by John Paul
What imbued this write-up is Izeh Victoria Odiase’s incontrovertible quote;- “Always make a decision which prioritizes your inner peace”. On the other hands, it is antithetical with Michelle Obama’s popular saying, “You can’t take decision base on fear and the possibility of what might happen”.
Kogi is at extinct brinks and a palpability of losing an endeared state stares. The bulk of tribal lords, ethno-religious bigots, greedy and paltry amoral persons populate the landscape with a non-relenting grip of power aided by willing accomplices in guise of important enablers. Wherein these folks’ overbearing seamlessly suffocate every form of democratic wields, and their constricting agendas get sophisticated by the day, there is need to make hay while the sun shines. Hence, if we must redeem our dear state from the hands of some exhausted brains currently in the saddle, something entirely different has to be done. If We must retain the state’s corporate existence and strip illiberal fundamentalists, we ought to have shopped for resiliency and doggedness to lockup a faulty line of covetousness and greed.
To achieve this, we must consider the very few who are incurably infested with truths, and who had timelessly defiled odds in speaking truth to power. Among these few, I willfully consider Comrade Austin Usman Okai, an Abocho born social media crusader, public affair analyst, unparalleled good governance advocate and an internationally Recognized humanitarian service volunteer.
In demanding for accountability, transparency and equitable governance, Austin has etched his name in the sands of time, those of us in the struggle to keep the lethargic government of Yahaya Bello in check understood.
But before I proceed, kindly pay attention to Atticus Finch – a fictional character in Harper Lee’s award winning novel of 1960 titled “To Kill A Mockingbird” and what he meant when he said “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with gun in his hands. It’s when you know you are licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what”.
To be LICKED here personified oppression and the pervasive injustices. To BEGIN simply depict unanimous voices against the perpetrators, and the prefix – ‘see it through’ was much emphatic with consistency.
Since the coronation of a totalitarian regime in 2016, Kogi state has witnessed tremendous backlashes occasioned by unreligious attitudes towards governance. It eventually transcended to a mocking reference on the seekers of paradigm shift as well as the celebratory backslapping thrown from the ‘not too young to lead bill’ as Kogi seemingly produced the youngest lad in the comity of state Governors. Little did I know it was an advent of another tragic follies which succeeded in dividing the entire Kogites into three categories namely; the onlooker, the compromised and the resilient. The onlookers are those comfortable with government’s malfeasances. The compromised are those who (in)deliberately sold their conscience and have since existed as mechanisms of tirade and lastly, the resilient – those who are pained by the ravenous incompetence, cheer ineptitudes and debauchery put in the foray by the characters best fitting the pit of hell.
Without equivocation, Comrade Okai belong to the third category. If you are familiar with Kogi politics in the last five years, he is at logger head with emperor Yahaya Bello and his failed government for abandoning the state in its entirety. From unpaid salary saga, borrowing for nothing to sucking the state’s depleted resources dried, Mr Okai has been on top of his voice demanding the right things be done in Kogi state.
You might be wondering if that is a rubric for determining the good leader Austin Okai might make, the answer is No! But, let us see the comrade from activistic perspective; activists they say are inborn haters of injustice. It therefore means, Austin is pained by failure to pay salaries, failure to provide electricity, health care and other social/infrastructural amenities. Austin is also pained that Kogi is thrown to the back seat in the comity of developing states, and he gnashes his teeths that 98% of Kogites wallows in wants and penury while less than 2% of the entire populace waxes in affluence. That is obvious from his academic days in FPI and Nassarawa state where he obtained both OND/HND in accountancy. His leadership charisma could also be tailored from whom Austin was mentored. I am referring to famous Lawyer and Human right defender, Gani Fawehinmi and Nigeria’s Nobel leurate professor Wole Soyinka.
To some people, Austin is opposition’s strongest voice in Kogi state, but to me, he is the most reliable voice for the masses. What am I driving at? Comrade Okai’s membership in opposition party is simply a Democracy required protocols one must politically observed in changing perceived ugly trends.
Finally, this article is not an invitation for Austin to contest for elective positions in Kogi state and beyond. It is not an official declaration that he would contest. This is just a guidance to the general public.
As we count our losses helplessly, and are waiting anxiously to wield our Democratic powers in 2023, Austin should be given a listen voice should he decide to represent us in any position.
JOHN PAUL.
Writes from Lagos