Kwarans; Reasons We Must Give Peace A Chance By Hajia Sarat Adebayo (Kwara APC Woman Leader)
Our state, Kwara, has been widely described as the leading state that is halcyon and free from strife in Nigeria, hence, the state’s catchword; the state of harmony. This beautiful slogan, which has spanned many decades, has physically manifested in the sociopolitical culture of our people, even during the military eras.
Verily, we are not half-witted in our harmonious conducts in Kwara. We are only being civil and progressive and such civility and progressivemindedness have enticed the relocation of many people from different regions of Nigeria to Kwara. It is however sad to note that some people are falling victims of some misguided foreign political elements who have taken delight in using religious arenas most especially during Muslim festivities to foment trouble and cause breach of public peace.
This attitude is not only alien to our culture and tradition, it is another clandestine political misadventure to portray Islam, which is a culture in Ilorin, the state capital, in bad perspective. Islam, as we all know is a religion which symbolises peace, love and harmony. It is a known fact that Ilorin is generally known nationwide as the custodian of Islamic culture, doctrine and tradition, hence, we should strive to jealously promote and protect this historical endowment and resist any attempt by unscrupulous and unprogressive political elements to defecate and erode our cultural heritage.
It is a known fact that the hardship we are currently facing in terms of the delay in payment of salaries cum backlog of wages and the high cost of living is not in anyway peculiar to Kwara State. It is a general phenomenon globally occasioned by the general economic recession as a result of the dwindling economic fortune of our nation, Nigeria.
One who has been following the activities in the state of harmony with keen interest for decades would also agree with me that it was never like this in the first two terms of His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as well as the first tenure of the incumbent Governor of our state, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed. This was due to the singular reason that the nation was not in a serious economic crisis as we are witnessing today. The market values of the petroleum resources, which were the solid rocks of our nation’s wealth reduced grossly at a time we never expected, even though it has been foreseen long time before now.
It is also an incontestable fact that His Excellency, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is doing all that is humanly possible to turn around the economic fortune of the State in order to revert the trend. This efforts no doubt have started to yield positive result in the State.
It’s hence noteworthy that Kwara state government doesn’t owe the state workers salaries unlike other states that owe workers across boards. It is only local government staff and basic education teachers that are owed salaries in Kwara and Kwara state government is currently overcoming the unfortunate situation by ensuring their salaries are promptly paid since the last two months.
This is the reason why Kwara’s situation is quite better than what’s obtainable in other states. All we need to do, as peace loving people is a little patience for the Government to normalize the situation.
This is why I am using this medium to passionately appeal to the generality of people in the State to allow peace to reign during the forthcoming Eid-El-Kabir festival, most especially at the Eid prayer ground. The people who are perpetrating the acts of violence are definitely those whose mind are beclouded by the political hatred for the state government. They are the ones who are not at ease with political fortunes the State is currently witnessing. What still makes me brood till this moment is the investigative revelations that some of the perpetrators of the last Eid-El-Kabir pandemonium were Christians from the neighbouring states. Imagine what Samuel or a Michael who is gorgeously dressed as a Muslim is doing in a Muslim prayer ground if not sponsored to vent ember of violence. This is a reason we should remain peaceful to and fro Eid in order not to be part of their political foolishness.
It is indeed a thing of joy and rare privilege to have a Senate President, the number three citizen of Nigeria coming from Kwara State in the present political dispensation. With less than eighteen months as Senate President, Kwara has been witnessing immense benefits for having our son as the Chairman of the National Assembly. It is not an overstatement that within the short period of his ascendency as the President of The Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria, a lot of Kwarans have secured one appointment or the other at the National level while a lot of Federal projects have been slated for Kwara State. These efforts will thus have a lot of multiplier effects on the generality of people of the state and the country at large.
We must therefore resist any attempts by the enemies of Kwara State to jeopardize this glorious opportunity to develop the State rapidly and for the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy to the fullest through the highly beneficial office of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I therefore appeal to our mothers and the entire womenfolk in the State to prevail on their children and wards for them not to be used by trouble makers as elements of destructions to not only disturb the peace of the State during the forthcoming Eid-il-Kabir celebration but all days and all nights. I wish everyone happy Eid-il-Kabir festival and pray for God’s guidance and protection for our leaders.
