SHUAIB AUDU’S AGENDA FOR KOGI
The seven-point agenda of Prince Shaibu Abubakar Audu is a well-conceived and articulated policy document that captures the essence, hopes and expectations of the Kogi people. The agenda is mirrored in the trajectories of programmes he has put together as the road map for the transformation of the state if he is elected into office as the governor of Kogi State.
The main purpose and objectives of this agenda is about reclaiming the state from those tendencies that have militated against the development of the state. The agenda was first of all put together to pay homage to those who came before us and fought for the creation of the state some of whom have long left us disappointed and upon whose labor our generation should build upon; our forebears of ages past who bequeathed to us a rich history of honour and dignity, who bound together as one indivisible Kogi Confederacy, and fought wars and battle to liberate us from external forces. They taught us that only in fighting together can we truly win. Shuaibu Abubakar Audu was certain that the ancestors of ours who we know and have learnt about in our history books, are similarly assembled in the great beyond as a cloud of witnesses, cheering us on as we embark on this journey. This is why he wants to be the governor of the state at this time with his transformational agenda. Audu by his coming forward to seek to be elected as the governor of the state wants to be the instrument through which this divine mandate would be given to do right by his people and honour that oath with God helping him. His agenda would mark the beginning of a new phase in our history and also signal the end of an era or more appropriately the end of an error. Kogi State has been through a horrible period in the wilderness because of what it has experienced since the return of democracy. Our reputation as a people has been sullied and we have become the butt of jokes due to crass ineptitude, ignorance, and ravenous corruption masquerading as governance over the years. Shuaib Abubakar Audu seeks, if voted into office as governor, to live up to the responsibilities of leadership by thoroughly reviewing documents, to widely disseminate the present positions of things so that all and sundry can know what has become of our Commonwealth. He would embark on this through independent verifiable findings that would indicate this through the open governance concepts.
In his governance agenda, his administration would ensure that within 100 days of his being sworn in as Governor, the people will know the true positions of things in keeping with his ethos of transparency and accountability in governance. He would not be interested in trial by the media, witch hunting or playing to the gallery. He would seek out the truth and lay it before the people as a starting point.
Audu has said it time and again that his vying for the office of the governor of Kogi State is not about self and can never be a revenge mission but rather a healing balm on a painful wound. However, as the events of the last 20 years go into the history, we owe it a duty to ourselves and the generation coming after us to work together to ensure that never again shall we be deceived into making the grievous mistake that has set us back so steeply on the development curve. Certainly we must not all belong to the same political party nor share the same ideological beliefs, but the reins of leadership in Kogi State must never again be allowed to fall into the hands of those who do not understand what governance and development is all about.
Never again should we give up free and qualitative education for herculean taxes and fees levied on our children; never again should we give up free health care and functional hospitals and a total neglect of the health sector; never should we give up integrated infrastructural developments for bridges that lead us nowhere; never again should we give up a burgeoning tourism industry that our state is known for decrepit infrastructure now occupied by reptiles; never again should we give up the peace and unity of the state for increased crime rates and general insecurity; and never again should we give up transparent and accountable governance with the requisite checks and balances, an independent judiciary and legislative arms of government, for a draconian one man shows. Never again should we sacrifice prompt payments of salaries for indulgence in pursuance of projects of minimal benefits to the people.
Jamila Musa, Abuja
