Tahir Sherriff Abuja –Nigeria,
Little is still known about the role Yakubu Mohammed played in the creation of Kogi state. His activities and the events that preceded it, as well as those that followed culminated into the states creation over two decades ago.
In his words:
“I was invited by Babangida (then military Head of State) for discussions on the issue, as one of the signatories to the numerous demands for the creation of the state. For two hours I had the opportunity of making a case for the creation of Kogi state. Satisfied with my presentation, President Babangida said there and then, and I quote ‘Yakubu, you now have your Kogi state’”
Two months later, the state was created. But his dreams and aspirations for the state remained far from achievement. In 2011, the veteran journalist with a history of going by the books and keeping all moral and constitutional ethics in check, even in times when Nigeria was completely chaotic ran for office as governor of Kogi state. He did not emerge winner. Although being a party favourite, political intrigues at the eleventh hour changed the game, among these events was the withdrawal of support by Ibrahim Idris who was governor at the time.
Kogi state which is situated in north-central Nigeria, a few hundred kilometres from Nigeria’s capital serves as a link to the southern and eastern parts of the country, but since its creation it has remained in economic, political and social stagnation. The remnants of great ideas express themselves in the emptiness at places such as the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and a dredging project that is quick becoming a fantasy with each passing day.
In an unbelievable outcome, one might add eye-opening to the opposition party, the state which had been conservatively PDP fell into the hands of the APC in the March 28 elections that ushered in President Muhammadu Buhari. This outcome did not however come as a shocker to grassroots people, prior to the elections thousands of government workers had been protesting the non-payment of their salaries from a Governor who rumour had it, was spending more time in hospital beds abroad.
As a journalist who started out serving New Nigerian newspapers in the 70’s, an editor with the concord in the 80’s under renowned business mogul MKO Abiola, and co-founder as well as editor of Nigeria’s first news magazine Newswatch, Yakubu is undeniably well acquainted with the problems that plague Nigeria.
“The problem of Kogi State, as many people have come to appreciate, is like the problem of Nigeria at large – It is largely and squarely the problem of leadership.”
Yakubu has developed an agenda that he says is aimed at ‘opening rural areas to modern development’. He has spoken extensively about the setting up of agro-based industries and of shifting focus towards solid mineral production. He has demonstrated an unfamiliar clarity when highlighting the challenges the state fails to address. As part of a Think Tank set up by the Idris Wada administration in January 2012, alongside others, Yakubu pointed out that the base challenges which included ‘…an endemic failure, or incapacity of government to meet the aspirations of the citizens in the areas of good governance and service delivery…’ The report went on to add ‘…political interference eroding the ability of officials of government to keep its own laws and operating guidelines…’
But he is not alone in this race, and unlike several others, he does not possess an endless reserve of stolen government funds to disburse to corrupt Nigerians. His biggest contenders according to a report by the Nations Newspaper ‘PDP, APC in Battle Of Titans over Lugard House’ (http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-apc-in-battle-of-titans-over-lugard-house/ ) includes former Kogi state governor Prince Abubakar Audu, Idris Wada, and current state governor Idris Wada. Both are well known power brokers.
For Prince Audu, who started out as the first executive governor of Kogi state, his political history has been marred by political witch-hunting from his performance while in office, as well as an endless stint with the law on corruption charges by the EFCC (http://efccnigeria.org/efcc/index.php/news/372-efcc-arraigns-ex-governor-abubakar-audu-for-n10-billion-fraud ). A case which landed him in handcuffs on account of a whooping N10billion scam.
Idris Wada on the other hand has largely left the state in the same manner that he met it, or perhaps even worse. Public infrastructure has continuously declined and trust in his ability to run the state has been severely cut short by trust in the possibility that he remains healthy.
Yakubu, has an undeniable edge. Given that though he has served as a government official, his records have remained untainted by corruption. As Pro Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University in 2005, his popularity was more about his refusal to enrich himself with public funds, an approach at life that extended even to a rejection of the official car granted to him as a gift.
With a short but nonetheless dysfunctional array of leadership, Kogi state has remained largely dormant, untapped, and continues to suffer excessive brain drainage from lack of necessary infrastructures to support a rapidly expanding youth population. This is perhaps what Yakubu says he is out to alter.
‘My mission in politics is simple, to give hope to the hopeless, voice to the voiceless, and strength to the weak and powerless’ he says. But that is for APC delegates and close to four million Kogi state residents and indigenes to decide in the coming elections. Perhaps change too will present itself in the confluence state.
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Article written by Tahiru Sherriff, in-house freelance reporter with NewsWireNGR in Abuja
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