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By: Bashir Turawa
I am a student of knowledge. I see reasons to things, read meanings and draw conclusions based on my own understanding. Nonetheless, I stand to be corrected as I am bound to make mistakes, being a human being.
As a student schooling in Sokoto state. I arrived at my dear state of harmony some weeks back like a bird freed from a cage. I moved around the city of Ilorin. All I could see were posters of various political aspirants. Although as a social media addict, I'd seen series of campaigns by lovers of various aspirants, setting my eyes on their posters pasted around Ilorin creates a different political atmosphere as almost all posters I set my eyes on were those of Governorship aspirants in Kwara state. I tried to find those of other posts but I could see less.
Posters were filled with attentions catchy words like: Hope 2019, Liberty for Kwara, Change, Positive change and the likes. Even those I'd always seen with the word "Change" now adopt a new maxim, "Change the change". This got me confused as to what the words " change, positive change, change the change, liberation, etc" actually meant.
Ever since I grew up to witness elections, I don't think I've ever witnessed such high percentage of turn outs by interested persons. I got to realise that from the two major political parties, we have a great number of Governorship aspirants which sums up to about twenty. There are other aspirants too from underdeveloped parties, if I may say.
All the aspirants are divided into two: the ones in power but want to hold on to it and the ones who are struggling to get the power from them in the name of liberating the state.
Aspirants that are known to the masses due to their perpetual interest and those that are still struggling to register their names in the minds of the people; those who have started to be kind, as it is expected of them, since they want to earn people's support and those who we don't even think they are capable of steering the affairs of our dear state as they are newbies in the field of politics, all showed interest.
What serves as a great concern to me is the shocking rate of nomination and interest forms bought by various aspirants vying for various political posts. The amount charged is never for the poor which means, only the rich are capable of running for posts apart from the poor who is prepared to run at loss.
Forms were purchased at high rates all in the name of power struggle. According to a report, Kwara was ranked the second state with the highest number of Governorship aspirants under APC.
Each of the thirteen aspirants paid the sum of # 22.5 million to obtain forms which sums up to about #292.5 million. Aspirants from the PDP also purchased forms with huge amount of money, although lesser to that of the APC.
I keep asking myself, do they need to be as many as this before they can liberate our state? Do they have to purchase forms at shocking rates before they can enrich the masses? Is it necessary to hold a political post before they can make the Kwara of our dreams come into reality?
Monies spent on forms and campaigns are nonrefundable. The losers may not be able to have their money back after election. As for the winners, they have an edge; they may decide to cement their financial loopholes through embezzlement. They will settle their debts and still have excess left, by looting the state treasury.
Someone who really loves the state and wants to free its people from poverty would find a means to do so beyond seeking political posts. Money used in purchase of interest and nomination forms which only enrich the political parties could be used for other things which will be of greater benefit to the people.
There are small scale business men and women who need little amount to increase their not-sufficient capital. Many business men and women seek bank and cooperative loans to finance their businesses which they may likely not be able to refund. These set of people could be empowered.
There are a number of dropout school children due to inability of their parents to sponsor their education. We have brilliant and dedicated ones amongst them. These set of children settle for hawking round the street during school hours. There are students who have the zeal of being educated but their parents lack the financial means to sponsor their SSCE and UTME exams, let alone sponsoring them to higher institutions of learning. Our so called lovers could help by organising scholarship programmes in favour of these set of people.
There is a great set back in our agricultural sector. Our farmers, due to lack of machinery, have dumped farming for Okada. Most farmers still use the old method of self-labour and the use of hoes and cutlasses due to lack of machineries to work on the farm. This gives limit to the size of land they can cultivate. Our liberators might help by providing our farmers with everything needed to enhance farming.
By doing all this, our liberators will be much more appreciated, rather than wasting money on elections.
NB: This article is not aimed at attacking any political party. It is strictly the opinion of the writer.
Bashir Turawa is a 300L Literature-in-English student of the Department of Modern European Languages and Linguistics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and also a student-journalist.