To develop an area, a state or a geographical enclave has nothing to do with tribe, religion or language and it is not dependent on the age bracket within which the developer falls. My experience in the last one week during my consultations to some ethic groups reveal some political sentiments built around, tribe, religion, language and even age grade. To this end, I proceeded to unleash on myself torrent questions that are yet begging for answers.
My Experience
I came to Abuja in the last one week to consult with the leadership of my political party from across kogi state. My consultation took me to a group from the Eastern part of Kogi state, that is, the IGALAS. The group numbered about fourty(40) people. As I began to address them, one of them asked rhetorically, Igala E che? This means am I an Igala man or do I speak igala language? With a question like this, I was suppose to have answered the man with a Yes or No
My Answer to the Above Question
I answered the above question like a typical Nigerian with another question by asking him What Tribe is Development?. My new question brought calmness to the camp of my host community. I then proceeded to answer the question by a simple illustration.
My illustration
For more than
eighteen (18) years running, IGALAS, by God’s divine arrangement have ruled kogi state from the institution of democracy in Nigeria since 1999 until recently. I probed further by asking, please can you tell me the number of skyscrapers, good roads, well equipped hospital, good laboratory, good and conducive school learning environment, good water and sewage systems, uninterrupted electricity supply to mention, but few that have been built or provided in IGALA Kingdom as signs of Development and concrete proof to buttress or justify the number of years Igala men have assumed the rulership of Kogi state?.
At this point, almost all of them chorused non at all. One of them said E yanu meaning, this is not good at all. I then asked my congregation, so what Tribe, Religion or Language is called Development? I proceeded by giving them the right definition of what Development is. These are my words for development to them:
- Tribe does not translate to Development because for over eighteen (18) years that Igalas occupied the Lugard House, Lokoja; no meaningful physical development took place in Igalaland, it then means Development has no tribe.
- The woman selling Opa at ochadamu junction needs money in exchange for the opa and not your language, it then means Development is not a respecter of language.
- If over seven(7) years of an administration cannot transform the Civil Service to a robust and more friendly System laced with a civil servant friendly atmosphere; it shows that Development has no business with Age at all.
- If for 31years of the existence of kogi state, the masculine gender has dominated the reigns of government, and the situation has not transformed the state to a mini London; then it also means that Development has nothing to do with gender.
- Virtually all those who have ruled the state for close to 27years now have been of one particular Religion and yet, the every friday jumat prayers and every Sunday church prayers have not produced Development for the state; it means Development has no respect for religion.
This is why I am supporting and advocating for the Western Senatorial District of kogi state to produce the next Governor from whichever party it may, not just because it is the turn of West or it is the turn of a Christian. But because we have waited in vain for over twenty-seven(27) years for the development to come from either the Eastern Rulers or Central Rulers
To my mind and beliefs the West can and will bring Mr Development on board. So try the West for the next Governor of Kogi State.
What Then is Development?
Development is the ability of an individual to combine age, gender, education, religion and tribe into a commodity that can be injected into the fabric of a state like kogi to guarantee good education, good roads, good hospital system and a well packaged civil service system.
Written By:
Dr.Bolufemi Olarotimi olanrewaju
Member PDP PCC.
100% OKUN BLOOD.
