IGOKEB Cautions Nigeria and Kogi...
BEING THE INAUGURAL COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY IGOKEB MOVEMENT AGENDA OF KOGI STATE ON TUESDAY, THE 31ST DAY OF JANUARY, 2017 ON THE STATE OF THE NATION AND KOGI STATE.
Greetings to all in the name of the most high, the Almighty God, who have graciously grant us breathing till date, we say thank you God.
"IGOKEB" Movement Agenda, is an acronym using the first two letters of Igala, Okun and Ebira.
The group is made of focus minded and development desiring people spread across the state of honour- Kogi State, having the mission to ensure "Unsuspecting-Peaceful and Pure Constitutional Transition of Power" from Igala to other tribes of Kogi conglomerations (including Bassa, Oworo, Ogori, etc) while ensuring that, such enthroned leadership enjoys maximum support as enjoyed by the Igala while they reign.
Below are the contents of the communiqué reached at the end of the three hours meeting:
1. PRESIDENT''S HEALTH
The Nigerian President, H.E Mohammadu Buhari's health is key to the Nigerian State and should not be a thing of the secret,, we therefore, enjoin the acting president, Prof Osinbanjo to address the nation immediately in respect of this, to avoid fueling further suspicions and rumours, which includes but not limited to the assumed "death" of Mr. President.
We encourage also, that, the sensibilities of Nigerians, should stop being insulted.
We in Nigeria, should take a cue from other developed and civilized Countries of the World, who gives updates on the health of their President when such arises.
We, however wish the President quick recovery, just in case he is down at the moment.
2. ECONOMY
The state of the economy of the nation is not only appalling but not even showing signs of responding how much more picking up, and this calls for concern as we call on the Ministry of Finance, the CBN and the National Planing Commission (NPC) to form the necessary synergy in cooperation to hold a joint session towards tackling the issue holistically.
The current trend of singing different discordant tunes by CBN, Ministry of Finance and National Planning Commission (NPC) is to say the least, sending out of wrong signals on the economy, not substantiated by data from the National Bureau for Statistics
We are disturbed, that while we were already 5 months into Recession, the Minister of Finance was still using the word TECHNICALLY and the CBN saying otherwise while the NPC is neither here nor there.
We charge the concerned authorities to make a meeting point between the Country's Fiscal and Physical Policies.
We also must warn, that Nigerians, should not expect such a fast pull out from Recession as is being wrongly assured under the uncoordinated efforts of the FG, which says in 18 months, we will be out like the US did, already we are 4 months gone and 14 months to go in the promised 18 months, with no sign to anything positive!
Of course the truth must be told, we don't as a nation, have the data the US have, we don't have the coordination, we don't have the sincere heart of free-will technical drive, permitting professionalism, we don't have the pragmatism, we don't have the political will and the desire to help the down trodden, we are more of the "me" "me" syndrome.
Hence, our passionate appeal to Nigerians to brace up for the tasks and the far reaching challenges ahead, as we pray, that God help us as a nation. Amen
3. SECURITY
We condemn in totally the senseless killings and wanton destructions of properties across the Country by some criminal elements masquerading as Fulani heardsmen and the recent Kill-unhindered for free repeated killings in Kaduna Southern part, which is now worse than Boko haram as it knows no border.
We call on the President, Mohammed Buhari, Alhaji Daura, the DG of the DSS, the new IG of the Police and the Chief of Army staff to do the needful and avoid a repeat of Zango Kataf as Led by General Zamani Lekwot, a devastating retaliatory event the Country can't forget in a hurry.
The President in particular. Is seen as a suspect, being a Fulani man and people strongly hold the dangerous view that the notorious heartless murderers are getting away with these heinous crimes because of their ethnic relationship with H.E Mohammadu Buhari.
We therefore, call for an instant halt to the dastardly acts, demand the commencement of arrests, the criminals, their trials and commitment to deserved constitutional weight, while we specifically ask for the prosecution of the Na Allah Cattle Herdsmen Association, who spoke openly on the killings, trying to justify the reason for the attacks in Kaduna South, using Grazing routes as excuse.
In the meantime, we indulge Nigerians to be on red alert and defend their territories, lives and properties, until, when Government takes the bull by its horns
4. CORRUPTION
We state emphatically that the anti-corruption crusade of Mr. Buhari is by the day showing unwillingness to give the right bite, if the Senate President is accused of corruption and he still sits atop the Senate, and continue to declare others corrupt, if the SFG is accused of fraudulent practices in the management of IDP funds and he is walking around freely, if Malami bastardized the Constitution at will and he is fingered in MTN fine's ridiculous and questionable reduction, if the Supreme Court Justices are still not sentenced beyond braking of there doors, despite the glaring evidences, how much more revisit their purchased judgements, if the willing confession of Hon. Jubrin is not capitalized on by the Presidency to get to the root of budget padding and he, Jubrin has being so suspended, then we are not anywhere near the reality of any anti-corrruption fight.
