Former Acting Governor of Kogi State and a former Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Clarence Olafemi has been advised to separate his personal ambitions from the Okun agenda.
The advice was given by the Director General on Media and Publicity to the Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, while addressing a group of Okun Youth in Lokoja , Sunday. He said the former Speaker should begin to act like a statesman, with a bigger picture of the state rather than individual ambitions, calling his allegation of marginalization against the Okun people by President Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello, “unsavoury, uncomplimentary and hasty”.
“My attention has been drawn to an open letter, purportedly written by a former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, alleging marginalization of the Okun people of Kogi West Senatorial District. As far as I am concerned, the letter was in bad taste. Chief Olafemi didn’t tell the world about his true grievances.
“A leader of Olafemi’s caliber should explore more diplomatic channels of sending his protests across rather than resort to an open letter to embarrass the hierarchy of the party. Moreover, he recently told us how the national chairman of the party recently enlisted him to reconcile aggrieved members of the party. He should have reported his grievances to the party leadership rather than resorting to writing to the public to castigate the President.
“The Governor has hailed the President’s fairness in appointing Prof. Ocheni as Minister Designate. The late Minister who was replaced was from Kogi East. It wouldn’t have been fair to appoint his successor from another zone, given the fact that the zone lost both the governorship and ministerial slot to t cold hands of death.
“Anybody can lobby for appointment but the discretion of choice depends on Mr. President. Olafemi should have allowed someone who didn’t lobby to be Minister spearhead this protest to give it an atom of credibility.
“Kogi West is currently occupying the number three position in the State Executive Council and number one in the legislature. It is believed that the zone will also enjoy Board appointments at both the Federal and State levels. Therefore, cry of marginalization in the state is false and at the Federal level, hasty”.
Fanwo called on Rt. Hon. Olafemi to key into the United Kogi Project and see all Kogites as one, saying the era of ethnic jingoism and “opportunistic chauvinism is gone for good”.
“In Kogi State of today under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello, we no longer see ourselves as people of different ethnicities, but people united by a common destiny under the New Direction Agenda for development.
“It is imperative to note that the people of Kogi State are solidly behind the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and will continue to support the President. Olafemi should use his position and experience to support our drive for unity and development. When he supported Echocho in the 2011 poll against his Okun brothers, we had the impression that he was detribalized. We wish to continue to hold on to that lofty belief”.
Speaking further, Fanwo said the state is undergoing “attitudinal reengineering to reposition it, unite her people and place it on the pinnacle of development”, urging political leaders to embrace and preach peace, unity and progress.
“Referring to the Chief of Staff to the Governor as ‘powerful’ by a person of the caliber of Olafemi is unfortunate. The Chief of Staff is an appointee of the Governor who carries out the directives of the Governor. Olafemi should have looked beyond this as someone we respected so much”.
Fanwo allayed the fears raised by Olafemi in his open letter to the President, saying Gov. Bello will be fair to all.