A SHOW OF INFAMY IN KOGI POLITICS: A CASE STUDY OF IGALA KINGDOM

By Alex Idoko Alih

The political elites and the electorates at grassroots cum the youths of this generation, an anathema that must be guarded zealously for the survival of the current dispensation.

History has always been favourably disposed to the founding Fathers of the modern day Nigeria; though a contraption conceived by the Queen and realized through the deceit of the manovoure of Sir, Lord Lugard of blessed memory.

The Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates as it were was not in the best interest of Nigerians for they were not consulted, hence the coming together of bed of strange fellows in the name and guise of indivisible entity called Nigeria.

However, the tele-guided historical administrative pseudo independence at the whims and caprices of the Britons was not associated with blood letting.

The ingenuity of the freedom fighters who know the true meaning of oppression, regression, marginalization and civilized slavery has been taken for granted by the modern day political elites.

The modern day political elites instead of supporting our youths, took to a show of infamy by encouraging and funding a high magnitude and level of thuggery by the supply of sophisticated weapons to the ignorant youths who either couldn't make it to school, or drop out of schools as a result of one form of financial misfortune or the other.

The question begging for an answer are; where are the children of the political elites in our midst? Do we even see them during campaign rallies? Are they not all in best schools in the world? Who pays for the services of this class of young men in our land, individuals, party stalwarts, government agents, aspirants into various elective positions, or political appointees? 

The most unfortunate angle to this development is that the Igala people who fought many wars sch as the Jukuns, Benin and even the Danfodio Jihadists wars successfully have turned out to be pawns in the hands of very few veracious and melancholic money bags within and outside Igala land.

You can imagine the killings, ballot Boxes snatching/ destruction during the Presidential, National and State Assembly elections.

In these election, Youths were exposed to the use of sophisticated weapons and very many lives and properties were destroyed.

No one was apprehended for this shame and infantality on display.

As a political analyst and strategist, I have viewed this alien development with disdain and disgust for Degrees of freedom versus avenues of imitation as it were today varies from one clime to the other.

The unspoken rules of politics are more important for getting ahead than given goals or explicit targets.

In the art of politicking, you must observe, analyse categorize and understand the characters and their tactics. When you discover the unspoken rules the identities of the main players and their tactics can you enter the fray.

Then you begin to watch out for signs of destructive politicking which among but not limited to insincerity, misdirection, secrecy, Backstabbing and blame and favoritism.

The resources to fund an ambitious strategy is however, always a challenge in an attempt to grasp a project/ the basic elements of strategy or an idiosyncratic mode of thinking that ought to lead to a merger for dynamic interactions out of which a comprehensive set objective and plans for action eventually crystalizes.

The vulnerability of our teeming youths is as a result of their incapacity for intellectual elasticity/ flexibility which deprives them the ability to respond to changing situations realistically, hence the option of blood letting through thuggish mechanism.

I am making a clarion call on the sponsors of all manner of political assassinations, arsons, mayhem and ballot snatching to refrain from this act of irresponsibility, but support this youths for gainful skills acquisition and even further their education, for you have few educated miscreants among the group.

Education is light, show them the way and our society shall be better for it.

Elections are not warfronts, preach peace, act peace and live peace.

Idoko is the National Coordinator of Kogi Youth Roundtable (KYRT)