Kwara State Association of Nigeria, North America (KSANG.ORG)

Gov Saraki, point of order

Polscope ...with Eddy Odivwri,email:edwintops2000@yahoo.com 08053069356, 03.05.2010

I  have read the comments of Gov Bukola Saraki on the qualities he wants to see in anyone who will take over from him as Governor of Kwara State by next year. He noted that he would never handover to anyone except the person is “transparent, honest and with a proven ability to manage the economic and political affairs of the state.” He stressed that no matter the lobby by those wanting to succeed him, he would not budge, unless the persons has the stated qualities.

Ordinarily, every sane man will applaud the identified qualities, especially against the backdrop of the deficiencies and bare-faced roguery in governance. But my worry is when Gov Saraki, appropriates to himself, the collective will of the people of Kwara. I probably would have taken the governor’s declaration as a mere expression, but when I match it against what his father, Dr Olusola Saraki, the Olooye himself, has also said, then I am wont to take it a little more serious.

The older Saraki, in dismissing insinuations that his daughter, Senator Gbemi Saraki, will succeed her brother, and that he would clash with his son over the choice of who will replace the governor, said, “People want to see me and my beloved son fight on who succeeds him, just like what happened during Lawal’s period. Bukola has done nothing wrong; he is doing his best for the state and I am proud of him, why should I choose his successor for him when I know that he can do that by himself,” he said.

With that declaration, it becomes clearer that the choice of who succeeds Gov Saraki won’t have much to do with the people of Kwara, which makes it necessary to enquire if this is a democracy or not? How is Bukola or anybody going to choose his successor? Is it the duty of Bukola to determine who his successor will be in the true sense of democracy? How many votes is he going to cast? What father and son have declared is that they have the electoral system within their control and whomever they want to tilt it towards, will be the beneficiary of the electoral effort of the entire Kwara people.

While I am not naןve to believe that the incumbent office holder in Nigeria does not have any role to play in whomever that will succeed him or her, I am disturbed that the declarations of the Sarakis are laced with oracular certainty, as if they are the sole determinants of the will of the people of Kwara.

Having been the political oracle of Kwara, the older Saraki, over three or so decades, has been greatly influential in directing the political current of the state. But I believe it is mere political understanding and influence, not a dictatorial code. I know government is a continuum, and like a stage. Bukola has played his part on the stage for almost seven years now. Wherever he stops next year, will be the take-off point of his successor. His successor will or should be chosen by the people of Kwara, not Gov Bukola, or his father or any one person for that matter.

Bukola stressed that the situation in the state calls for “a well-grounded politician” and that it is to only such a person he will hand over. Your Excellency, I have some questions for this your political sole-proprietorship:  How shall we know when you have found such a person? How can your own judgement suffice for the entire people of the state? What if you never find such a person, will you stay on in office? What if Kwara people in the exercise of their sovereign right, decide that they don’t even care about the qualities you unilaterally outlined, will you over-ride them? And sir, when you took over from late Gov Mohammed Lawal in 2003, how much of “a well-grounded politician” were you?

All said Your Excellency, as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum, you must demonstrate your belief and pursuit of democratic ethos in everything, especially in your utterances and the coming elections. That way, you etch your name as a devout democrat.