By Temitope Muhideen Convydence
I checked my wristwatch, and it was exactly 88:20 am. I was on a road that linked Kwara South to the Emirate city of Ilorin when a WhatsApp notification popped on my phone, it said, “Plato’s allegory of the cave and Ajakaye’s optical hallucination written by Abdullateef Ishowo. The name of the writer of the article was my major interest, yes Abdulateef Ishowo, the same man that has denied openly on many occasions that he is not a politician, he put to the public severally that he is an activist, he once claimed that his main interest is cornered towards the development of Kwara State.
Going through the over twenty paragraphs of Mr Ishowo’s opinion, a proper dissection of the write-up reveals many illogicalities and shallowness, then a voice whispered to my ears, reminding me of the story of Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the fourth coming election” Obi in a tweet dated July 2022, 2022 said “Reports that the national power grid has collapsed for the 6th time in 7 months is alarming. Once again, many Nigerians have been left groping around in darkness without electricity,”. Reacting to Obi’s tweet, Omoyele Sowore reminded Obi that he was at one time a special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, under whose tenure Nigeria recorded the highest rate of national grid collapse, he called Obi a pretender who is trying to be asleep in time of war but chose to dance to the tune of victory. What does a pretender do? Let us go back to the main issue.
Mr Ishowo has worn the cloth of politics totally, he has come out to tell the world that “look, your accusations for over five years are true, I am now officially a member of the PDP, a director of media of the state PCC, yes no issue. But what is the big issue? They are the factless lies hidden inside his emergency article, they are the repetition of old ideologies embroidered in his article, they are the rob my back impression in the article. I am asking again, what does a pretender do?
Before I proceed, let me refer Mr Ishowo to stop at Djibouti and read the story of president Ismail Omar, a dropout who made Djibouti one of the most toured countries in the world, a certificate is not a yardstick to measure possible success in government. Mr Ishowo said, “Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq was never part of the Otoge theories”, the same Abdulrahman that has contested continuously since 2011. A mirage of imagination. Another lie in his article says, “LGs and SUBEB teachers who sat for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 promotion exams but have neither gotten their promotion letters not to talk of Cash-backing” this is a lie against conscience and humanity, promotions have been made, and salary Increased, maybe or not Mr Ishowo need to update his pre-2019 social mentality.
One will wonder the kind of public sympathy Mr Ishowo was seeking when he equally said, “Why is a sensitive ministry like education refused to be given a commissioner for almost one year now”. Let us ask Mr Ishowo collectively if Hajia Saadat Modibbo Kawu, Commissioner for Education, is a commissioner for dispute settling? Setting the record straight, under the ministry he tried to chide, the development has been massive in the last three years, the Otoge government have corrected the huge problem created by Ishowo’s party and principal. The government have revitalised basic education by renovating over 600 schools, employing 4,701 teachers, introducing technology in learning through KWARALEARN, and motivating teachers with constant payment of salaries, promotion, and awards to outstanding individuals in the sector. Consequently, Kwara recently won a national debate competition and represented the country on the global scene. Data also show that attendance in KWARALearn schools has risen by 43%. Lest I forget, Mr Ishowo won’t want us to talk about the SUBEB debt incurred on the state education sector by his party and principal. Again, what does a pretender do?
Mr Ishowo said, “Kwara has turned to a kidnappers’ den” which part of this country is safe? The issue of security is a national problem that needs proper attention, he wants us to believe his story forgetting that the same government mobilised Armies and other security units to Ekiti and Isin local governments, where kidnappers den were attacked, and victims were released, he also forgets the armies barricades placed at strategic locations were kidnapping issues were reported?. Again, what does a pretender do?
Another interesting lie from Mr Ishowo’s pen “Who is not feeling the ineptitude nature of this government? Is it the vulcaniser who buys fuel at an inhuman price to power his machine? Or the commuters who, in spite of the high price of fuel, are paying strangulating taxes that have turned them to nothingness in their community”. Maybe Mr Ishowo is yet to leave the comfort of Ilorin in the last four years, a brother needs to update him on the general reflection of hardship in Nigeria where Kwara can not be singled out, Mr Ishowo needs to read newspapers and listen to the news, he needs to be updated beyond pre-2019, Economic hardship is a global problem. But a quick one, let it be known that in Kwara, “In three years, at least 79, 483 direct and indirect jobs were created. Thanks to the great rapport with the private bodies and patronage of the local business climate. The government, which is the enemy of the state, has Kwara as the No. 6 state with least unemployment rate in the country and No. 8 state on the least people living in multidimensional poverty in the country.” But, again, what does a pretender do?
Mr Ishowo, while trying to praise his party and principals, he said schools, hospitals, and institutions were all built by the previous government, yet he failed to tell us the situation of those institutions before 2019. He failed to tell us that Kwara was rated 5th on the list of states with poor health facilities in Nigeria, and he failed to tell us that the classrooms constructed by the previous administration lacked maintenance and, in most cases, got dilapidated. He was not able to tell the world about the reformation and reconstruction at the state general hospital by this current administration, he also failed to tell Kwarans about the pieces of equipment purchased by this government for various hospitals and general hospitals in the state. What does a pretender does?
Manue Gambi, in the play “conscience and pretense”, describes a person who watches the government when he has nothing but suddenly becomes the enemy of the government when he holds a position as one who has conflict issues between his life, conscience and people” yes I have seen one in Kwara, and his name is in public, Mr. Abdullateef Ishowo. Regardless between people’s conscience and actions, there will always be a decision. The decision to vote and be voted for. May Kwara work again.
I am your friend, Convydence.
