On-the-gross-neglect-of-ones-ancestral-hometown-village-by-nigerian-politicians-and-elites-the-senator-bukola-saraki-example
September 7, 2020 | News
ON THE GROSS NEGLECT OF ONE’S ANCESTRAL HOMETOWN/VILLAGE BY NIGERIAN POLITICIANS AND ELITES – THE SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI EXAMPLE
In a recent picture post on social media platforms showing the treacherous journey of Senator Bukola Saraki and his entourage to his ancestral hometown/village, is true and actually the situation of things, then something is seriously wrong with majority of Nigerian Politicians as well as the elites of our society. From the picture, we can see the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria cleaning off mud stain from his trousers, which was from the terrible road said to be leading to his village. Mind you, this same Saraki has been in the Nigerian Government since 1999 till date. His Father, Olusola Saraki was known to be the most powerful politician in Kwara State and the only godfather of Kwara State. Until his son, Bukola Saraki deposed him and took over as the most powerful politician and godfather of Kwara State. Bukola Saraki and his father are the Grand Patrons of Kwara State as far as politics is concerned in that State. His father became the Chairman of the Leaders of Thought of Arewa Elders Council, and his son Bukola Saraki, was a Governor of Kwara State for eight (8) years before he placed his own errand boy as the Governor to take over from him. Yet, Bukola Saraki has been unable to develop his own ancestral home which has no good access road to link Ilorin. Is this not shameful!
This reminds us of our post of Facebook some few months ago, about how Sen. James Ebiowou Manager was struggling on Okada (commercial motorcycle), on 21st October, 2017, trying to get to his home village in Bomadi LGA of Delta State. This is the same Senator James Manager who has been in the Senate since 2003 (about 14 years now and still counting), and was a former Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport (1999-2003); and many other positions in the corridors of government. As such, we can say he has all the powers/connections/clout to bring both the State and the Federal Government might to fix, not only the said particular road/bridge he was struggling to cross over in an Okada, but also every other bad or non-existing basic infrastructure in his community to alleviate the sufferings of his people. But that has not been seen in all these years, and it appears it will never be. When the only thing the common man would have benefitted from these politicians are not done by them, then there is obviously no hope for a better tomorrow. Where are all the monies yearly budgeted/given for Constituency Projects for these Senators/Politicians? Where are all the projects? Why should such pathetic state of roads/bridges still be evident in the States of these Politicians, in spite of all the funds yearly budgeted/given to address these developmental needs?
As it is with Sen. Bukola Saraki and Sen. James Manager and the deplorable state of the roads/infrastructure of their villages, so also it is with majority of the Nigerian politicians in power, the elites in our society and those hanging around the corridors of power as well. Sadly, their own people will not condemn them for non-performance, or even see the need to do so. Rather than condemnation, what we usually see from the fellow tribesmen of these politicians, are them singing their praises for obviously cheating them in the provision of basic public amenities. We are even certain that some persons of the same village with these Senators are not happy with us for displaying the said posted pictures here. And they are ready to abuse us for simply exposing the truth.
One is forced to ask what kind of leadership do we expect from such heartless politicians who has deliberately denied their fellow kinsmen the right to good basic infrastructure and affordable standard of living? Do we call their actions sheer wickedness, greed, foolishness, stupidity or ignorance? Does this kind of politician deserve to contest for election to govern people or to rule people? The saddest part is that people still troop after Politicians like Bukola Saraki and call them their leaders, or support them in their political ambitions.
