Beyond Ibapon Central Mosque inauguration
Femi OGUNLANA
Ogbomoso, Oyo state, came alive last Friday (November 8), with the hosting of the number 2 citizen in the country Vice President Kashim Shettima, accompanied by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin and some other Senators and members of House of Representatives. Kwara state governor Abdulrasak Abdulrahman as well as his Oyo state counterpart, Seyi Makinde (represented by his deputy Bayo Lawal) were also on ground. They were in the city for the commissioning of a new majestic mosque built by the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Dr Fatai Omotayo Buhari. The new worship house, dubbed Ibapon Central Mosque is a masterpiece architecturally and l believe it is a dream come true for the four-time federal lawmaker.
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It is vintage Senator Buhari to have pulled off such remarkable feat of bringing the Vice President and Deputy Senate President to the event. It tells of the influence he wields in the present dispensation. That same week he informed gleefully on a radio programme that he had secured the promise of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fix the failed portions of the Ogbomoso major trunk A road that has become a source of much worries in recent times. All these are vivid demonstrations of him being a force to reckon with in the current administration.
Few weeks ago while bemoaning the deplorable state of the road l stated unequivocally that what was needed was a man of influence who would walk up to the President to complain about the road and extract his promise to get it repaired, wondering if Ogbomoso lacked such persons. Dr Buhari by his submission had proved his mettle in that direction. We anxiously await its execution.
Meanwhile many indigenes and residents of Ogbomoso have taken a swipe at the senator over the mosque’s commissioning, their anger fueled by his perceived non – performance as a senator. He is on his third term as a member of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly and many believe he has nothing concrete to show for his years in the Senate. They argue that accompanying the inauguration of a religious house with such festivity amid the palpable road dilapidation that makes driving nightmarish in the town is trivializing his exalted position. Many vented their anger in the social media and on the streets dismissing the feat as a mere political rowdyism. He is a butt of many castigations. I have even read submissions spurning the idea of branding Shettima a friend of Ogbomoso as alluded to by Buhari declaring he is a murderer and that his coming desecrated our land. I want to submit however that judgement in regard of such accusation should be laid in the hand of God. Our earthly concern is changing the narrative of our land in terms of progress. The Biblical Apostle Paul was a great persecutor of Christians before becoming a vessel of evangelization too, going ahead to achieve unbelievable feats in Christendom. Being excessively sanctimonious in a matter like this that borders on uplifting our land is a shot off target.
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But then, Dr Buhari has shown his capabilities in terms of connection with the powers that be. Moving forward exploring that should be the drive now. If he could bring the VP to the commissioning of a mosque in his family compound then he could muster or capitalize on the goodwill to initiate development in this community. That to me should be the priority now and not running him down. Running him down is ruinous to the development of the town, it is destructive, not constructive. We should learn to promote developmental politics exploring ways to derive maximum benefits. The current dispensation is still two years six months away and a lot can still be achieved with Buhari as lynchpin. Late Governor Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala needed only six months in government during his eleven month tenure to start the construction of the state-of-the-art LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso. So, 2 1/2 years is a long time. What is needed is to goad the Ibapon prince to reenergize his dedication to his fatherland. To leverage on his flaunted connection with the VP and others to bring development to the community in the areas of road rehabilitation and constructions (particularly the completion of the new Ibadan – Ilorin highway), steering the completion of the 132kv power station at Temidire/Ajeja, and other numerous abandoned federal government projects in the zone just as getting new ones initiated should be on the agenda. How does he exert influence working with others to get rail track pass through Ogbomoso from Ibadan to Ilorin, towards boosting the economies of Oyo Central and North axes? That is another vital consideration.
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In similar vein, Ogbomoso is renowned for its mango and cashew fruits, Senator Buhari needs to drive the nation to tap into these resources, to tap into their economic values. We need to curtail our anger, our focus in this town should be how to stimulate development through getting the best out of our representatives, and not venting venom. That is counter productive. We should cajole, appeal and canvass them to discover their potentials and use same for communal advancement. Someone who is deemed to have performed below expectations in 10 years can still spun to become springboard of pivotal development initiatives. But lashing out, condemning, without tact, those who should be pivot of developments at a particular period is extending the lifecycle of underdevelopment.
Not only Buhari, all others who hold offices, appointed or elected at the federal or state level, need to be implored to capitalize on their various connections and positions to facilitate development in the zone. Senator Adeseun as a member of the House of Representatives in a masterstroke move brought Navy Secondary School, Federal Polytechnic Ayede and numerous other projects to his constituency. How he did it needs to be researched and emulated. We all know Nigeria is a peculiar place where only those who hold executive powers or are advantageously placed determine mostly what goes where. So, a legislator needs to be smart and always seek ways to harness opportunities.
In the final analysis Senator Buhari has demonstrated his capacity by making the powerful VP, the Oyo governor and other power wielders to travel the outrageous Ogbomoso road first hand – that in itself is a magnificent feat, it is strategic, the next push is for him to draw from his repertoire of wits to get them initiate actions on the projects highlighted.
The concern is development and we should not lose focus on spawning it.
