THE people of Magongo in Ogori/Magongo local government area of Kogi State has cried out over the marginalization and lopsidedness in both appointive and elective offices due to the council area.
The area said the community has been cheated and suffered political inbalance in the arragement of political offices; hence the need for the state governor, Yahaya Bello to intervene.
The community made this known on Thursday in Magongo during a joints press conference organised by the Magongo Development Association, Magongo Elders Forum, Magongo Traditional Council and the Concern Citizens of Magongo.
Spokesperson for the event, Mr. Francis Andrew who is the National President, Magongo Development Association urged the state governor to balance the political scale starting from the forthcoming council election by allowing the community produce the council chairman; which they merited by virtue of rotational arrangement.
He said, “Your Excellency, here in Ogori Magongo, the need to urgently draw your attention to a planned political manuevering by some self-centered individuals has become too heavy on the minds of the people of Magongo. This is because the mischief do not only negate your stance and ideal but also reflect the desperate attempt by these persons at misinformation.
“The rotational arrangement has over the years been acceptable and has been the understanding that has kept the two communities together in mutual peace and harmony.
“But then, it is very saddening just as it will surprise your Excellency to note that not even a single state appointment is currently being enjoyed by any person from Magongo.
“The state Head of service, the Special Advicer to the governor on Energy…even the present Ogori -Magongo DLG and Treasurer- indeed all state appointments zoned to Ogori-Magongo are occupied by people from Ogori. And these represent just a particular section of the local government area.
“This is the reality and the truth of our delimna your Excellency and the people of Magongo have been ensuring the agony of this terrible marginalization. Though our people know that the proper situation of things have all along been deliberately xoncweled from your Excellency.
“The truth is that, going by the political arragement and rotation principle Ogori-Magongo has been observing since 1999, it is now the turn of Magongo to produce the next Executive chairman of Ogori-Magongo and we are humbly seeking and appealing to you for kind intervention on the matter.”
Speaking for the traditional council, the Obaro of Magongo, Chief Patrick Eriki said failure to abide by the rotational arrangement will result to uproars and disharmony between the two communities that made up the council area.
“In the first term of governor Yahaya Bello, out of the seven appointees accrued to the council area, only two came from Magongo while Ogori held on to the other five. Now in his second term, out of the six appointees, only one was giving to Magongo.
“And for some selfish interest, some set of people want to distorts the rotational arrangement between the two communities for the council chairmanship position. This will result to uproar.
“There is nothing that breed uproars like injustice and cheating. Magongo has been cheated for too long. We are not narrowing it down to any person in particular, we are just asking that what is due our community should be giving to us.”
