Your excellency, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed, Maigidan Kwara and Executive
governor of kwara state. I greet you sir. May your days be long in
good health and abundant blessings of almighty Allah. Amen
Sir, don’t see this letter as if it is coming from a political
adversary, rather, see it as a brotherly unpaid for advice. I get paid
to give such counsel, so consider yourself lucky to have it free.
My Dear Governor, please don’t get me wrong, I am only concerned for
you as a person because in my view, the burden of governance place on
your shoulder seems to be too mountainous for you to handle, hence
your docile kind of leadership since assuming the mantle of leadership
of the harmonious state of kwara.
Ordinarily as a person, I see you as an excellent and extremely
intelligent person, but as a leader, nothing of such reflect in your
day to day running of Kwara state government. Here, it seems not all
intelligent and excellent individuals can replicate such excellence in
governance.
Sai Maigida, I want you to recall a publication made in june, 2013 by
the source magazine,it was titled, ‘’the most powerless governor in
Nigeria’’. I am sure you read it and some how feel embarrassed or
angry for such a publication, but you are not alone despair. Just as
you felt bad, many Kwarans both home and abroad felt the same way.
But instead of feeling angry or embarrassed by the publication, you
should actually be thankful to the magazine and the writers. Through
that publication, you should have asked yourself that, out of the 36
states governor in Nigeria, why am I singled out as the most powerless
governor in the country? If they say its because godfatherism exists
in Kwara, is Kwara the only state where godfatherism exists? Why was I
described as the most powerless governor in Nigeria you should have
ask inwardly.
That publication should have served as an opportunity to prove all
doubters wrong about your personality, you should have carefully
considered some of the issues raised and properly reverse the ugly
trend, but looking at how things are now, it seems nothing has changed
for good since the publication.
Before I go into discussing godfatherism, let me quickly ask you as an
individual, why do you seek political power? Why do you want to be a
governor? Why do you want to occupy any office at all? To the best of
my knowledge, everyone who seek political power Is doing so for just
one reason, i.e, to be able to implement or establish their idea of an
ideal society. While their might be other motives, but this motives
seems to be primary to all aspiring leaders in world history.
As the governor of Kwara State, there is no higher position anyone can
attain in Kwara State beyond that, there is no office that can give
one the total liberty to act for or against the state,there is no
other office that can give an unhindered access to Kwara state
resources,full political and security machinery and other privileges
associated with the office.In a nutshell, there is no other position
that can make one establish his or idea of an ideal state in Kwara
than being the state governor.
if one can become a state governor and yet he his unable to implement
his or idea of an ideal state, not because he has exhausted all ideas
and failed, but because he or she has restricted himself through a
third party intervention. Certainly, such an individual can never do
so ever again even if they eventually become the president of the
world. And such individual is likely to end up in the dark side of
history it must be noted.
Now, let me discuss godfathersim which many believe is the bane of
Kwara and you particularly.
I am forced to ask again, Is godfatherism evil or good?
According to studies, Arguably, a major problem of democratic
governance in Africa and the developing countries of the world in this
contemporary era is the headache of godfatherism. A godfather in the
developing or undeveloped nations of the world is seen as “a segment
of the political process as well as the figure, standing against the
intellectual extrapolations originating in, and also sustained by the
media”.
(Churoke Nnamani 2004) Laguda (2004:44) describes a god-father in
Christian parlance as a person who gives a name to child at baptism or
during confirmation. He cites the Oxford Talking Dictionary of words
as defining god-fatherism in both positive and negative terms. He
opines that it could refer to a person who sponsors or provide care or
support for a person or project, or a person directing an illegal and
criminal organization. What the interpretation connotes is that a
god-father is not a ghost but an identifiable person who plays god to
his people. He makes available the wherewithal necessary for his
proteges to live a fulfilled life, and if in crime or mafia, it could
be an investment requiring some returns from the god-father.
In summary, Laguda is cautioning that the meaning could not be a
straight yes or no as it could impact positively or negatively,
depending on the personality of the godfather.
(Quoted from Salawu (2009). Further, in the view of Ukhun (2004),
strictly, the godfather is simply a self-seeking individual out there
to use the government for his purposes. The cost of this incidence is
enormous to the state as what usually obtains is that when the
incumbent godson is at pains to satisfy the whims and caprices of the
godfather among other competing demands on the scare resources of the
government, the interest of the larger number is savagely undermined.
From the above, it could be seen that a godfather is not necessarily a
bad person depending on the personality of that individual.
So dear Governor, it is out of place to say that you are described as
the most powerless governor because you came to power as governor
through a godfather. Besides, there exist godfatherism in almost all
state of the federation. How come Kwara state and you in particular
was singled out as the most powerless governor?
In my view, this was as a result of your incapability to act
independently in governance outside the claw of your godfather. Many
perceived that you are more intelligent, far more enterprising and
more innovative as an individual than the character you portray as
governor. Many in the state believed your sudden incapacity as an
individual was and still is as a result of your inability to separate
politics of godfather/godson from government/citizens relationship.
You are perceived to have traded the rights and interest of the
citizens to appease and retain patronage on your godfather. More
importantly, many see you as someone who have traded even your own
right to govern to your godfather. This is why many are asking, why do
you want to be governor if you are not ready to govern in your full
capacity as a person? Nobody would hold your godfather responsible for
your incapacity.
It is further believed that, if you act based on your God given
intellectual prowess, certainly, you have the capacity both in term of
innovation and managerial skills to do more than you are currently
doing, but because you are in what people believe to be bondage of
godlike idol, you are unable to act as you deem fit, portraying a
powerless figure.
