Kwara: Let’s play it like politics

It’s inherent in the Nigerian democratic system that when the political atmosphere is on, politics is played alongside the dos and don’ts; and when it’s time for governance, government officials are eager to make good governance in a bid to deliver their campaign promises. What a wonderful thing. But despite the correlation and interdependence of this in a democratic society, politics must not incarcerate good governance. Therefore, politics must not be mixed with governance in whatever might be the circumstances.

It is so disheartening that mockery of democracy, lack of respect for the rule of law, clampdown on human rights and utmost act of erasure are no longer new to political leaders and leaders of thought across the country.

One of the aforementioned problems that resonates from Kwara State is what I call “erasure”, which connotes preventing national legends from being immortalised.

The second republic senate leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki, and first legal practitioner in the whole of the North-Central, AGF Abdulganiyu Abdulrazaq, among other patriotic Nigerians are legendary people whose names, impacts and history must not be written off the national archive.

The machinery and tools rented in politics must not be adopted in governance. Governance is to make a nation great, rescue masses from penury, create employment opportunity, good health, sound educational system and secure lives and property.

A barrage of criticisms have trailed the recent steps taken by the Kwara State governor, Mallam AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman, in the social and mainstream media raising questions on the ownership of the land bordering the Civil Service Clinic in Ilorin, which was recently officially revoked by the Kwara State Government.

Politics aside, the present administration might not have delibrately made a calculated attempt to discredit the Saraki family and bring it into disrepute. Most Kwarans are unaware of personal grudges emanating from “old scores”, which would inevitably affect the masses.

However, it’s within the right of Governor AbdulRazaq as the duly elected governor of the state to revoke any property of Kwara State that has wrongfully been in possession of anybody without considering the social class or profile.

How men fall! Olusola Saraki can no longer rise from his grave to defend the evacuation order on one of his most cherished properties. It’s high time we played it like politics. Let the age-long feud between the two families end. Let what belongs to the Sarakis remain theirs, and the state be ours! It’s high time Kwara worked for all.

 

Adeyemi Abdulganeey Abiola,

Ilorin