The drumbeat of 2019 is gathering momentum, with politicians engaged in consultation for elective offices in southern Kaduna. While democracy has been so gracious to us since 1999, our politicians have not done what is expected of them. In the years of democratic rule, we have produced a governor, deputy govs, senators, Reps, members of House of Assembly, including Ministers of the federal Republic. We have been appointed GMD NNPC, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff (twice), Chief of Naval Staff, DG NIMASA, Dep Gov of CBN, among other countless appointments.
Despite all these appointments, has Southern Kaduna felt the impacts of such appointments? Just like we witnessed the appointments of no fewer than eight military administrators during the military era, with no visible strides on ground, our people have been neglected and exploited, not by any external marauding forces but by those elected to represent them. That does not in any infer that nothing has been achieved. The role of late Isaiah Balat as Minister for state and senator provides a glimmer of hope for us.
As we set on yet another journey, I am concerned with the calibre of persons we are sending to both state and federal legislative houses. Considering the performances of our lawmakers in both houses, there is the urgent need to do a review and ensure that only the best are elected. We have most times experienced deafening silence from our lawmakers who should be seen to represent us at the most critical periods. In the calamity that has befallen us as a people, the failure of the political leadership to see us as a united political entity sharing the same crippled destiny has been obvious
Let me at this junction salute the irresistable courage of those standing up for the people. Of a special mention is our own erudite Bishop Joseph Danlami Bagobiri of the Kafanchan Catholic Diocese. When most of our political representatives feigned ignorance, he refused being Nicodemus and told bitter truths to power that be. SOKAPU, led by Bar Solomon Musa, proved its mettle in the midnight of criminal silence from our elected reps over our collective tragedy. Barr. Jacob Mark led Southern Kaduna Professionals and CSOs to put issues on the front burners. It took divine intervention to rescue Luka Binniyat from prison, just as Gloria Mabeiam Ballason emerged triumphant in the two cases she instituted against the Kaduna State Government over rights violations.
James Kanyip has remained a legal cornerstone on issues regarding human rights. Together with others, he secured a court judgement that declared illegal the closure of tertiary schools in Southern Kaduna. Mrs Charity Shekari drew global attention to the menace of attacks by herdsmen in not only Southern Kaduna but other parts of the country. She has remained a silent voice, so do many, I guess. These people, among many others, remain some of our finest in our trying periods. They shone so bright due the ineptitude of our elected representatives. Where mainstream media were muzzled, The KEFASONS, ZIGWAIS, OBIS, PETERS, SULEIMANS, MAKERIS, BOMBAS, among many others, refused to let go of issues on the social media platforms.
As we move into the trenches for yet another political battle, may the anger we carry in us push us to reject those who have turned us into merchandise for their political upliftment. These dealers in the power game have consistently known that with bags of money, they can continue their hold on us that have been impoverished by their devious and wicked ways. Let us for the sake of our children and generations yet unborn reject those who think with money, we can be bought. In this line, let us be angry enough to confine to dustbin the commercialisation of the political process. PDP and APC are not religions. Where money holds sway, we should identify with the platform that grants us the right to express our freedom of choice devoid of financial inducement.
As a people, we must reject attempts to Balkanise and make us enemies of ourselves. We come from a heroic history. The blood of our forebears were used to water the unity of this country. Our area is endowed with the intellectual and economic prowess to be a shining bulb on a hill. What has fought against us is personal ego and selfishness of our leaders. We should broaden and expand our frontiers for participation. In a bid to come out of our Plato’s cave of despair, we must be angry enough to pelt away these demons behind our miserable conditions. More than any time, we should reach out to others to be key players in not only the state but the country at large.
As long as we submit to these political merchants, so long we will continue being slaves to their evil machinations. Let us therefore resolve to be change agents in dealing a deadly blow to the monsters of money politics and ethnic bickering over who represents us in both state and federal law-making houses.
May God grant us the grace to reject money politics in 2019.
Reef is a media professional based in Abuja
Politics
