An elder statesman and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress ,(APC) in Kogi State, Senator Alex Kadiri has described the recent appointment of 16 Commissioners, with Kogi Central and Kogi West having 7 slots apiece, leaving 2 slots for Kogi East as a continuation of former Governor Yahaya Bello’s open hatred for the majority Igalas.
Senator Kadiri who represented Kogi East at the beginning of the 4th Republic (1999-2003), also drew Governor Ododo’s attention to his deliberate disrespect for the highly reverred Ata Igala in his inauguration speech when he trampled on the order of heirhachy of traditional rulers in the State as an affront on the igala race.
The former senator who spoke in Abuja in a press briefing at his redence at the weekend expressed concerns over the deplorable state of affairs in his home state stressing that he will always speak his mind based on facts availlable to him.
Senator Kadiri also stated that he has achieved much in life that the state Government cannot pocket him over any kind of appointment or inducement to close his eyes to evil and unpatriotic activities.
He specifically mainatined that his love for his state transcends the thinking of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any other person for that matter.
According to him, “I am not interested in what Tinubu thinks I am interested in what Kogi people think. I am not looking for a job, alot of people are quiet because they have the hope they can be given appointment. Alex Kadiri has no desire for any appointment. I have been a senator, chairman of a university’s governing council, a permanent secretary, what else can I look for that God has not done for me?
“What is going on in Kogi and the people are afraid or tired of talking because the APC does not care. We are a national party that it’s Secretariat keep quiet in the face of wrong things.
He said he is being dragged backwards to talk about local issues which first and foremost are below his level.
“I am from Kogi State, no matter what I have become in Abuja today, I cannot forget that I come from Kogi. And that State has been messed up completely by the APC. The truth must be told”
”You can imagine the inauguration of the New Governor who failed to recognize the Chairman of the Traditional Council the Ata Igala. The governor and his wife kneeling down for the outgoing governor at the inauguration ground. What a shame.
“This was the same way a serving senator removed his shoes and knelt down for the one that called himself white Lion and the video was circulated to humiliate him. Of all the atrocities that man has committed, of all the money they have wasted doing nothing he now wants to be the chairman of the Party.
“What manner of a ruling party is this? Tell me. I can not continue to take this nonsense. A failed governor now want to be the national chairman of the party, he wants to take over from Ganduje. What type of country are we running, why are we provoking Nigerians”.
Continuing he said, Tinubu has filled Abuja with Lagos people, no problem, he bought his way, if you want to remove him try and buy your own way. But still let Tinubu treat Nigerians with some decorum.
“He has no respect for us at all as citizens of this country, we heard he was in France on a private visit, how can a president of a country sneak into another country? Why is he humiliating us continuously.
“He had picked Abdullahi Ganduje from Kano who was accused of taking bribe, that case has died till today. He made the man National chairman of the ruling party, is that not disgusting enough?
“Don’t we have standards and now immediate past Kogi Governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello’s posters are all over Abuja he wants to take over from Ganduje. How can we go from one failure to another failure?.
“Then you go to Kogi, the new Governor appointed 16 commissioners 7 of them are from Kogi West, 7 are from Kogi Central and only 2 from Kogi East. What manner of insanity is this, what manner of carelessness, how do you provoke people to start reacting violently and then you send police to start arresting them? “The two district of Central and West combined are about half of the state what nonsense is this. Appointing Traditional rulers as if they are political appointees that can be moved in a cabinet reshuffle from one ministry to the other. “As if we are back to the colonial days the former Governor recently deposed some traditional rulers who he sent on exile to Niger State without consultation with the state where he is exiting them to.
“What is their offense, he is accusing them of not working for the APC. Has the APC degenerated to this level? What a country? what legacy are we leaving for our children.
“We have become a laughing stock in the committee of nations. I saw the Vice President Kasim Shettima and the APC National Chairman gathered in Lokoja over last weekend to inaugurate the new governor. Did they ask themselves whether the Lokoja is still the one that was the capital of Nigeria in those days.
“Is there any local government headquarters in their place that is as bad as Lokoja? The capital city with no good roads, they just came to squander Kogi money and then return to Abuja. I am angry, I am terrified. I am 81years, very soon I will be 82. What am I going to tell my grand children that I am part of this mess and I cannot do anything about it”.