Now, as defined by Paul (2004; 98), godfatherism is from godfather,
which in turn is derived from the concept – god and father. God (note
the big G) means a Being worshipped in the Jewish, Christian, Islamic
and some other religions while god (note the small g) refers to a
being held by some people as the maker or sustainer of an aspect of
reality; a person to whom great importance is attached. He postulated
on the analogy between godfather, and god-child being the person for
whom one takes responsibility by making promises to help grow in a
sphere of life, while the godfather means one who makes a promise to
see the godchild grow and mature in an aspect of life like religion,
politics, and other endeavor. He is further of the opinion that the
idea of godfather connotes importance, notability, eminence,
prominence, significance, weightiness, reliability, greatness of
somebody as well as driving home to the godchild the idea of
capability, experience, pragmatism, and resourcefulness. Its
adversarial or positive impact depends on the personality of god
child.
Here you most understand that, the role of a godfather in governance
could advance the cause of alleviating problems while on the other
hand, it could aggravate an existing problems.
Many Kwarans and the entire nation are seeing that your godfather and
godson relationship with the former governor, Senator Bukola saraki is
aggravating an existing problem and not alleviatin the problems, hence
your tag as the most powerless governor.
Let me conclude this letter by giving you an example of how to restore
people’s confidence in your person while acting in your capacity as
governor.
In United States of America,former US president “Abraham Lincoln’s
political adversaries once accused him of being an infidel because he
belonged to no church, and denounced him as a tool of wealth and
aristocracy because he had affiliated himself, through marriage, to
the ‘haughty’ Todd and Edward families of Springfield. Just as
yourself had been perceived of being powerless because of your
perceived incapacity as a result of your godchild status to the Saraki
political dynasty.
Lincoln realized this accusations might hurt him personally and
politically because they were accusing him of fraternizing with
negative political godfatherism. He responded that only one of his
relatives had ever visited him since he came to Springfield and before
he got out, was accused of stealing a Jew’s harp.
He, Abraham Lincoln, then charged the people that if he could be seen
as being a member of a proud, aristocratic family and fraternising
with negative godfatherism then, he could be pronounced guilty.
Salawu, (2009). Although, his target audience was satisfied, with his
response, others who were skeptical hinged their conclusion on what he
could do if elected into office.
You, unlike Lincon had gained access to power before you are
confronted with such accusation, it is unlike Lincon who had to deal
with the problem before gaining access to power. After Lincon became
the U.S. President in 1860, he justified the confidence reposed in him
through his actions which pointed to the view that godfatherism may be
inevitable in politics but it did not obstruct positive achievement if
one means well.
Study shows that, the diplomacy with which Lincon prosecuted the civil
war, the 13th amendments of the American constitution, which initially
protected the slave owners and the eventual 1862 Emancipation
Proclamation, setting all slaves free, the 14th and 15th Amendments
which allowed all slaves to vote as well as vying for offices, were
issues which godfatherism attempted to subvert but which the occupier
of the highest political office in the United States of America could
not compromise. Abraham Lincoln’s place in American history is a
hallowed one.
So, if your policies in government leaned more towards the interest of
the people over the interest of the overlord, many would grow to see
you as worthy leader, but the reverse seems to be the case as we
speak. What would people say about you in history?
This s not just about you, Some leaders have been orchestrated into
office through godfatherism, only to use same trust to destroy their
states and hopes reposed in them. The cold war affected the destiny of
many third world countries and an example is the Democratic Republic
of Congo which swallowed a bitter pill of godfatherism. Although,
there were many leaders who have bastardised godfatherism in Congo,
the role of Mobutu Tsetse Seko in playing the super-errand boy for his
godfathers in the West was damnable. He aided his god-fathers to
suck-dry his country’s treasury while equally helping himself through
corrupt enrichment of his foreign accounts. When his godfathers sensed
dangers in their continued fraternization with their godson, and the
exposure of their unholy alliance, he was forced into exile where he
died ignominiously.
Study also shows that, In Nigeria, godfatherism had its successes and
woes. Chief Obafemi Awolowo led a government in Western Region of
Nigeria between 1954-1959 and while there, he was not unmindful of
leaving a legacy of continuity. He was aware of the African proverb
which says that “factory grows as man grows, but it is man that should
grow first, after which he will use the knowledge gained to improve
the factory development in its totality”. He left behind astounding
legacies of institutional structures and men. Those he nurtured as a
godfather are those offsprings manning the length and breadths of the
Old Western Region, Spanning over six states in Nigeria’s 36 State
structure which include, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Ogun state.
No government since 1960 has equaled his legacies. They are solid and
imperishable, and now serve as reference points for Nigerian
generations. Awolowo today is not being remembered negatively for his
godfatherism, rather, some positive accolades continue to grace his
name.
Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, in his end of year message to the nation as
President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in
1964, emphasized the impact of godfather on Nigerian politics. He
admonished Nigerians to dare to ombudmanize so as to expunch from the
Nigerian body politics those parochialisms, whose souls are
dead.Salawu, (2009).
He was of the opinion that irrespective of how an individual got into
a political office, decorum and accountability should be the guiding
principle. By and large, godfatherism will continue to trail us both
nationally and globally and the activities of those who benefitted
through it will always be the barometer to measure its success or
failure in governance. If you act well by being good and helping the
masses live better,you and your godther would be praised and since the
reverse is the case now, sir, you must work to reverse the trend
within this short period.
We recognize the fact that you have achieved some feat in some areas,
but it is far below the state’s investment and expectations. Kwarans
beleive you can do more if you act in your capacity. I hope to see the
real Abdulfatai Ahmed act as a governor in the next few months before
the coming election.
–
Thanks and may God continue to guide and direct you sir.
AMB. Abdulrazaq O Hamzat (Mr.Rights)