5. STEALING GOVERNORS
This is why Governors now freely divert and loot in public glare, money meant to pay suffering WORKERS' SALARIES, in the names of Bail Out/ Intervention funds and so on, and the weak PRESIDENCY finds it impossible to COMBAT them!!! We say, we hope we are not caught in the proverbial, "thief carry am, thief collect am" synonymous to Felas Paddy Paddy Govermenti ooo...
6. KOGI STATE
Nothing happens without the permission of God, even when a thief strikes successfully in the mind of some people, they are fast to say, its the permitted will of God, not "His Will".
We wish to state that, we are looking at 2019 already, by the grace of Almighty God, to make the necessary positive change electorally of any BAD GOVERNMENT anywhere in Nigeria at the minimum.
(I) SCREENING OF DENIAL
The Kogi State Government supposed Staff Verification exercise, aimed at searching for Ghost Workers is now a WITCH HUNT exercise along tribal lines, desperation to coffer for funds supposedly and suspectedly used to procure judgements are unfortunately leading to a tool for downsizing the work force, an extremely opposite position.( Ghost Search and Downsizing) Professionally uncombinable.
We, note the unprofessional approach to the muddled exercise, where no COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM is deplored, no biometrics, but typing of names of over 70,000 nominal rolls, this explains why there are mix ups.
We refer to a particular case, where a teacher, having waited to be cleared for long months, got cleared and was paid 8 months from what he is owed only for his name to re-appear on the recent list as uncleared staff or otherwise no status!
Presently, the fresh demands of the New Appeal team are like starting all over, as the stated problems against the names are not what is being asked for.
While we have nothing against this would have being "noble exercise", now messed up and being used for vindictive purposes, we call for the immediate application of sincerity, justice and standard procedures as done by the Federal Government, Kwara State in the early 90s, Gombe and others, who had done it without subjecting their dutiful staff to undeserved agonies.
We insist, NO INNOCENT CIVIL SERVANT MUST SUFFER, we also decry the almost a year not-progressing almost stagnant exercise with many attendants deaths, deformation, strokes leading to some children of the affected taking to prostitution, robbery, stealing and other vices.
We ask, how do you restore or return them back to shape and normality when eventually by your approach you found out that they are GENUINE workers?
These and many more are the reasons why the Screening that started under Rtd. General Okutimo had witnessed more than three other Chairmen when indeed, Okutimo was accused of being high handed, one would have expected the Government to continue from where Okutimo stopped, since, he was not accused of favoritism ab initio, meaning those he cleared were real staffers. Why the re-start again?
We appeal passionately to H.E Yahaya Bello and his Government to stop saying he is not owing anybody as the exercise is yet concluded as pronounced by him, he should, hence redirected the exercise Professionally (Kogi State is not the first to search for Ghosts neither will it be the last to downsize) and apply the justice system (no innocent suffers even if the guilt will work free) to protect the innocent.
(II) CLAMP DOWN ON OPPOSITION
We decry government's hard stance in Kogi against the opposition parties and that of struggling to gag the Press as myopic, wicked, unnecessary and child's play.
It is derogatory to its status and therefore, we ask Yahaya Bello to allow a conducive political atmosphere where the opposition can be heard to express there minds.
We appeal to h, nor to heat up the system.
We insist that, a free political environment untailored will allow people to ventilate and the Government will be able to pick the useful ones and be the better for it.
(III) CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
In the same vein, we call on the PDP, the main opposition party to brace up to the challenges of putting the disjointed APC Government in the State on its foot by playing its opposition role constructively, we ask that the party look for a "brand" and sell such programmatically to earn the trust of the greatly dissatisfied numerals of Kogi State.
(IV) KOGI APC AND YAHAYA BELLO'S hullabaloo...
We call on the party, (APC) structure obviously not with the Government of Yahaya Bello to find a way to settle their internal squabbles and don't allow that to affect GOVERNANCE at least for the less than three (3) years of their stay in office.
We observe, the Governor is supposed to be the father of the party and we so implore him to so do, and on time, as he and the APC has less than 75% battery life span in office.
CONCLUSION
We appeal to the good people of Kogi State in particular to be very observant, prayerful and mindful of their future as no bad government will be welcome in Kogi State in 2019.
We also enjoin all the tribes and religions to remain UNDIVIDED as we are all bigger than any Political party, interest, politician or money.
God bless You!
God bless Kogi!!
God bless Nigeria!!!
SGD
ONIBIYO, Dayo Comrade
Convener
Hon Yusuf Abubakar
Secretary
