The President for the Public office Holders Association of Nigeria, Dr Moses Deola Eseyin has congratulated Barrister Femi Mokikan the National Chairman of the Okun Development Association.

Dr Eseyin who also from the Okun extraction area of Kogi State made his congratulatory message earlier today in Lagos during an Okun people’s forum meeting organized to chat a way forward for the Okun people.

Speaking at the meeting Bashorun Eseyin commended the electoral team for the peaceful and transparent coordination of the election and emergence of the National Officers into various offices to serve our people for the next tenure. He also congratulated all contestants and the winners describing the struggle to librate and develop Okun as a contest of no victor no vanquish as we are all responsible to collectively be part of our own mother’s land development.

While charging the newly elected members, he said, no doubt that Barrister Femi Mokikan is no stranger to us , we are confident of his results so far as our National Chiarman and having him re-elected is deserving and would be a consolidation of his giants strides towards defending our culture and heritage and more importantly pushing forward.

Dr. Eseyin concluded by calling on all Okun Sons and Daughters home and diaspora to support and rally round the Okun Development Association Executives to make their work easier and achieving an enviable Okun race realizable.

The Mopa Rising Star Football Club also knocked out Ere Stars in an enduring match played at Ejiba, Yagba West LGA and won with a lone goal to qualify for the finals to be played with Kabba united on the 30th of December 2020 at the St Augustine Field, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area.

This tournament has featured over 45 Teams across Okun Land and leaving Kabba FC and Mopa Rising Star to battle through all stages to arrive at the finals.

Who then is going to win the Maiden Trophy of the Okun Unity Cup between Kabba FC and Mopa Rising Star FC? This is a big question waiting to he answered on the 30th of December where the final of the tournament will be played.

Signed:
Okun Unity Cup Media

The three main tribes: Igala, Ebira and Kabba, have a rich and interesting history in both the colonial and pre-colonial context.

Brought together by fate,  the vision of the founding fathers was to see the state grow in unity and prosper. But oftentime, the Igalas have been accused of power hijack and marginalisation.

This is not far from the truth as the governors, since the inception of democracy in 1999, have all come from the eastern part of the state until 2016, when the central gained the taste of power after the incumbent, Yahaya Bello, who is of Ebira origin became the governor by chance. However, the west’s taste of power was a quick one.

And this only got to happen when the then governor,  Ibrahim Idris, and his deputy were ousted from office by the Supreme Court. This paved the way for the speaker of the state assembly,  Olafemi Clarence, to step in as acting governor, a position he held from 6th February to 29th March, 2008.

This does not seem to go well with some people. Mostly between the Ebira and the Igala, it has been a tug of war. United in words but divided in action. In both home and abroad, we see ourselves as enemies.

The political setting of the state has been turned into an ethnic game. The last governorship election can testify to that.

According to Chairman Mao, “politics is war with bloodshed and war without bloodshed”. This seems to be playing out here. On several occasions, there have been both verbal and physical combat. The minorities further claim that the Igala see them as their political puppets; inferior and should not be given the opportunity to rule. On the other hand, the Igala do not reason it this way. Rather, they assert that being the majority, it is normal for them to be producing governors, citing Benue as an example.

The recent court judgement granting the Igala kingdom the ownership of Lokoja, Ajaokuta and Koton Karfe, has brought another bone of contention for the two brother tribes. This has generated tension among the ethnic groups; reactions upon reactions. On social media, it is a war of words. So many abuses and comments culpable of igniting violence.

These areas are the most attractive centres of the state, Ajaokuta in particular. This is due to the economic life and natural endowment. The Igala again are accused of forcefully trying to annex Ebira land.

In what has become a vendetta, the youths have been affected. In every society, the youths are viewed as the driving force and the future of tomorrow.

But considering the situation on ground now, does Kogi really have a future? In almost all the institutions, Kogi State students association does not function properly.

The hatred from home still followed us out. Our minds have been poisoned by the elders and the elite. We no longer believe in “unity in diversity.” The politicians have planted division in our minds for their selfish purposes.

What can possibly be the way forward?  Where can this war take us? There have been various agitations for separations. Will this be of any help? The confluence state is blessed with lots of human and material resources.

What is needed to complement this is peace. In his effort, the governor has put up so many policies to build bridges of peace and to unify all the ethnic groups in order to foster development.

Hence, the invention of EBIGO, meaning Ebira, Igala and Okun. The vibrant youths must not be seen as tools for break-up. Rather, we should join hands to consolidate the effort of the governor.

To sum up, Kogi is a heterogeneous state and therefore, it shouldn’t be a one-man land. The zoning process should be introduced in order to kill this issue of dominance and marginalisation.

If the needful is not done, the question everyone will be asking is what is the future of Kogi State?

Adama Umar Ayuba writes from Abuja