09 Apr 2009 |
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POLITICAL OPPONENTS – HOW COME THEY DON’T SEE ANYTHING GOOD IN EACH OTHER? BY OLUMIDE OGUNLEYE I believe there is no perfect human being or human activities. I also believe there is no human that is absolutely useless or any human activity that does not have its own value. Even the so called ‘bad child’ is sometimes useful to the mom. It is on this premise that I approach the festering vicious open warfare disguised as electioneering campaign going on in Ekiti. The attacks and reprisals has been bare-knuckle no holds barred leaving us without any hope of post-election reprieve or reconciliation. I am most worried because there has been no middle ground allowed for moderates who are apolitical to navigate and manoeuvre to be able to mend fences after the election. The political war is being fought with all things and everything. It is being fought using the air force (radio and TV), on land on the pages of newspaper and physical combats using every conceivable weapons on fellow Ekiti citizens. The media war is appalling. Some newspapers have become the publicity wing of the leading political parties. The slanted reports and photographs have successfully buried the truth leaving the public confused and more bewildered. I give it to them that they are doing their masters’ bidding but where does that leave the truth, the sacred facts? Those of us who have access to more than one newspaper and can read between the lines still laboured hard to establish the true version of events being reported by the media. Where does that leave the teeming masses who happen to be the majority of the voting public? They are more confused than ever making a choice between the candidates a herculean task. The drumbeats of war has been too loud and deafening, operation rig and roast is scary, the lies and counter lies has been too much, the media attacks and counter attacks has been taken too far, the threats of killing and actual killing has turned an otherwise simple choice of one of two candidates into a voters’ nightmare. With this state of affairs a low voter turn is predictable. How come two Ekiti citizens considered by all parameters as ‘omo ayiye or omoluabi’ (good citizens) can not now see anything good in each other? It is the power struggle stupid! The two governorship candidates of AC and PDP by all measures have decent pedigree and would under normal circumstances be restrained and capable of restraining their supporters but these are not normal circumstances. The power struggle is beyond and above the candidates! That is why the fight for the soul of Ekiti in ten local government councils is being fought with all things and everything. The collateral damages are still being counted and election is still a couple of weeks away. God help us. Concerning the issues of my headline above, these politicians never see anything worthy from their opponent, predecessors and successor even when they are supposedly in the same party. It is about self-interest stupid! Don’t worry about the masses for now. The political office seekers will approach the same issues and situation and come away with extremely different appraisal. The media is the worst culprit here. Reporters from two media houses will be reporting on the same situation and events and confuse even eyewitnesses by the bent on their news stories and photographs published exposing their political preferences in the process. As most news outfits now are owned by politicians it is tough for the journalist to do their jobs without exposing the payer of the piper. I feel for them. Whether an office holder did well in office or not is function of who you asked. Your admirers and benefactors will have something positive to say about your stay in office while your traducers will condemn even your best attributes. It doesn’t have to be like that. After the term of my brother and friend – Otunba Niyi Adebayo as the first executive governor of Ekiti state, the successor opposition’s story was that he did nothing while in office. How can a governor be in office for four years and you want to tell me he did not even construct one road, one class room, one borehole, rehabilitate one hospital, award one bursary etc. This was what the Fayose government was peddling about the government of Otunba Adebayo. Now ask the supporters of the Adebayo administration and they will give you a long list of achievements which you can not fault. I drove on some roads built under the Adebayo government; I know students that collected bursaries and communities that got water from that administration. How come his opponents did not see any of this? It is part of the power struggle. After Governor Fayose was humiliated and removed from office, his traducers only remembered the killings and his missteps in the poultry project. The fact that he initiated the dualisation of Ikere-Ado and Ado township roads, converted the three star hotel started by Otunba Adebayo to a three star governor’s office, built the new fountain hotels, the mobile clinics were all buried with his administration. His opponents did not want to talk about his achievements but they were peddling only stories about Gov Fayose that were uncomplimentary. It is a continuation of the struggle for power. In twenty two months of Governor Segun Oni in Ekiti a lot of roads were rehabilitated and new ones built, boreholes constructed, buildings were going up at the secretariat, pensions paid but his opponents will want the world to believe that he did not do a thing to add value to the lives of the people in Ekiti. The Dr. Fayemi that I know is highly cerebral and astute in the things that he does. He has great potentials as a leader of men; He can get the job done. Ekiti has not been so lucky, now they have to choose between two exceptionally capable hands. It will be a win-win situation for the people if only we can have an election devoid of violence and acrimony. An election where no more lives will be lost, where we can celebrate the day after is still possible. Only if we can help ourselves can the heavens help us. The media distortion of facts designed to confuse not to convince voters must stop. The misinformation, threats, lies, accusations about recruitment and importation of thugs, stockpiling of weapons and intimidation by party loyalist does not endear anyone to voters and must be discouraged by well meaning persons. Even though the gladiators are from Ekiti, the promoters and sponsors are from all over, they are pushing the levers to the limit and heating up the polity . It must be noted that it is only we in Ekiti that will bear the brunt of any ill wind that these politicos allow to blow through here. We have been through this before and for the wise it is once beaten twice shy. It is only the living that can enjoy democracy dividends and participate in re-run election. No one should aspire to lead us in Ekiti by walking over the blood of our compatriots to the government house in a do or die rig and roast election. Half a word is enough for the wise. I don talk my own.
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