In May, 2016, barely four months after coming to power, the government of Governor Yahaya Bello decided to reward some of his known political foot soldiers. Among this group of political recruits were the new Local Government Administrators, majority of whom served as coordinators for AYB in their various Local Government during the APC Primary Elections.
As seen in many of his actions, one virtue Governor Yahaya Bello is known for is his sincerity to his promises. Having promised that his campaign coordinators would serve as Local Government Administrators in their respective LGAs, he fulfilled his promises by appointing them to occupy this office. A great number of people praised Governor Bello for standing by his promise in spite of the fact that many of the said coordinators do not possess the quality, qualifications and vibrancy required to lead a Local Government in the direction that GYB aimed to stare Kogi State.
Kabba/Bunu Local Government seems to be the worst hit among all the Local Governments to be administered by former Coordinators. Never before has the Local Government experienced this level of mediocrity at the third tier of government! Immediately Moses Olorunleke was appointed to oversee the affairs of Kabba/Bunu LGA, there was a momentary hush among those who know him closely. Then there was a sudden burst of side talks. Their major worries echoed in every ear: Moses cannot speak English; Moses did not go to school; Moses has no idea what to do in a Local Government Secretariat……….. and the list was endless!
Few weeks after Moses Olorunleke was appointed as Kabba/Bunu LGA Administrator, these fears became a nightmare: at the mention of English, Moses would disappear from a public function! A call on the Administrator to address a gathering of three people would quickly turn to a death sentence and would be received with heavy anger, with corresponding sweat gushing out of every available pulse on the skin of the Administrator. If Moses were to sight a TV crew with their microphones and cameras, he bolts off as rapidly as possible.
At best, Moses Olorunleke was a rewarded political loyalist, which was praiseworthy of the Governor who appointed him. At worst, Moses was a slap on the entire people of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area. For all it’s worth, these people would have deserved something better than what currently obtains in their Secretariat. Needless to say that at the moment, Kabba/Bunu has no government and no representation at the local level. It is a consensus that the only reason a Local Government could have had an Administrator like Moses is by virtue of political appointment. In an election, any candidate from Bunu would gladly beat Moses without efforts.
If the New Direction Government of Governor Yahaya Bello were to be futuristic in their outlook, the government must look at who has the charisma to win Kabba/Bunu for GYB in the next gubernatorial election. As rightly stated, in a free and fair election, Moses cannot win an election for himself in Kabba/Bunu let alone delivering Kabba/Bunu for GYB come 2019/2020.
In any case, compensations and political rewards are to be expected in politics. However, there exist one thousand and one ways a Moses Olorunleke could have been rewarded other than having to cause him the embarrassment he is currently exposed to, as he has had to run away from his people, the media and the very essence of governance. With the current setting, a compensation for Moses has quickly turned to a decompensation for the entire people of Kabba/Bunu which may inspire very unpleasant political consequences.
A quick response from Governor Yahaya Bello will do this government many goods in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area and other LGAs where similar mediocrities prevail.
– Tola Samuel
President, Okun Youths for Change.
