An Open Letter To Igala/Bass Youth
BY: Alfa TIJANI.
It is no longer news that Kogi State is moving in the wrong direction. This is exacerbated by the litany of events that have not only inhibited developments in the state, but have left the citizens in fear and disarray.
Independent opposition voices who dares to point out government anomalies are harassed into silence. Even partisan oppositions are either bribed or threatened into silence. How long shall we continue to sit as spectators in our own state? How long shall we put up with these injustice and denial of our collective right to decide our future?
These are the questions we must ask ourselves and each other if we must move in the right direction as a people of one indivisible state. Kogi State Youth has advocated and continues to advocate for good governance, however, it appears as if all our efforts have fallen on deaf ears.
Our dream, when this beautiful state was created, is being ruined right before us. The responsibility of arresting the banal and lacklustre leadership that is ruining our state could only be found in our unity of purpose. We must request, with one voice, of our leaders integrity, probity and unalloyed accountability, something that this government does not understand.
The youths need to chat a common cause for our dear state. Good governance is, among other things, participatory, transparent and accountable. As citizens, we should and must be involved in the effective and equitable distribution of the common wealth.
Good governance means political, social and economic priorities are broad-based and consensual. In every society, the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are taken on board in decision-making and in the allocation of resources.
The time for the youth, the poor and the vulnerable to stand up and demand to be heard is NOW! We must leave our comfort zone, we need to bury our fears and in a peaceful manner, move out collectively and find a way to make Kogi State work for all of us.
Consequently, a roundtable meeting for all Igala/Bassa sons and daughters, irrespective of political affiliation, religious inclination and social status is proposed on a date to be communicated.
The proposed roundtable meeting is designed to give space to all and sundry to openly discuss issues of mutual interest with a view to charting a new roadmap for nominating potential Kogi State leadership aspirants.
We expect participants to come with names of potential candidates for leadership position. We will discuss how best we can identify and select our leaders and representatives and decide on the best mechanism for selecting trustworthy persons of proven integrity.
Beloved Kogites and dear Igala/Bass sons and daughter, we all have a voice in decision-making, directly or through legitimate intermediaries or institutions that represent our interests.
This is not about anybody sponsoring anybody, this is about our collective effort to make Kogi Sate better for our children. This meeting seeks to come up with specific guidelines that is broad, inclusive and constructive enough to help us map out strategies to liberate Kogi State.
We must look beyond Kogi State and if possible, beyond Nigeria for best practices to ensure that our best have a chance at leadership and good governance in our beloved state is entrenched.
Beloved Kogites, in a democratic government like ours, leadership derived its powers from the mandate of the people, who ideally set the mandate after due consultation with those with whom we sign our social contract. The primary responsibility of our leaders is to work for our collective goal. This, therefore, means that elected officials are accountable to us and it is our duty to make sure that they account to us, the people.
The proposed meeting is not only timely, but inevitable. This is the time to figure out who should be our flag bearer in the next election.
I would like to appeal, specially, to the Igala and Bass youths in Abuja to come out in their numbers as we plan our future and that of our children. The “kingmakers” and “Godfathers” have come and gone. If we come together, we can defeat any “ Godfather or Kingmaker”. We must decide our future, we are the majority, all they have is money, we may not have money, but we have the number and if we make use of our votes and numbers, we can become kingmakers this time around.
I call on us to have this in mind: failure to plan for success is planing to fail. Kogi future success as a state is in our hands.
Finally, let me remind us all that our leaders know that they are answerable to us the people from whom genuine mandate is derived, but if the people with the mandate refuse to ask for accountability, the leaders will do whatever seems right to them.
The time to take the bull by the horn is now. Let us sit round one table for a fruitful discussion.
Very soon, details of this important gathering will be unveiled. God Bless Kogi State, God bless Igala/Bass youths and the elderly.
Yours in the mission for Good governance in Kogi State , Usman Okai Austin.
www.sojworld.com (c) July 2, 2017.
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