Like we said, Saraki is not the only one in this category. But almost all of the Nigerian Politicians have abandoned their ancestral villages/towns for the poor people, while they have remained in the big urban cities. In fact, about 99% of Nigerian Politicians and big men from the South West (Yoruba), the entire North, especially the Hausa/Fulani, the South South swamp (riverine) communities-Ijaw/Itsekiri: don't visit their native villages/towns, including their children. For instance, the Sarakis have taken Ilorin as their native village. The Yorubas have adopted Ibadan, Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Ekiti Town, Abeokuta, Ondo Town, Sagamu, Ilesha, Ife, Oyo Town, etc., as their native villages/towns. The Hausas/fulanis have adopted Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Zaria, Katsina, Minna, Ilorin, etc., as their native towns/villages. The Ijaws have all adopted Yenegoa, Warri, Effurun, Port Harcourt, Ekpan, Edjeba, Ugborikoko (Bendel Estate), Ogunu, Orhuwhorun, Usiefrun, Egbo-Uhurie, Otokutu, Ovwian, Ujevwu, Ughelli, Osubi, Agbarho, etc., as their villages/towns. The Itsekiris have adopted Warri main township, Sapele, Koko, as their villages/town. But the Urhobos and the Isokos, no matter how long or where they are, they still identify closely with their native villages/towns no matter how remote they are. The Ibos, no matter how wealthy still go to their remote villages and build good houses and they always identify with their home villages and towns no matter how remote such places are.
Recently, I asked a Yoruba friend based in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he comes from, and he told me he is from Abeokuta and when I asked again where exactly is his village, he said it is far from Abeokuta but that he has not been there throughout his adult life. So, Saraki is not the only person that doesn't connect to his native village. The Ijaws/Itsekiris have abandoned their villages as well. But what is more sad is that most of them do not want development in their native villages/towns for political and self-centered-economic reasons. One of which is so that they can conveniently rig elections and overblow population figures that are imaginary, and also be able to carry on with illegal trades like illegal bunkering/illegal refinery (especially in the South-South), without the prying eyes of security operatives. That is the unfortunate rural/urban migration situation that has left the country's villages/rural areas in perpetual underdevelopment.
The Saraki example is just a demonstration that the Nigerian politicians have all relocated from their ancestral/native villages to the cities and they have left these villages for the Plebeians - the old and poor public locals to occupy without development. They will only go there for their campaign elections and on election day. After the elections they run away and leave their people in abject poverty. The likes of the Sarakis are many across Nigeria. The only thing we are praying for is that the locals will themselves wise up and start seeing these Politicians for their true colours, and start condemning everything that concerns them, which are often not in the interest of the general masses.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes
In a recent picture post on social media platforms showing the treacherous journey of Senator Bukola Saraki and his entourage to his ancestral hometown/village, is true and actually the situation of things, then something is seriously wrong with majority of Nigerian Politicians as well as the elites of our society. From the picture, we can see the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria cleaning off mud stain from his trousers, which was from the terrible road said to be leading to his village. Mind you, this same Saraki has been in the Nigerian Government since 1999 till date. His Father, Olusola Saraki was known to be the most powerful politician in Kwara State and the only godfather of Kwara State. Until his son, Bukola Saraki deposed him and took over as the most powerful politician and godfather of Kwara State. Bukola Saraki and his father are the Grand Patrons of Kwara State as far as politics is concerned in that State. His father became the Chairman of the Leaders of Thought of Arewa Elders Council, and his son Bukola Saraki, was a Governor of Kwara State for eight (8) years before he placed his own errand boy as the Governor to take over from him. Yet, Bukola Saraki has been unable to develop his own ancestral home which has no good access road to link Ilorin. Is this not shameful!
This reminds us of our post of Facebook some few months ago, about how Sen. James Ebiowou Manager was struggling on Okada (commercial motorcycle), on 21st October, 2017, trying to get to his home village in Bomadi LGA of Delta State. This is the same Senator James Manager who has been in the Senate since 2003 (about 14 years now and still counting), and was a former Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport (1999-2003); and many other positions in the corridors of government. As such, we can say he has all the powers/connections/clout to bring both the State and the Federal Government might to fix, not only the said particular road/bridge he was struggling to cross over in an Okada, but also every other bad or non-existing basic infrastructure in his community to alleviate the sufferings of his people. But that has not been seen in all these years, and it appears it will never be. When the only thing the common man would have benefitted from these politicians are not done by them, then there is obviously no hope for a better tomorrow. Where are all the monies yearly budgeted/given for Constituency Projects for these Senators/Politicians? Where are all the projects? Why should such pathetic state of roads/bridges still be evident in the States of these Politicians, in spite of all the funds yearly budgeted/given to address these developmental needs?
