Our attention has been drawn to the spurious reports in some online media that the Minority Whip of Kogi State House of Assembly and Member Representing Lokoja I Constituency, Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam, took a swipe on the Okun People over the tussle for Speakership position of the House. The Statement went to the extreme of ascribing to Imam to have described the Okun people as greedy. While we won’t ordinarily want to join issues with those faceless propagandists whose only job is peddling rumour, we are however constrained in the light of the dangerous dimension the statement tilted to, and in other not to allow lies to linger too long in the eyes and minds of the innocent citizens, to react to such wicked misinformation.
For the avoidance of doubt, Hon. Imam never had any interview lately with any Media, whether it is the Print or Broadcast and definitely, not with the Sun Newspaper, a fact I even cross checked with the Sun Newspaper Correspondent today. The intention of the author(s) is to create rancour and division among the Legislators from the Western Senatorial District, for their selfish interest in the Speakership position. Power belongs to God, this, we believe, and He gives to whom He chooses.
If Hon. Imam can emerge as the People’s Representative without playing the ethnic card, then becoming a Speaker does not require him to play such card either. As a man of many parts whose friends cuts across the three Senatorial Districts of Kogi State, Hon. Imam can only be seen to be promoting unity in diversity and harness the potentials therein to engender healthy relationship across the divides and promote an egalitarian Kogi State that will be devoid of ethnic jingoism. Aside the fact that both the Okun and the Lokoja/Koto people belongs to the same Senatorial District, the age long cordial relationship between the two divides remain sacrosanct and too deep to be easily wash away on ground of political pedestal by someone of the caliber of Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam who knows and understands the socio-political affinity between the divides.
As a matter of fact, Hon. Imam has never said such a degrading and abusive comment about the Okun People, has no cause to say so and will never, no matter the selfish motive of anyone, make such comment. Hon. Imam is well traveled both within and outside the shores of this Country. He has a sound Masters Degree in History and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
He has worked for 17 years in Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) Lagos and so has had enough feel of what normal human interaction is and should be. Those who are so desperate to malign his character and person should have thought of something else to say, certainly, not breeding ethnic hatred for a man who speaks Yoruba and understands the okun language even better than some okuns living in diaspora. It’s sad that for someone who has such exposure and has interacted largely with the Yorubas will, because of seeking for the Speakership position of the Assembly, now reduce himself to such ignoble act.
Hon. Imam has shown, in all intents and purposes that he is a Legislator with a deep seated Change mantra model of his Party, the APC. He has also proven beyond reasonable doubt to his colleagues in the House of Assembly, of his capacity to work, across party lines, for the progress and development of Kogi State since the inception of the 6th Assembly. In the light of this therefore, Hon. Imam is calling on the people of the State, his Colleagues in the Assembly, the good and friendly people of Okunland and his Constituency, Lokoja I Constituency, to disregard the concocted story as it is without substance.
He will not be discouraged from pursuing the task of legislating for the overall progress of Kogi State of our collective dream under the New Direction Administration of the Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. We hold no grudges against anybody’s agitation to be Speaker, but if anyone who thought of Hon.Imam becoming the surprising dark horse in the House, felt character assassination and blackmail will make him to back down or reduce his acceptability amongst his colleagues, such person(s) should re-think again.
Umar Yakubu Ali,
Media Assistant to
Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam.
