It is very disheartening that at this crucial point in the politics of the Okun people, an individual just woke up one day and decided to embark on a campaign of calumny, casting aspirations on the personality of Senator Dino Melaye, by whipping up ridiculous and absurd sentiments, because the Senator was honoured with a chieftaincy title by a community in Kwara state. There is certainly no law of the land prohibiting a Nigerian or serving Senators from taking up chieftaincy titles from other parts of the country! Infact, President Mohammadu Buhari is the Ogbuagu1 of Abia State. Also, former chief of army staff and present Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd) is the Ochiagha I of Egbelu Umuekwune in Imo State; these titles are given in recognition of their efforts and contribution to the cause of humanity.
The Okun people have never had a more quality representation from the inception of Kogi state at the hallowed red chamber, than what Senator Dino Melaye has so far put up, he has been fearless and championing causes that others shy away from. It is therefore very funny and senseless to say it’s a misplacement of priority to receive the chieftaincy title. It is also not a crime for a politician to seek political alignment with politicians from other constituency or zones, so as to garner relevance and deliver quality dividend of democracy to its people, which is why Senator Dino Melaye chooses to align with Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Talking of fixing Kabba and other roads in the western Senatorial district of Kogi state, Senator Smart Adeyemi spent eight good years in the senate and has not been held liable for the failures of not constructing these roads but Senator Dino Melaye who is just 8 month old in the senate is being indiscriminately and irrationally castigated. It is not just unnecessary a hype, it is absolutely malicious, wicked and hateful on the part of Akinwumi Gabriel to have written such abysmal and dismal wiles. What mandate is he Akinwumi talking about? Can he boast to have voted for the Senator during the elections? What is the correlation between chieftaincy title and political mandate? If he has personal issues with the Senator, let him take it up with him or the appropriate quarters, rather than hiding under the guise of despicable sentiments. Senator Dino Melaye remains and still the best Senator, Kogi west has ever had. Time will tell and vindicate this assertion.
Williams Charles Oluwatoyin
Writes from Lokoja
