A Clarion call for our leadership…
These are interesting times that tires human soul. Times like these have not change a bit since growing up in YEWA land. From one successful transitional government to the other, and I begun to wonder how time flies and why we have remain on the same spot for over twenty years. Before anything, I remember vividly, when I was in secondary school, Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro precisely. My government teacher whose name matters less now once told me that government in simple language means “the government of the people, for the people and by the people”. This means I have the right to vote and to be voted for as well as also have a responsibility to hold those in power into account and responsible for anything of their many failures interims of accountability on their path. And I also have the right to send them packing from office by passing a vote of no confidence on then when I deem it fit or by not casting my vote for them in the next local or general elections. It is possible. But what do we have now, Government for the few. It is worthy of not that I did not just vote for them during elections. I have voted after critically considering their weightless plans, and also having severally considered the promises of dividends that comes in it with their failed manifestoes.
At least, I have lived a better part of my life in YEWA land, and I know what I am saying. In the last few administrations, I have not only voted, I have had personal relationship with some aspirants and it shocking to know that none of them are saints nor have anything good for the region except few. Most of the representatives from YEWA land over the years have refuse to chart a new course for the region and have also most times allowed themselves to be used as political pones hereby in the process enrich their pockets with crumbs of funds from their bosses pockets, starched from the State treasuries. Cash meant for the development of YEWA land been stolen away under the rightful nose of those we trusted so much to represent us. What a betrayal of trust, breach of agreement and honor.
The last time I checked, YEWA was divided into two. YEWA North and YEWA South with a massive population of people with rich culture and moral values who majorly are farmers. Business activities, not encouraging and level of education are at 20 percent. Low level of infrastructural development which remains at 15 percent since 1993. Pipe born water is one major problem of the region with a massive land mass whose resources waited and is begging to be tapped. Bad roads, poor road network and out rightly cum shameful poor standard of living. High rate of immortality among children and poor condition of the aged and more.
From the forgoing, I am deeply convinced that the so called leadership of the region is a total disgrace to the good people of YEWA land. I am not a saint neither a freedom fighter because I am not better of most of them. I also have a responsibility like them to the development of the region. But I must say that the only difference between us is that I am not a politician and have not held any political position. As a matter of fact, I am based outside the state in search of greener pastures when it was evident that the leaders are not ready to give me the average standard of living I needed to achieve my dreams. But I still shuttle within the region.
Our people are not moving forward. And it is pertinent to note that remaining stagnant is one of the greatest tragedies of our time and of this age. I wouldn’t say that the political classes have chosen to close their eyes from the proper path, maybe the mess in that region is beyond their power, but I must say that at least we have had a deputy governor, an SSG and now a speaker. While we had the SSG, there was nothing on ground to show for his four years in office. The deputy governor spent eight years without giving life to her community not to talk of the region which made her what she is today. What a total show of shame for eight years. And yet, the so called followers, meshed in the same political ideology with her populated by illiterates still rush to wash her feet every time she arrives. I must say at this point that they still suffer from what I call society misfit. Maybe there are circumstances beyond her control while in power that made her effortless, who knows. But at least, an effort is what we crave for which won’t hurt.
Now is another opportunity to let my people grow and go out of this shameful abject poverty that has enslaved them for the better part of their lives. Here is another prospect destiny has best owned upon us and on our laps to live again and take our rightful position among the committee of progressives regions in Ogun State. Incidentally, a new political party is in power with a new clear cute political agenda and this is a clarion call for the now Speaker of the Ogun state house of assembly who have the highest political position in YEWA land. I expect a change in the next few months ahead if he is lucky to stumble on this write up anywhere.
Over the years, the only place people find jobs in the region is in government. Lesser people works with the state government because of one political reason or that I am saving for another day. The second place is the local government which has also lead to an overstaffed local civil service. And the result is that even the monetary allocations to the councils go into personal overhead cost leaving little or nothing for capital project like infrastructure, health care delivery, education and investment in the future. So trapped in the circle of poverty of material things and ideas are our people that their only dividends of democracy is either job in government, a position in the same government that readily afford access to the public purse by few hereby making large chunk of the population scrambling for left over falling from their pocket. And this is a perfect advertisement of lack of vision and abysmal failure of the past once upon a time heroes of our region. (The former SSG and the former deputy governor under Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel whose government did little or nothing for YEWA land in the last eight years).
I will love to see a new YEWA land both in the North and South. Not a paradise, but a region where the younger can grow with the basic amenities of life and the aged can rest peacefully with proper benefits from the government. A place where I can tell my global friends that my people live a life of content and averagely as against the default setting of stack poverty and high level of illiteracy that the region is known for which is true. A YEWA land where people live in good houses as against the general white men believe that we live on threes and also a place where people do not fight senseless wars among ourselves. A YEWA land whose untapped resources also will one day contribute to the ongoing wealth creation in the land. A land where jobs are created for the youth and pregnant mothers can deliver without fear of death and suffering. A situation where the new cement factory will employ at least fifty percent of her indigenes if I am right. I want to see a YEWA Land where people stop dying of senseless alignment when they do not know the dangers in not taking proper medications on time among other things.
And if the current leadership of the state house follows the same path his predicators have followed, than posterity will not be gentle on him. And that is why I wrote earlier that “These are interesting times that tries human soul”. I understand fully well that it might be hard but it is a time for the speaker who is fast attaining a political legendary status in YEWA land to resuscitate the politics of YEWA land and chart a new path to elevate the region from her poverty. And on a final not, I will remind us all that posterity will reject our memories and memory will reject our history when we fail to do what is right.
Ogundairo Abiodun. H
Lagos, Nigeria.
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