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A one-time governorship candidate of the
defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in Kwara
State, Mr. Dele Belgore (SAN), who is now a
chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, says in
this interview with Success Nwogu, that the
defection of Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor
Abdulfatah Ahmed will frustrate the wish of the
Kwara people to do away with the duo
How would you react to the defection of
Dr. Bukola Saraki, Governor Abdulfatah
Ahmed and their loyalists from the Peoples
Democratic Party to the All Progressives
Congress?
Let me say three things. First of all, I have full
respect for the position of the national leadership
of our party, APC, regarding the defection of the
G-7 or G-5 Governors, including the personalities
that you have mentioned. And I understand it
from a point of view of national politics. Secondly,
as a politician answerable to a local base, I am
fully conscious and responsive to the yearnings
of the local population. Thirdly, yes any move is
always welcome, you will also know that it is not
just about a movement, or entry, it should be
about value added. So you have to look at the
value added.
Do you think that these personalities by
their entry to APC will add value to the
party and to the Kwara residents?
I do not think they will add any value whatsoever
to the interest and people of Kwarans.
Why do you say so?
They represent stigma that the Kwara State
people are trying to get rid of. Kwara People
want a change. They want to move away from
impoverishment. They want to move away from
leadership by selfish few that rob people of their
commonwealth for their own selfish needs.
Kwarans do not want leaders who say that
nobody can get anything in Kwara State or attain
any position in Kwara unless I say so. Kwara
people do not want to be impoverished. They do
not want leaders who rob them of their
opportunities. So from that point of that view, I
do not believe that Kwara people see that
movement as an asset.
You are saying that Saraki’s leadership and
that of Ahmed have impoverished Kwarans
but some believe they are transforming the
state?
Where is the evidence of transformation? There
isn’t any. On the contrary, what you see is that
the state has been driven to close to bankruptcy.
As you could recall, some time ago, Assets
Management Corporation of Nigeria, (AMCON)
said that Kwara was unbankable. That cannot
surely be evidence of transformation or
development. Kwara is a first generation state
that was created in 1967. Today, it is
economically backward and does not rank
among any of the first generation states. It,
indeed, ranks with some third generation states.
That cannot be favourably an evidence of good
leadership. Kwara State people deserve better.
With the defection of these personalities,
some people believe that PDP is finished in
the state. Do you share their views?
I can not speak for the PDP. I think you need to
ask somebody in the PDP to talk about that.
The tempo of the Kwara politics, is
believed, to depend on the Sarakis. Are you
not taking risk by not being in their camp?
I have never been in their camp. It is that very
notion that the people of Kwara reject. Besides,
none of these is about Dele Belgore and what his
interests are? It is a paramount community
interest which overrides the interest of any
individual or collection of interests. I generally do
not like to mention names. Kwara is bigger than
any individual or any one group of individuals.
The time has come and the Kwara people have
braced themselves, they are ready to
demonstrate that the whole world.
There is a belief in some quarters that
Sarakis have great leadership because of
their people-oriented and charity activities.
Do you acknowledge this?
I am yet to see those people-oriented charities
and perhaps you should ask some ordinary
Kwarans what these people-oriented charities
are. Of course, they are never short of praise
singers and hand-picked cronies who will banter
all these things around but if the truth must be
told, you need to look at the ordinary people.
Besides, where is the face for charity when there
is opportunities for leadership and the resources
of the state are available to lift the welfare of the
people of the state. People do not want charity.
People want to be given opportunities. People
want their commonwealth to be used
meaningfully to empower them. There is no
evidence of this on the ground.
So how would you describe Kwara State
under Bukola Saraki political leadership?
I will rather not talk about that. He ceased to be
governor almost three years ago so I would
rather not talk about that. I would wish we move
forward and see what the feature have for
Kwarans.
But some people believe Saraki is still in
control of the political leadership even
under Ahmed’s administration?
He is not the subject I care to talk about.
Why in your opinion did Ahmed abandon
PDP for APC?
I have no idea. I think you have to ask him that.
But he has shown that someone else is pulling
his string. I would not want to say more than
that about him. Some believed that since his
political godfather, Bukola Saraki, defected to
APC, he had no option but to follow. That will be
consistent with everything else he had done and
he is the same person who said that ‘if you want
to know where our political fortunes lie, do not
ask me but ask my master somewhere.’ So it will
certainly be consistent with that.
Some hold the view that Saraki defected to
APC not for the genuine interest to serve
Kwarans but possibly because he is out of
favour with the federal political authorities
and because he is having problems with
anti-corruption institutions and the
presidency?
You will have to ask him for his real intentions
why he made the move that he made. But what
I do know is that the interest of Kwara State
people today is to have a change from selfish
rule, from the rule based on the patronage for a
few, where their commonwealth had been
denied of them, where they had been robbed of
a lot of opportunities. That is the need of the
Kwara State people and it is that need or
yearning that I will rather concern myself with.
Ahmed is in the third year of his
administration now, how would you assess
his administration, has he transformed the
state?
I think it is a monumental failure. There is
absolutely nothing on the ground but you see,
every day, some unknown bodies awarding him,
‘Best Governor on that and that.’ When ever you
see that, you know that it is a sign of failure at
home. If you are a good governor, it is your
people that will be championing you. You never
see Governor Babatunde Fashola and some other
performing governors going about winning
awards. The only award that matters to them is
what their people say.
How do you react to the handing over of
the APC state structure to the defected
governors, including handing it over to
Saraki and Ahmed in Kwara?
If that is the decision of the national leadership of
APC, one has to respect it and I can understand
it from the point of view of national politics. But
from the point of view of the local needs of the
people of Kwara, which is that they want change,
such a move does not serve their cause at all.
With Saraki and Ahmed in charge, what
future awaits Kwarans if APC wins in 2015?
The future that awaits Kwarans sadly will be the
same of the whole years that the kwara people
have been struggling to get away from. Kwara
people want change and should APC in Kwara be
under the leadership of these personalities, that
means that the years of struggle for kwara
people for equal opportunities, emancipation and
empowerment still remains a mirage.
There is the speculation that you will very
soon dump APC for PDP. What is the
situation?
I have heard that speculation too. It is still
speculation. I am still in APC so it is still a
speculation.
But if the party structure is given to Saraki
and Ahmed what will be the next line of
action?
We wait and see.
What is your word to Kwarans?
My word to them is that the cause for economic
emancipation and empowerment, for
opportunities, justice and equity are causes that
are worthy causes that we should all support and
fight for and that we should continue to fight for
those causes and never waiver.
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