Kwara State Governor and the Untaken path
By Abdulrasheed Akogun
It is no longer news that the Governor of Kwara state AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq according to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Mr. Benjamin Fatigun after 5 months in office have refused to avail the ministry his bank details for payment of monthly salary as prescribed by law for all public officials. And that is remarkable.
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| H.E Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq |
But I wouldn't want to join the potpourri of discussants debating the propriety or otherwise of the gesture, it is novel in our political history, to have public officials sacrificing their emoluments in light of the scary economic realities of the State in a show of solidarity with the long impoverished electorates; instead, I would push the governor to imbue values into that marvelous decision by making the savings like some bank for uncommon philanthropy.
According to findings, the approved remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders determines how much the Governor of the State receives as annual basic pay.
The remuneration package which was prepared by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and became effective since the 1st of July, 2009, clearly states the basic salary of Governors and all other public officials.
Putting the remuneration stated above into consideration, a State Governor in Nigeria is billed to earn a total of #11,540,896 (Eleven Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Six naira) per annum, which means something in the region of a million naira is due to the Governor monthly.
So, the one million naira question begging for answers is the opportunity cost and alternative forgone of Kwara State Governor continuous refusal to access the funds which is rightly his. Is it in the public interest ? Who benefits from the refused funds ? What are the options open to the Governor ?
Judging from the dark past the O to ge movement rescued the State from; an almost 4 decades of political monolithic reasoning pattern, which transformed the State into a fiefdom of a few and her citizens to nothing more than captives; it is increasingly expedient to help the governor assess available options that will meet his unannounced but commendable reasoning of not wanting to further take away from the system, funds which could have better served the masses, having been tremendously blessed as a successful businessman.
If my assumptions that the plight of the masses is the major reason why he has refused to draw his legitimate pay is true, then how has the masses directly or indirectly benefited from the almost #5,000,000 (Five million naira) salary due to him since assumption of office ?
There are no available records to show the masses have directly or indirectly benefited a Kobo from this untaken salary till date, which means the Governor's salaries have been anything but impactful on the masses which he must really wanted to help. Therefore, we should mop his mind of delay. The novelty of no- pay by Governor AbdulRazaq could only become celebratory when the untaken pays is tied to applaudable humanitarian projects.
With the heart wrenching reality of abject poverty, infrastructural decay, despair and anguish that welcomed us to the nooks and crannies of the State during campaigns, it is not out of place to advise the Governor urgently to devise a practical approach truly aligning with the plight of the masses in his private capacities to complement the official duties.
Thus, rather than leaving the untaken remuneration fallow in the government coffers, he can institute a duly registered Non-Governmental Organisation in his name; select across the divides people with proven track records of selfless service to humanity, integrity and local knowledge to superintend over the funds, and then utilise it to the direct benefit of the masses. He could also rather partner with them. I want to call such a suggestion putting values to intentions.
I am convinced the state is blessed with credible persons who could administer transparently and creditably the funds to the service of humanity.
With my little community experience, I can say without fear of contradiction that what some communities require to enjoy the basics of life is not up to a million naira which is the monthly remuneration of the Governor, therefore, the Governor could have registered his name in the consciousness of no fewer than 5 communities by ameliorating their plight in personal faith, away from the often exasperating official bureaucratic bottlenecks, synonymous to spending government money.
A visit to a certain community named Polofo, Asa local government area of the State, would bring tears down the faces of the most cold hearted, as the town is a complete meaning of 'polofo' a Yoruba word, which can be loosely translated to mean emptiness.
Polofo lacks any basics of life, they have no access to domestic water, electricity, education among others, which a fraction of the governor's refused salary could have brought fractional succour to them for which they will forever remain grateful. And the gesture would not only be ingrained in their consciousness but also be passed from generation to generation as a folktale of a Godsend Angel AbdulRazaq.
In the same vein, there exist several communities in Moro local government area who will give anything to have a motorised borehole and get connected to the National grid. It does not cost an arm and hand to do some of these things, all is required is the will and compassion of the concerned and effective utilisation of available opportunities.
A journey through Baruten, Edu, Kaima, Pategi all in Kwara North, will wake us all up to the reality of the unthinkable, where contaminated water is shared with cows in a prepared timetable between villagers and Fulani herders, it is then we will realise leaving the money in the coffers of government is a disservice to humanity.
Since it is evident that he can surely do without the money, why should we celebrate his refusal to accept his legitimate money when such is unused touching the lives of the masses, even as it is an established fact that no matter how sincere and willing he is, he cannot meet the wants of all and sundry?
It is on this note, I recommend the following high flying, consistent and dedicated Community Development enthusiasts, who have stood the test of time to help the Governor make judicious and beneficial use of his monthly pay;
Lawal Olohungbebe: He is the Coordinator, Centre for Community Development, KWASU, a household name in humanitarian activities with enviable track records of accomplishment and untainted integrity.
Kayode Oyin-Zubair: He is a media practitioner turned politician who is a conscientious and proactive Kwaran, who at whatever opportunity he gets champion pro-masses initiatives. His efforts towards guaranteeing domestic water for villagers across the State is in public glare.
Saadat Bibire (SAAB Foundation): She is a young lady driven by feminism and humanitarian ventures especially in relation to gender equality advocacy. She is a motivated young Kwaran championing numerous humanitarian efforts.
Barr. Tawakalitu Titilope Anifowoshe (Eagles Foundation): The Unilorin graduate of Law is a clear definition of determination, dedication and steadfastness to her dream of an egalitarian society; her foundation with membership strength running into thousands of young, focused, agile and dedicated humanitarian enthusiasts scattered across the country have succeeded in redefining humanitarian services having embarked on projects ranging from drilling of borehole, to clean up of selected cities across Nigeria, reusable pad advocacy for girl child among others.
Balqees Yetunde Salaudeen: The young Kwaran in her early 20s is a 300L student of Mass Communication in KWASU. She is embodiment of resilience and dedication and one of the few ladies around doing more than just slaying and ranting on social media. She champions a clean up advocacy termed 'PickThatTrash', in Kwara state galvanising like-minds to clean up selected locations in the State, to aid cleanliness.
Olasupo Abideen: The 26 year-old Osun born serial entrepreneur is a household name in Kwara, Nigeria and even Africa as a Sustainable Development Goals advocate with proven track record of achievements in volunteerism. He is also a catch for the government.
These guys and several others out there, are young idealists, burning with passion for humanitarian activities, I have no doubts that if handed the untaken monthly remuneration of the Governor, they will within a calendar year take the name of the Governor directly to the heart of rural dwellers so much that the folktale that; the Governor serve humanity with his personal entitlements would be properly sited in history and not on the pages of the novel as another unfelt novel wishes.
Abdulrasheed Akogun is a Kwara based media practitioner and a conscientious Kwaran, he can be reached via shoboiakogun@gmail.com
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