Ogbulafor as an empty vessel
Ogbulafor went further in his political misgiving to assure the PDP Kano state newly elected but one- man-show Executives led by their newly found bride, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of financial support in order to take over Kano and Lagos in 2011 through hook or crook. Ogbulafor made these frustrated remarks in Abuja last week […]
Ogbulafor went further in his political misgiving to assure the PDP Kano state newly elected but one- man-show Executives led by their newly found bride, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of financial support in order to take over Kano and Lagos in 2011 through hook or crook. Ogbulafor made these frustrated remarks in Abuja last week during the visit of the newly inaugurated executive members of Kano State PDP. Ogbulafor also handed out marching order to his august visitors that they should go back to Kano and organize themselves, towards taking over Kano like a military junta, promising financial assistance in this moribund but tall dream.
The visitors nodded their heads like the Agama Lizard and returned to Kano with the tall dream. What I want Vincent Ogbulafor to simply understand is that while he is entitled to his opinion, he should not undermine the basic truth of things. He should know that his envy of Lagos and Kano presently under the grip of the opposition is because his national ruling party has not achieved what it takes to win the hearts and sympathy of Nigerians. This is unlike Kano and Lagos whose leaders have tremendously given their states dividends of democracy.
Kano in particular led by ANPP has unarguably achieved a lot in the progress and advancement of the state. Therefore, I do not think that ANPP requires financial inducement to still win the hearts of the good people of the state in 2011. This is particularly so when PDP had same opportunity to improve on the life of the people but chose to recklessly squander such golden opportunity. As a result of the devastating effects of what PDP did to Kano between 1999 and 2003, perhaps, it would take many more years before the party smells leadership in Kano again, money or no money. This is bound to happen especially when the same classes of people who have woefully failed Kano State in the past are still in firm control of PDP in Kano.
Ogbulafor should not think that Kano people are fools that would like to stumble over the same stone twice. One would also like to ask Ogbulafor the score cards of PDP so far at the national level that can make Kano and Lagos fall under its armpit in 2011. I have also in the past put up this challenge before the PDP Zonal Chairman, North-West, Alhaji Danladi Sankara who had also made similar noise about Kano in the past. Let us briefly showcase the ugly performances of PDP at the national level, which should be used as a yard stick whether or not PDP deserves any state in Nigeria, what is more of Kano and Lagos.
Under the past ten years of rule by PDP, corruption has been a recurring decimal in high places. The majority of Nigerians are hungry due to low annual crop yield. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in recent time went on nation wide strike for almost four months thereby, retarding the educational progress and advancement of our youth. Mobile phone companies are still ripping the country off with impunity. Human right abuse is on the increase. For instance, in the first four years of PDP national leadership of this sympathetic nation, armed robbery was the highest fear in the mind of all Nigerians. Rather than controlling this menace, it suddenly graduated into the obnoxious condition of “kidnapping” in PDP’s second tenure. Today, no Nigerian is safe either in his house, office (business area), on the road and else where in the country. Fuel supply is replete and would soon be deregulated at the detriment of the masses. Kaduna refinery is yet to receive the turn around maintenance. All our once virile industries in Nigeria have now become ghosts of their former selves, giving room for high level of unemployment in the country. This is not to talk of the various intra party conflicts affecting PDP with case study of Plateau, Edo and Akwa-Ibom States.
The power sector is a no-go area with its attendant and constant promises of improvement on power generation and supply. The only progress made in this direction is the changing of the name from NEPA (Never Expect Power Always) to PHCN (Please, Hold Candle Now) popularly known as “Problem Has Changed Name”. Even between 1999 and 2003 when PDP held sway in Kano, we hardly observed our Friday (Jumaat) prayers without the presence of mobile police as guard due to all sorts of skirmishes. In Kano, the conduct of the Islamic legal system was treated with levity by Ogbulafor’s so called big party.
Are all of the above what Ogbulafor wants Kano and Lagos to inherit in 2011? Has Ogbulafor not heard or pretending not to have heard that thousands of supporters of the former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from his home town, Madobi have defected to ANPP in Kano?
What are the achievements of Ogbulafor and his cohorts that would make the good people of Kano and Lagos to go against the present good governance of their states in 2011? Change is always based on positive development and not on bad governance. Therefore, I do not think that the opposition should be ruffled and rattled by the empty noises of Vincent Ogbulafor and his fellow travelers who have been insensitive to the yeaning and aspirations of the hunger-stricken people in Nigeria.
Audu writes from Kano and can be reached on his email: [email protected]