By Dr Tom Ohikere
Just some days ago, the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election, Engr Musa Wada was on the popular television programme on AIT known as Kaakaki, in which he spoke on his perception of the state of affairs in the state and his intentions if elected. What is apparent in the entire episode is his disconnect with events and shortage of details where practical and intelligible answers were needed and could easily be thought of.
On the rejection of the Director General by Senator Dino Melaye, he said it was because of his tight schedule. When we all know that there is still rumblings in the party and even an open legal challenge of the primary that produced him.
We know that the chairman of the campaign committee, Former governor Alhaji Ibrahim Idris has declined the appointment, Senator Tunde ogbeha, former acting governor, Clarence Olafemi have also rejected the appointments given to them, and the PDP elders in the state have also dissociated themselves with the campaign. Even its campaign public communications head, Majeed Dahiru has also joined the band of disaffected.
Just yesterday, Abubakar Idris and others were even in a Lokoja court seeking an enforcement to change the outcome of the fictitious primary that produced him. We also know that Dino and others are yet to sheathe their swords.
Similarly, he said Kogi East can singlehandedly decides who govern the state.
That again is a blatant lie. We know that Kogi East constitutes only about 40 percent of the state populations, while Kogi West and Kogi Central constitute about 60 percent. So for any candidate to be the governor of the state he must be able to acquire a support base spanning the three or at least two Senatorial zones.
Musa Wada also said he can boost the state’s IGR through mineral resources but how? He couldn’t provide an answer.
We all know that Kogi state is a highly endowed mineral state and anyone who wants to govern the state and increase IGR must make the generation and prospecting of mineral resource a pillar of his administration. Not just some idealistic lip service proclamation but guide by guide practical steps to transform this most essential sector in the state.
We know that the new direction administration of Governor Yahaya Bello and his team have built a vast network of partnership in the first tenure and intends to make the second term, all about strong practical actions to mobilize stakeholders and attract concrete investments to boost revenue and employment generation in the state.
He also disclosed that the Federal Medical Centre at Kabba use lamp as light in the night.
Mr Wada should be informed that there is no Federal Medical Centre in Kabba but in Lokoja and the general hospital in Kabba does not use lamp in the night as it has been rehabilitated under the new direction government and is powered round the clock by a generation set. It can safely be assumed that Musa wada is not very knowledgeable on the health sector in the state.
Wada also revealed that the 15km road side cleared by Gov. Yahaya Bello is partially commendable. Partially commendable is still commendable.
At least he recognizes that the new direction team did something commendable because there are so many in his party that are deliberately blind to any of achievements of the GYB led government.
He also said he will win the election if there is no federal interference, use of thugs which is the only hope of the governor. Then he was asked how?
He dodged the question and said that’s how they did in the previous elections. But he wasn’t a candidate in those election, and Kogi State have had elections were incumbents have failed to return. Like Abubakar Audu in 2003, and his brother, Idris Wada in 2015.
We all know that INEC is an independent agency for the purpose of conducting free and fair election. And despite the recalcitrant behavior of some politicians have had about 80 percent success rates.
He also said that his brother, former Governor Idris Wada met a decaying infrastructure, when asked about Ibro’s performance office. He said he tried with much infrastructure.
What is clear is that the man is a novice in governance which is obvious by his contradictory statement on the development of things in Kogi state.
If he want to heap the problems of the state to all the happenings under Governor Yahaya Bello, it will be an exercise in futility, as we know the state of development in the state, and how the PDP government of Idris Wada through its mismanagement and misappropriation was to set our state back, leaving great development odds for the new direction government to overcome.
What one can take home from the entire interview is that Musa Wada does not have the grasps of affairs to be the model governor Kogi state is in need.
