Amb. Tony Ogah, Democratic Freedom, And Limit Of Liberality BY OMONU NELSON

In the last few months, Amb. Tony Ogah has come under heavy criticism from his admirers, who have continued berate him, not because he has stopped or reduced being the philanthropist that he is, but because he tried to exercise his democratic ‘inalienable’ right of identifying with a political party and by implication, candidates .

Agreed that Amb. Tony Ogah is a born humanitarian, selfless philanthropist in the true sense of the word, but the principle of natural justice demands that, his benevolence and liberality be not taken for granted.

The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives every citizen the right to belong to political group, or hold political opinion. That Amb. Tony Ogah declared support for the incumbent administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello in Kogi State, and the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari, is not enough for his teeming supporters to take him to the galore, or lose the goodwill he has built over the years through selfless philanthropic gestures, if his so-called accuser are not self-seeking, malicious, or better still, mischievous?

Though, who to support or which political opinion to hold in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is exclusively that of Amb. Ogah, but, in the spirit good conscience, his traducers should have waited or go close to him, to find out the rationale behind his current position.

Make no mistake; these backlashes may be out of love for Amb. Ogah, but haven given so much, through Anthony Ogah Peace Foundation, one expects that his democratic right is respected.

It is on record that, Amb. Tony Ogah has over the years, through his “Anthony Ogah Peace Foundation” provided succour to the needy.

As part of Amb. Ogah’s philanthropic gesture of empowering young people, he gave N1, 000,000.00 (One Million Naira) to one Mr Tenimu Muhammed Tairu, a Forest Guard employee of the Kogi State Ministry of Environment, who resigned to establish a fashion designing company.

Amb. Tony Ogah has in the last few years become a crisis manager in the area. He has gone to prisons to bail misguided youths, who are languishing in jail because they are remanded for engaging in violence.

At the severest inconveniences to his personal purse and family pleasure, Amb. Ogah has reformed drug addicts in prisons. An idle mind, a time-tested aphorism believes, is the devil’s workshop. Armed with this reality, Amb. Ogah has embarked on wide varieties of empowerment programmes for the youths, who are the most victim of idleness.

He has continued his tradition of distributing over 500 motorcycles to youths, to be used for commercial purposes, and by implication, provide means of livelihood to them. This initiative, in the estimation of Amb. Ogah, is aimed at dissuading youths from engaging in crimes.

He has embarked on a campaign ‘My PVC is Not for Sale.’ According to Ambassador Anthony Ogah, the “2019: My PVC is not for Sale’ campaign is aimed at educating the youths and the old in Kogi State and Nigeria at large on the dangers of trading their permanent voters cards (PVCs) in exchange for money.

He further stated, “The time has come in this country, where we have to look critically at whoever we want to vote into power by assessing how they have impacted the lives of the people at the grassroots in the past. It is also important to understand what they intend do, when voted into power because the consequences of our actions today determines our tomorrow.

“If we have to get things right in Kogi State and Nigeria at large, we have to desist from selling our rights and prestige. That candidate comes home only when it is election time and gives you money that can’t even feed you in a day, is not a yardstick for you to sell your PVC which is your power.

“The too much attachment to money and loyalty to political party is not allowing us to scrutinize good and true candidate who can actually represent us with all their hearts.

“I am using this medium to tell my fellow Kogites that; to get things done the right way in our dear State, we must know how well a candidate understands our plight and what solutions he or she intends to employ to solve them. We must know that we the electorates own this power that is possible through our PVCs. This message is largely for the youths. Do not sell your PVC and they will respect you!,” Comrade Ogah said.

One of the many youths, who have benefited from his large-heartedness’ wrote: “Mr. Tony Ogah, belongs to this kind of category of exceptional personalities, he is a rear gem who has chosen to be different, a man who derives his happiness by extending a helping hand to the needy, the poor and downtrodden and never think of what he stands to gain in return.

Mr. Tony Ogah believes it’s not the mansions, the fleet of cars that defines wealth but the good name we are able to drop behind for posterity to reckon. He tailored his actions with the saying “the best form of happiness is the one given to others.”

He is neither a politician nor vying for any political office, but he is a man with foresight and will always be ready to contribute to anything that will lead to societal development

He has indeed faulted the belief of those who hold that one must be a politician or occupy a political position before contributing to the development of the society.

From his hard-earned wealth, the young philanthropist gave out Sewing Machines, Motorcycles, Cloths for 100 old women each with one thousand naira for sowing and cash worth thousands of Naira to those that were not beneficiaries of the empowerment during last year’s Independence Day, on his program tagged “March for Peace.”

Similarly, he organised a Peaceful rally during the Cultists unrest in Igala land (Ida) which yielded a positive result and contributed greatly to the end of the mayhem.

He represents peace and always preaches peace; his penchant for assisting the needy knows no tribe. To him, it is not where an individual hails from that matters, what matters is that a soul is in need and we are able to extend a helping hand to him/her.