By Vincent Bodam
We may be self delusional to think our state is Kaduna when infact it is not. Kaduna state by the constitutional authority of the Federal Republic involves 23 Local Government Authorities where an elected Governor as the head of government is expected to be fair and just in his dealings with those he swore to lead and protect. Besides, the constitutional oath is the divine expectation of leaders for fairness and equity because we all believe that one day we shall die and then face the judgement of the Almighty.
The Zazzau Emirate since 1999 has been leftist. Always in the opposition. And this is deliberate knowing full well that the pendulum, no matter where it swings will favour them. Regardless of their leftist ideology, they have produced 4 out of the 5 governors since 1999. In projects and appointments, they have fared pretty well. No governor has turned his back on them. They are the lords of the flies, a kingdom of kings and queens since the military era. Government patronage has made kings out of nonentities and the arid, dusty and ancient city famous. Federal institutions in their tens are conglomerated in Zazzau. One must be proud to originate from that Emirate and by now with all the pampering and prejudices, one would expect that inventors, rocket scientists and captains of industry will have emerged from this favoured Emirate of Kings and Queens who have enjoyed decades of patronage from government, but that’s a topic for a symposium discussion.
Fast forward to the present dispensation, and without being pedantic, never has one seen the kind of favouritism and prejudice as espoused by the present administration of Gov. Nasiru El rufai. If truly, opposition means neglect, why has the Emirate not been neglected through the years? Those who are close to the governor are always quick to claim he is a compassionate, super sensitive individual. I cannot agree less. In his cabinet, the Zazzagawa constitute the nucleus of his government. The governor himself, the Head of Service, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, Commissioner of Finance and inner kitchen cabal are all from that Emirate. I haven’t being to Zaria in like 3 years until recently and I saw a total transformation of the town by a bigoted, prejudiced, biased and insensitive government. While other parts of the state remain decayed, decrepit and vulnerable, Zaria is enjoying infrastructural revolution. Other zones are nothing but a colony of Special Advisers and Senior Special Advisers of all sorts who are uninfluential and ineffective. Kaduna state has never witnessed this sort of unscrupulous government insensitivity.
If today there is an attempt to register any form of infrastructural development in the other neglected parts of the state, it will be too late, too little. A friend of mine from Zaria himself admitted the lopsidedness of development and wondered why this is so.
I agree with the argument that the manner in which the late Agom Adara was treated leaves room for a lot of suspicion. The Adara chiefdom might not have the rich history (if any) of the Zazzau Emirate but the late chief was a first class chief as well. He was abducted, humiliated in the bushes, shot dead and dumped on the highway. Government did not show any remorse, because the flag was not flown at half mast at least and has not named a replacement after almost 2 years of the unfortunate incident. But today, after the Emir of Zazzau died peacefully, 3 days of mourning was announced and one day of holiday in his honour . The governor also intellectualized the replacement of the late Emir by claiming to read some ancient history for the selection of an Emir, when we all know that an heir to a throne is an open secret.
Do I really think I’m living in my own state of Kaduna? Your guess is as good as mine and I pray that one day, the confab report will be dusted and effected for the betterment of all mankind in our state. The pursuit of happiness is a God given right and must not be denied anyone.
