The recent article canvassing the notion of “taking over our rightful positions in Kogi State” deserves a measured but unequivocal response.
It is a publication replete with misleading assertions, selective presentation
of facts, and an unfortunate attempt to misinform the public through a
narrative carefully crafted to inflame ethnic sentiments rather than
promote reasoned political discourse. It is a classic example of how narrow
ethnic considerations can obscure objective assessment of governance
and development.
At a time when Kogi State is consolidating on the gains of peace, inclusiveness, and people-oriented governance under Governor Ahmed
Usman Ododo, it is regrettable that some individuals continue to promote an agenda rooted in ethnic exceptionalism and political entitlement. Such narratives neither advance democracy nor serve the genuine interests of the people of Kogi East or Kogi State as a whole.
The proposition that any particular senatorial district possesses a “rightful
position” to govern the state is constitutionally untenable, politically
dangerous, and morally indefensible. In a constitutional democracy, political
leadership is neither hereditary nor the exclusive preserve of any ethnic
bloc or geographical constituency. Public office is conferred through the
sovereign will of the electorate, not by historical claims, ethnic calculations,
or self-appointed custodians of political destiny.
Those promoting this divisive rhetoric conveniently ignore the verifiable
developmental footprint of the current administration across the Eastern
flank of Kogi State. The facts are neither hidden nor disputable.
The Ododo administration has embarked upon significant infrastructural
development, including extensive road construction across several
communities in Kogi East. Equally noteworthy are the government’s
ecological intervention projects in areas devastated by severe erosion and
land degradation. Communities where lives, homes, schools, hotels, and
public infrastructure have been threatened or destroyed by environmental
disasters. These interventions have brought hope where despair once.
prevailed and demonstrate a government focused on solving real problems
rather than manufacturing imaginary grievances.
Beyond physical infrastructure, the administration has consistently
demonstrated remarkable inclusiveness in political appointments. Kogi
East presently occupies several strategic positions in government, including
Commissioners, the Auditor-General of the State, Heads of Government
Agencies, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, and numerous other
critical offices. These appointments were made on the basis of
competence, inclusion, and the Governor’s commitment to carrying every
part of the state along.
This generosity becomes even more remarkable when viewed against the
electoral realities of the last governorship election, during which Kogi East
contributed the least number of votes to the eventual victory of Governor
Ahmed Usman Ododo. Yet, rather than allowing electoral arithmetic to
dictate governance, the Governor has chosen the higher path of
statesmanship by ensuring equitable representation and fair distribution of
developmental projects across all senatorial districts.
The Governor’s recent visit to Ibaji Local Government Area further
underscores this commitment. Following a painstaking technical
assessment spanning two seasons (one rainy and dry season each) to
evaluate the deplorable condition of the area’s road network, Governor
Ododo announced that construction work would commence in earnest.
This is practical governance in action. This is not politics of slogans but
politics of solutions.
Against this backdrop, it is deeply disappointing that a handful of political
actors continue to advance the narrative of ethnic entitlement under the
guise of political advocacy. The slogan, “taking over our rightful positions,”
is neither visionary nor progressive. It is an appeal to sectional sentiment
that risks reopening old divisions which successive administrations have
laboured to heal. It promotes exclusion instead of inclusion, suspicion
instead of trust, and division instead of unity.
History should be an impartial teacher. Those now championing this
agenda appear to have forgotten that similar sectional campaigns in the
past failed to deliver meaningful political stability or sustainable
development. The people of Kogi State have repeatedly demonstrated that
they prefer leaders who unite rather than divide, who build bridges rather
than walls, and who inspire confidence rather than resentment.
Indeed, many discerning observers acknowledge that the administrations
of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo have
significantly strengthened inter-ethnic harmony and expanded the frontiers
of inclusive governance in Kogi State. Through deliberate policies, balanced
appointments, and equitable project distribution, these administrations
have fostered a stronger sense of common identity that transcends ethnic
boundaries.
Equally undeniable is the reality that the last eleven years have witnessed
substantial government presence and infrastructural investment in Kogi
East. Fair-minded citizens can point to numerous roads, public institutions,
environmental interventions, healthcare projects, educational investments,
and social development initiatives executed during this period. The record
is available for objective scrutiny and cannot be erased by politically
motivated revisionism.
Political discourse must be anchored on facts, not fiction; performance, not
propaganda; evidence, not emotion. The politics of perpetual grievance and
manufactured victimhood has outlived its usefulness. Kogi people deserve
conversations about economic growth, infrastructure, education,
healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment, and security, not endless
debates about who supposedly owns the governorship by birthright.
Those who genuinely desire the progress of Kogi State should abandon
divisive rhetoric and embrace constructive engagement. The challenges
confronting our state require collective wisdom, not sectional mobilisation.
They demand partnership, not polarization.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has consistently articulated a vision that
places the interests of the entire state above narrow ethnic considerations.
His declaration that “We are committed to Project Agenda, Kogi Agenda,
and not Tribal Agenda” is more than a slogan; it is a governing philosophy
that continues to find expression in policy, appointments, and development across the three Senatorial District.
The choice before Kogi people is therefore clear. We can either embrace
the politics of unity, development, and shared prosperity, or return to the
failed politics of ethnic entitlement and sectional antagonism. The future
belongs to those who build, not those who divide.
The slogan “Taking Over Our Rightful Positions in the State” by the so-called
ỌLA IWỌ Movement is neither a blueprint for development nor a vision for
inclusive governance. It is a divisive narrative that ignores constitutional
democracy, discounts the developmental strides of the Ododo
administration, and threatens the unity that have been painstakingly built
across Kogi State.
The call and the movement must therefore be ignored in its entirety.
Signed.
James Idachaba JP
Secretary.
