Stakholders meeting: Group expresses disappointment at APC Yagba Elder’s Advisory Council
The integrity Mandate group, a group which has stood out to champion the course of identifying and projecting suitable candidates for the 2019 election that will address the yearning and aspiration of the people of Yagba has observed with dismay the report coming from the recently held APC CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS MEETING at Isanlu on the 3rd February 2018.
While reacting to the communiqué issued at the end of meeting, regarding the rotational arrangement for the principal elective offices ranging from executive chairman of the local government to federal house of representative and senate in Yagba federal constituency for the upcoming general election.
The spokesman of integrity mandate group, Mr. Durojaiye Hassan, expressed his disappointment at the APC Yagba Elder’s Advisory Council, adding that the meeting failed to critically observe the inequalities that persist in our system which may undermine our most deeply held values of fairness and equality.
Durojaiye said: “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands, as equity, justice and fairness should be the focal point for every agitation irrespective of the group involved, agitations devoid of such ingredients is void ab-initio and cannot hold water.
“It’s important to stress that we have gone pass the era of primitive politics and political impositions where decisions are made for people in proxy without their consent. The resolution at this meeting lack the basic ingredients of equity, fairness and justice, which should be paramount in producing quality representative.”
Mr. Durojaiye said it is on record that the Isanlu Axis has produced a minister, a house of Representatives member at the Federal level and a commissioner while Mopa Amuro has been a bit more fortunate. They produced the first Deputy governor of Kogi State 1992, Senate seat 1992, House of Representatives 1999-2003, SSG to the Kogi State government 2003-2007, Minority Leader of the Kogi State House of Assembly between 2003-2007 and the Speaker of the House of Assembly between 2007-2011.
Continuing, Durojaiye revealed that Mopa Amuro also produced the acting governor of Kogi State in 2009 for 3 months, asking if the above is fair and justified.
The group further queried the decision to concede the NASS slot to Yagba East in the Isanlu axis, when the Oke Oyi axis clearly hasn’t been so privileged.
“This goes to show that the Isanlu axis will be succeeding itself since Hon. T J Faniyi from Isanlu was the last member to represent the axis at the Federal level.
“Caution and thorough analysis should be strictly followed before making such pronouncement which is capable of leading to disaffection among the peaceful people of Yagba and also give a negative impression of what the issue really is.
“The committee has lost its locus standing by engaging in activities that run foul of its mandate as reports going around undeniably indicates that the elders were hell bent on achieving their self serving agenda towards a certain candidate who was reported to have given them a whopping sum of N15m to subvert the decision of the advisory council to his favor, thereby disenfranchising other credible and widely accepted aspirants from other axis.
“Findings also show that the resolution was a ploy to pave the way for a certain candidate especially by zoning the position of House of Representatives to Mopa Amuro, denying other axis like Oke Oyi their inalienable rights to aspire and answer to the call of the people.
“The axis has shown keen interest and has a very viable candidate who has been ascertained to be capable and widely accepted, not just to fly the ticket but also to win the general election. One wonders why such a gathering of elders will discountenance reasoning, history and popular opinion of the people in arriving at its resolution which shows sheer acts of desperation to foist an unpopular candidate on the generality of Yagba people.
The group however counsel the Elders Council in the words of Abraham Lincoln that says; “These men ask for just the same thing, fairness, and fairness only. This, so far as is in my power, they, and all others, shall have”, adding that the council must stand firm to ensure fairness and equity, so as not to create division and disharmony among the rank of its supporters.
