kind words on certain appointments or the other which he refused to do. His usual retort is: ‘I don’t want to get involved’, ‘Let them take their decisions’, ‘Don’t let them think I am trying to interfere with what they are doing’. You never lift a finger to help. Your lackadaisical attitude is the reason why Kwara is not getting what it deserves.
Have you not told some of your friends that, in the past, many people from the state got appointments into key offices at the federal level through Bukola Saraki and yet when the crunch was down, they betrayed him and spoke ill of him while cooperating with insiders and outsiders who wanted to deal with him? Did you not vow that you will not repeat Saraki’s mistake by empowering people who will later have strong platforms to undermine and destabilize your control of the state?
So, it should be clear to our people that the reason why our kinsmen and women are not getting the right position is because their governor does not want it to happen. It is a deliberate strategy to keep a whole people down to ensure not many of them are in a position to struggle places or influence with you.
When Saraki was in power in Kwara, there was always no doubt about how our people were getting the key appointments that came to the state. His involvement would be obvious. For example, when Prof. Oba Abdulrahman became chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), we all know the role Saraki played in the appointment. In the same way, the appointment of Hajia Halimat Alao, Hon. Ibrahim Bio, and Mallam Bolaji Abdullah as ministers, as well as that of Amb. Nimota Nihinlola Akanbi as Ambassador to the Netherlands. The list is endless at that time.
Many Kwarans who want key non-political positions in government still feel comfortable to go and see Saraki who despite being out of government still wields great influence. It is just that a few of us do not feel it is right to seek his assistance knowing the role we played in supplanting him and his structure.
As you or your aides are reading this write-up, Mr. Governor, change your ways, pull your weight, help more people, and do right with your constituents. You have already spent six years in office. It is not fair that you cannot sit down and write 10 names that you have helped push into good offices in Abuja or the international arena.
Just like six years have run past and expired out of the maximum eight years, the other two years will speed pass like that too. Give my advice a thought. The people are not deceived by your social media manipulations. They know the truth.
Bileola writes from Ilorin
