By Mumini AbdulKareem
The last may not have been heard regarding the strained relationship between some embittered family members and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq over alleged abandonment since his assumption of office last year.
Last week, the youth from the governor’s family compound in Adewole, Ilorin West Local Government who wrote under the name “Yerimisa Youth Idi-Igba, said it was saddening and disheartening that despite being blessed with the likes of the Governor and his siblings, they are still living in penury without any succour from them.
In the strongly worded open letter which was exclusively obtained by National Pilot, the youth expressed strong disappointment over the action of the Governor and his siblings adding that he has not facilitated any appointment, contract or employment for them since last year after his election.
“It is an irony that graduates amongst us are working as labourers in the renovation of Government Secondary School Adeta which was originally built by our father and awarded by our brother, the governor”, they noted.
Other siblings of the Governor also accused of totally neglecting them since the family rode to power in the state are Dr Alimi, Sen Khairat, Mallam Is’haq, Mallam Rauf and Hajia Aisha Mohammed Lawal.
But following the development and the backlash that trailed the issue which also trended on many social media platforms, a purported rejoinder said to have been written by one of the elders of the family denouncing the letter has drew the anger of the youth and further landed the governor and his siblings in more trouble, this medium gathered last night.
One of the youths who is very conversant with the development confided in this medium because of the sensitive nature of the issue accused the said elder and his supporters as bootlickers and sycophants who are working on the governor’s bidding to intimidate them to drop their demands.
According him, the aggrieved youths still maintain their position about the issue adding that nothing has changed.
“The person who wrote the rejoinder was not even a youth but one of the elders who is very close to the governor and benefiting from him.
“They (elders) tried to bully the youth into writing an apology letter led by the so called elder who purportedly wrote the said rejoinder. But the youth rather insisted on writing another letter to inform the governor that they are not given up until their demands are met.
“But up till now, some of the elders in the family are still going round partly appealing to these boys and threatening some of them to rescind their decision. But the youths are saying that they want assurance from the governor that he will look into their complaints and until that is done, the situation remains the same and they are not stepping down their demands.”
This medium further gathered that the youth viewed the action of the Governor to intimidate them to drop their demands through some of his loyalists among the elders as a confirmation that he is not ready to make amends.
“Instead of the governor to seize the opportunity and start mending fences with the aggrieved youth and act accordingly, he is trying to bully those boys to abandon their agitation”, another youth from the group noted.
The governor has come under fire for reportedly abandoning party members and family members who toiled for his election on issue of appointments and award of contract with many accusing him of empowering cronies from outside the state to the chagrin of local contractors and indigenes.
Recall that this medium reported how the youth compared Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq with his predecessors, late Mohammed Lawal and former Governor Bukola Saraki.
“They argued that although late Governor Mohammed Lawal who spend just a term initially was guilty of the same thing, there was however a change of gear after complaints from his people and many of them were given appointment and patronised but the government.
“…In Dr Bukola Saraki’s case, he did a lot for his people in Agbaji and has continued to better their lots, always giving whatever concerns them priority. But now, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq just has about one year to make any difference before the season of politics commences and we are yet to derive any benefit from him as our brother or from his siblings”, the report added.
