The apparent inability of President Muhammadu
Buhari to appoint a minister to represent Kogi State
in his cabinet almost a year after the demise of
James Ocholi, the then minister of state for labour
and employment, has intensified grumblings and
disquiet amongst critical stakeholders in the state.
Ocholi died in a ghastly motor accident along the
Kaduna-Abuja road on March 6, 2016.



Concerned stakeholders who bared their minds on the
development said President Buhari’s action, which
has deprived the state its right to be represented in
his cabinet, was unfair, unconstitutional and
condemnable.


The executive director of the Centre for Human
Rights and Conflict Resolution, Idris Miliki, said
that for failing to appoint a minister to replace
Ocholi, several months after his death, the president
had violated the constitution, which he swore to
uphold. He said the appointment of a minister from
Kogi State was neither a favour nor privilege to the
people but a constitutional requirement in line with
the principle of the rule of law, which President
Buhari pledged to uphold.

“As a civil society person and somebody from Kogi, I
am disappointed. The constitution states clearly that
there shall be a minister from each state of the
federation, who shall be an indigene of such state. If
the law states that “there shall be,” it means it is
compulsory. What does it take the president to
appoint a minister from Kogi State?
“This government practises impunity in the name of
due process. I think it is time the APC-led
government watched their administration. We are
becoming disappointed with their government, both at
the federal and state levels,” he said.



He said the failure to appoint a minister from the
state had negatively impacted on the progress and
development of the people because they don’t have
representation in the Federal Executive Council
(FEC), where “far-reaching” decisions and policies
that affect the entire country are taken.


“The number one effect is that when it comes to
voting, Kogi has no vote in the FEC. There are some
elements of democracy at that level. If there are
debates and divisions, they would vote on a particular
issue. In that case, the state will have no vote since
there is no representation.



“Secondly, the office Ocholi occupied is vacant and
has no impact whatsoever on the people. If there is a
minister he would have to appoint some aides and
would equally visit his people to know their problems,
with a view to making case for them.



“When Ocholi was alive, he used to tour all the
places in the state to meet traditional rulers to know
the problems in their domains in order to render
assistance to them. All these are lacking today since
there is no one there for the people.

“The state is completely lagging behind; we have no
votes, we have no opinion, we have no suggestions
and we have no benefits. Even in preparing the
national budget for 2017, Kogi State had no input.
“Now, the federal government has made a proposal to
the National Assembly; then tell me, who is
supposed to present the position of Kogi State? Of
course, it is the minister, not the governor. It is the
minister from the state who would mention the
number of federal roads in the state that need
attention,” he said.

Also speaking on the development, the secretary of
the APC in the state, Tom Adejoh, said the party
was equally worried that after such a long time, a
replacement for the late Ocholi has not been
appointed.


“Frankly speaking, we are not happy about the whole
situation. Kogi State in particular surprised the
nation in the last presidential election. The margin of
votes the APC got in the state was unimaginable.
“The people of Kogi are expecting the dividends of
what they have done for the president. We are
mindful of the fact that the president has enormous
tasks before him, but for us to have lost a minister
for close to a year without any replacement is indeed
worrisome. We didn’t even expect that it would take
up to three months to get a replacement, not to talk
of six months or more.


“Although we are hearing from the grapevine that the
president is about to make an appointment, but how
soon will that be? We expect the president to feel
the pulse and pains of the people after the demise of
the former minister. He should take a look at the
situation of the state to make sure the pains and
agony of the people are lessened,” Adejoh said.
In an interview recently, the president of Ujache
Igala Association, a pressure group, Goodman Akwu,
said it was unfair and painful that Kogi State had
been denied a representative in President Buhari’s
cabinet, several months after the demise of their son.
He said the president was insensitive to the plight of
the people.


“I wonder why a whole state of about 8 million
people can be excluded from their country. It is
undemocratic, unacceptable and unbelievable that the
man we gave so much has decided to use hot water
to wash our face.


“We voted overwhelmingly for the president. Over 70
per cent of voters in the state voted for him and
guided their votes. The change eventually took place
and the man is now shortchanging us,” he lamented.
In the same vein, a lawyer, Daniel Makolo, recently
filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Lokoja,
challenging the action of the president.


Although he lost the suit, he has again approached
an Appeal Court in Abuja over the same matter.
Observers also noted that the prolonged delay in
appointing a minister from the state had given room
for all forms of agitation and political intrigues
amongst the three ethnic groups. They are
clamouring that a minister be appointed from their
various senatorial districts.



The Igala, from Kogi East senatorial district, want
the president to appoint a replacement from the area,
insisting that since the late Ocholi hailed from the
district, it would be in the interest of fairness and
justice if such appointment is made from the zone.
In an open letter to President Buhari, copies of
which were made available to journalists, a group
known as Kogi Democratic Forum (KDF), called on
him to limit his choice of a ministerial nominee from
the state to the Kogi East senatorial district, where
the late Ocholi was from.


In the letter, signed by its legal adviser, Bameyi
Audu, the group explained that its position was in
reaction to “widely circulated” positions of other
ethnic groups, who have continued to clamour for the
ministerial nominee to come from their zones.



The letter stated, “The attention of members and our
Board of Trustees have been drawn to a publication
in some national dailies over the prerogative power of
the president on the vacant ministerial slot for Kogi
State following the death of the former minister of
state for labour and productivity, James Ocholi, a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who hailed from
Abocho in Dekina Local Government Area.



“From the records available, the Kogi West senatorial
district is presently occupying two federal permanent
secretary positions, while the central is enjoying an
ambassadorial position.



“It is on the basis of the above that we are urging
Mr. President to consider the plight of the good
people of Kogi East who have no representative at
the federal level.


“We want to use this medium to call on desperate
politicians in Abuja and Lagos to steer clear of this
issue of ministerial nominee, for equity, fairness and
justice. We are in support of Mr. President’s fight
against corruption and the fight must be sustained.’’
In the same vein, some political stakeholders from
the Kogi West senatorial district are rooting for
James Faleke for the ministerial position while
others are kicking against the move. Those making
case for Faleke said he was instrumental to the
victory of the APC in the last governorship election
and should be compensated with the ministerial slot.
In the Kogi Central senatorial district, where the
governor hails from, observers said that intensive and
high powered underground intrigues are ongoing to
ensure that the ministerial slot is given to somebody
from that zone.


From the look of things, it appears the agitations
and grumblings among concerned stakeholders over
the vacant ministerial slot would continue to
dominate the political space in the state until the
president eventually presents a nominee to replace
Ocholi.


Credits: Itodo Daniel Sule | Daily Trust

Hissing

Poster abeg ask your nebo de meaning of breaking news

...