As it is with Sen. Bukola Saraki and Sen. James Manager and the deplorable state of the roads/infrastructure of their villages, so also it is with majority of the Nigerian politicians in power, the elites in our society and those hanging around the corridors of power as well. Sadly, their own people will not condemn them for non-performance, or even see the need to do so. Rather than condemnation, what we usually see from the fellow tribesmen of these politicians, are them singing their praises for obviously cheating them in the provision of basic public amenities. We are even certain that some persons of the same village with these Senators are not happy with us for displaying the said posted pictures here. And they are ready to abuse us for simply exposing the truth.
One is forced to ask what kind of leadership do we expect from such heartless politicians who has deliberately denied their fellow kinsmen the right to good basic infrastructure and affordable standard of living? Do we call their actions sheer wickedness, greed, foolishness, stupidity or ignorance? Does this kind of politician deserve to contest for election to govern people or to rule people? The saddest part is that people still troop after Politicians like Bukola Saraki and call them their leaders, or support them in their political ambitions.
Like we said, Saraki is not the only one in this category. But almost all of the Nigerian Politicians have abandoned their ancestral villages/towns for the poor people, while they have remained in the big urban cities. In fact, about 99% of Nigerian Politicians and big men from the South West (Yoruba), the entire North, especially the Hausa/Fulani, the South South swamp (riverine) communities-Ijaw/Itsekiri: don't visit their native villages/towns, including their children. For instance, the Sarakis have taken Ilorin as their native village. The Yorubas have adopted Ibadan, Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Ekiti Town, Abeokuta, Ondo Town, Sagamu, Ilesha, Ife, Oyo Town, etc., as their native villages/towns. The Hausas/fulanis have adopted Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Zaria, Katsina, Minna, Ilorin, etc., as their native towns/villages. The Ijaws have all adopted Yenegoa, Warri, Effurun, Port Harcourt, Ekpan, Edjeba, Ugborikoko (Bendel Estate), Ogunu, Orhuwhorun, Usiefrun, Egbo-Uhurie, Otokutu, Ovwian, Ujevwu, Ughelli, Osubi, Agbarho, etc., as their villages/towns. The Itsekiris have adopted Warri main township, Sapele, Koko, as their villages/town. But the Urhobos and the Isokos, no matter how long or where they are, they still identify closely with their native villages/towns no matter how remote they are. The Ibos, no matter how wealthy still go to their remote villages and build good houses and they always identify with their home villages and towns no matter how remote such places are.
Recently, I asked a Yoruba friend based in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he comes from, and he told me he is from Abeokuta and when I asked again where exactly is his village, he said it is far from Abeokuta but that he has not been there throughout his adult life. So, Saraki is not the only person that doesn't connect to his native village. The Ijaws/Itsekiris have abandoned their villages as well. But what is more sad is that most of them do not want development in their native villages/towns for political and self-centered-economic reasons. One of which is so that they can conveniently rig elections and overblow population figures that are imaginary, and also be able to carry on with illegal trades like illegal bunkering/illegal refinery (especially in the South-South), without the prying eyes of security operatives. That is the unfortunate rural/urban migration situation that has left the country's villages/rural areas in perpetual underdevelopment.
The Saraki example is just a demonstration that the Nigerian politicians have all relocated from their ancestral/native villages to the cities and they have left these villages for the Plebeians - the old and poor public locals to occupy without development. They will only go there for their campaign elections and on election day. After the elections they run away and leave their people in abject poverty. The likes of the Sarakis are many across Nigeria. The only thing we are praying for is that the locals will themselves wise up and start seeing these Politicians for their true colours, and start condemning everything that concerns them, which are often not in the interest of the general masses.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes