By:Think-Tank Kogi
It is quite absurd that a one-time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who represented Kogi East Senatorial District, Dr. Alex Usman Kadiri, claims not to know the name of the current Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, in a publication posted online and credited to the ex-Senator turned Activist on June 21st, 2020 with the caption: “It looks Igala people offends Buhari, he starves us of everything under the sun.”
One would expect that someone like the former Senator keeps abreast with current developments and happenings around him, even though the media has been agog with news of unremitting activities of the Honorable Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu. The indefatigable Minister has garnered love and admiration from folks far and near the country’s capital due to her performance within her short stay in office.
By origin, Dr. Alex Usman Kadiri hails from Odu-Ogboyaga in Dekina Local Government Area. He contested in 1999 for Kogi East Senatorial District Representative under APP which later changed to ANPP. He won with the support of Late Prince Abubakar Audu whom he betrayed in 2003 by contesting the ANPP Primaries with Late Audu for Governorship where he lost. He then went for PDP ticket which he equally lost in the same year.
Because of his non performance at the Senate and political instability, he lost the 2003 election expected to return him back to the Red Chambers. He lost to the then Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbanne.
The former lawmaker who represented Kogi East Senatorial District maintained that the manner in which President Muhammadu Buhari was treating Igala People did not sit well with him. He added, the good people of Kogi East might have offended the President’s friends. He went further to accuse the President of being ethnocentric, claiming that at his age, he (Alex Kadiri) cannot be playing local politics whereas he was actually a local politician with histories of failed representation when granted a Senatorial privilege. Simply put, the underperforming ex-senator failed woefully during his time in office, an act the good people of Igala Kingdom would never forgive him and his lineage for.
While complaining his people had been starved under the sun by the President Buhari-led administration, the ex-Senator went ahead in making a jeering postulation he was actually known for which saw him not sponsoring a single bill for the well being of his constituency in his four (4) years at the Red Chambers.
In that shoddy written piece of his, Senator Alex Kadiri ascertained that since the inception of the present administration, Kogi East Senatorial District have been marginalized. This was a surprise coming from someone known to be a political scavenger, one who has eaten from both sides of the table with no iota of shame or integrity.
Alex Kadiri was in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for four (4) years (1999-2003) and clapped at the ethnic segregation in Kogi State for several years when other ethnic groups in the same state were marginalized and termed as third class citizens in their own state.
For a state he claims to love dearly, Alex knows little or nothing at all about our dear state. Kogi East is made up of three axis such as: Ankpa axis, comprising Ankpa, Omala, Olamaboro Local Government Areas. Dekina axis, comprising Dekina, Bassa Local Government Areas. Idah axis, comprising Idah, Igalamela, Ofu, Ibaji Local Government Areas. Dekina axis has taken the senate seat of Kogi East in the last senatorial elections held in 2019. Ankpa axis has held the state governorship for nine years with Ibrahim Idris (Ibro) under PDP. In 2015, Idah axis won the state governorship election with Prince Audu, who hails from idah axis. Unfortunately, Audu died while winning the election and his victory was given to Governor Yahaya Bello according to the rule of law.
Senator Alex Kadiri may have been half asleep when he wrote that disjointed piece (or probably scripted by his pseudo defenders).
While Igala People occupied the Leadership of Kogi State in the PDP era, the following persons all of Kogi East Senatorial District were Federal Board Members, Chief John Odawn, Chairman, National Automobile Council;
Hon. Peter Adama Dogwo, Member, Governing Council, Federal Polytechnic, Offa.
Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, had Late Prof. Francis Idachaba as her Vice Chancellor while Prof. Seidu of National Space Regulatory Authority and host of other Igala/Bassa citizens enjoyed Power of Incumbency.
At the Presidential Cabinet’s level, below are the Ministers who have emerged from Kogi State since 1999 with Igala sons on the lead. Even the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration so disdainfully dented by the Senator who had nothing to show for his People appointed twice, Ministers from Igala kindreds after the first one died.
Kogi East Ministers since 1999:
Arc. Gabriel Yakubu Aduku, Minister of State for Health (PDP).
Late Barr. James Ocholi, Minister of State for Labour (APC).
Prof. Stephen Ikani Ocheni, Minister of State for Labour (APC).
Kogi Central only had one Minister since 1999:
Muhammed Bello Adoke, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice (PDP).
Kogi West had produced two Ministers since 1999:
Christopher Adebayo Ojo (Bayo Ojo), Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (PDP).
Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, Minister of State, FCT (APC)
We challenge Senator Alex Kadiri to tell us critically, who in the true sense has been marginalized in terms of appointing Ministers from Kogi State since 1999.
One may not completely fault Senator Alex Kadiri by saying the President was demarketing APC in his hometown. Why should you fault a man who is lost in his memories, saying in this dispensation, Mr. President appointed “Ramatu Abdullahi as Minister from Kogi State.” Is this not a sorry case for the Red Chambers of 1999-2003?
How then do you expect Senator Alex Kadiri to know that under this very dispensation, the following Igala Persons amongst other numerous names not mentioned here have been appointed into the services of the Change Mantra and Next Level Transformation of President Muhammadu Buhari in the following Agencies:
Dr. David Baba Danjuma, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Idah
Ubolo Okpanachi as a Federal Commissioner and Member, Code of Conduct Bureau.
APC National Women Leader: Hajiya Salamatu Beiwa-Elumi.
I.R. Ocheni as one of the New Ambassadors approved by the 9th Assembly
We wonder why Sen. Alex Kadiri would rather come online to cast negative aspersions against Mr. President whose footmarks in Kogi State are indelible. It is no doubt, Sen. Alex Kadiri is one of those seeking for the fall of APC in 2023 election. Aside this publication by him, google cannot provide his biography or profile as a politician except his becoming attitudes of making recalcitrant statements about the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, yet he is a self-acclaimed Member of APC.
Instead of the failed Senator seeking public sympathy and validation, he should rather produce a new recognition in the face of Igala People whom he said no longer allow him to come home as a result of his failure in protecting their interest. According to him: “Some of us have lost face at home and because of insults, questions and answers, I have not gone home for six months.” The Senator pitifully made this statement.
Dr. Alex Kadiri contested for Governorship Primaries in the State and lost each time – 2003, 2007, and 2011 under PDP. He contested and lost again in 2015 under APC as he was not a marketable candidate. In 2019, he wished to contest despite knowing he would lose but he was unable to purchase the Nomination and Interest Forms.
At the time he was a Senator from 1999 to 2003, Senator Alex Kadiri was the Senate Committee’s Chairman on Education. He had nothing to show for it. It is on record that Senator Alex Kadiri did not sponsor a single bill for the wellbeing of his constituents. He has nothing to show as achievements in the Nine (9) Local Governments making up Kogi East. Even in his village, there was no project proposed let alone executed as the People lived in perpetual darkness, hardships, bad roads and worst of all, inability to access drinkable water.
Sen. Alex is known to be used in fermenting troubles and he is currently destroying the relative peace and politics for all enjoyed by Kogi State under President Muhammadu Buhari. He is a known failure and he has already failed in this mission to ridicule the present administration.
“Think-Tank Kogi” is a socio-cultural and non political group comprising of notable citizens from the three Senatorial Districts of Kogi State. They are well learned individuals in whose histories of Kogi Politics lie on their palms.
©️25th/06/2020
