It has taken me quite a while to come to terms with the necessity or otherwise of this write up. I have done plenty moments of soul-searching and introspection and I have found it difficult to continue to keep mute when people who are either stupidly or sincerely ignorant of where we found ourselves are vomiting rubbish and have continue to see themselves or been brainwashed as the loyal followers of our late Boss, Senator Buruji Kashamu.
While I found it extremely difficult and indeed impossible to betray friendship and confidence because It has never been in my character, at my age, pedigree and with my moral rectitude, I cannot but remain on the side of the truth.
As far as some of us are concerned, it is simply wise and instructive for us to come to terms with the reality of the fact that Senator Buruji Kashamu has left us eternally after trying his own very best in this world of vanity and we need to move on, get rid of the self-destruct mode we have been in even before his death, and drop this needless bickering that leads no one to anywhere.
Before I move on, let me state catigorically that if a club is created today, and is cristalized as Kashamite club, I would love to be a live member because of the visible privileged relationship I had with the late Senator while alive.
Secondly, let me also put it on record that I Raphael Olaosebikan won't stand anywhere or join hands with anybody to destroy the legacy or personal properties of late Senator Buruji Kashamu.
However, knowledgable people will agree with me that the People's Democratic Party was never one of the personal properties that our late Boss left behind that should by right, be inherited by people professing to be Buruji Kashamu's family members or close allies of which I was one.
Perhaps, at this juncture, it will suffice for the purpose of straightening the records to take us a bit back in time, to exhume some facts that have been buried for the benefit of those who do not know where and how the crisis all began and to shame history manipulators whose stock in trade has always been twisting facts and figures to glorify themselves and distort everything.
Remembering some of the words of Martin Luther Kings Jr.,
"Cowerdice asks the question- is it safe?
Expediency asks the question- is it politic?
Vanity asks the question- is it popular?
But conscience asks the question- is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but because it is right.
We must therefore never forget to have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the major keys to living your life with integrity". This is the exert position we, the progressive have found ourselves.
*History, especially when kept and told by scrupulous or honorable minds, helps to lighten dark allies, shame liars, and vindicate the just.* The words in bold ink lead us to accounting for how the whole problems started.
Our woes stemmed from the day Barrister Oluyede gave an unprofessional advice that our state chairman shouldn't honor the invitation sent by the Ogun state commissioner of police to ascertain who should be the rightful occupant of the PDP State party secretariat. This singular unprofessional advice made the commissioner of police to conclude that we in Buruji camp were truly the dissident group as stated by the National body of our party, who were the petitioner.
Our woes were further compounded by the meeting which was convened and held on the 15th of November, at BEST WESTERN Hotel, which according to Leke Shittu was called at the instance of *Barrister Oluyede, Barrister Shote and Aare Remi Bakare* where seven Working Committee members, namely, the state Chairman, the state Deputy Chairman, the three Senatorial Chairmen, the state auditor and the state Women leader were illegally suspended under a very flimsy reason of anti party activities. And these are the people professing to be at the vanguard of protecting Buruji's legacy. One wonders what could be more legacy in PDP than the Exco Buruji constituted which they threw spanners into.
Since injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and since we considered it as an injury to one is injury to all, Twenty five of the forty seven executive members approached the Court for the purpose of a reversal of the illegality. However, what we later saw was that Barrister Oluyede who was, as of then, our Party Lawyer that was supposed to adjudicate even if there is any difference among us, choose to also stand as Counsel to the dissident group. It was the highest height of betrayal and breech of confidence. At that juncture, any sane mind should of course ask the question what the few click headed by Barrister Oluyede stands to gain in the fueling of the crisis, and setting the exco members against each other.
The answer was not far fetched.
As if that renegading act of Barrister Oluyede was not enough, I heard from a very reliable source, that he demand for the sum of $5.5m from Adebutu's Family, stating that $3m would be for legal settlements and refunds, $1.5m would be severance for the exco members that would relinquish their positions, while $1m dollars would be used to settle other leaders in Buruji's camp.
All these were done without any moral recourse to the party that hired his services in the first place.
The questions begging for answers are:
1) what legal refunds or settlement is he demanding for?
2) who are the exco members he is seeking severance for? The same exco he is subtly and illegally removing and substituting with ghost names? Were they the people that assigned him to negotiate on their behalf?
3) who are those other leaders in Buruji camp? Leaders that he has never met before?
This act is disgraceful and insulting. It is a clear case of someone trying to be more catholic than the pope and it shows clearly the set of people wanting to trade off Buruji structure.
For us who could be described as the progressive members of the Buruji wing of the PDP, after deliberating on all the aforementioned activities of Barrister Oluyede, we were left with no other option than to debrief him.
We have decided to move on with our political life and dreams which are not worthy of being jettisoned or buried without any attempt at forging ahead. For us, everything in life has its expiry date. Ogun PDP crisis started as far back as 2011. Ten years after it has to stop. We say enough of anybody or group of people standing as clog in the wheel of PDP progress in Ogun state. We must stop behaving like a bunch of bickering kids. We should allow our collective passion and dreams of seeing a better Ogun state to rule over our individual dreams. We must join hands with the rest groups within the party to rebuild and chart a new course for our great party.
For us, it is unfortunate that for many years, while we bicker among ourselves, we have remained in a political darkroom and indeed abyss to the extent that we have almost lost relevance in the scheme of things where politics and leadership are concerned.
If we continue with this seemingly unending in-fighting, we will lose our teeth and nails in the political scheme of things before 2023. We must come together to reassure our people that the PDP is only down but its not out.
It is also instructive to remind ourselves that ours is a party that was once the best at giving our teeming youths hopes and beliefs that they have a great future ahead of them. It is on record and it is incontrovertible that between 2003 and 2011, the PDP government in the state generated and provided more jobs for our young ones across the state than any other government thus far since 1999. That feat counts for something and we must not let go of that brilliant political ideology that we were known for. Our youths must be given the opportunity to actualize their dreams and aspiration once again.
The People's Democratic Party is a political party and not a bunch of rabble-rousers who are on a hunting expedition only for them to disperse to their various homes once they share their spoils or games. We must begin to listen to the voices of everyone. It's time to stop the heart-numbing haemorrhagic fever that has since gripped the body and soul of our once great party. Only committed, loyal, faithful, and dedicated membership who breathe the Party will believe in stopping this bleeding now. The reconstruction starts today.
Dear progressive members, permit me to assure those who think they can continue to use legal manipulation or evil machinations to throw spanners into our work so that the PDP will not rise again in Ogun state, I send a 'GET-WELL-SOON' best wishes to them and their ilks.
For the political ignoramus who are being brainwashed by the petty sentiments of loyalty to our late Boss, let me remind you of the words of Chuba Okadigbo that "if you're emotionally attached to tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that truth and justice becomes secondary consideration, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless. If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind". Above all, I pray for your deliverance.
My write up will be inconclusive without thanking the prophet of this noble mission and agenda, Prince Segun Seriki(PSS).
You came as a Messiah to the rescue of this party PDP when it has started another round of bleeding that could have lead to it's final death in Ogun State.
You came to the rescue when certain people who have never been anything politically and never aspiring for anything order than to continue to use legal manipulations to hold the party to ransome until they get somebody to sell the cacas of the party to.
History will never forget you for this singular act.
As you lead us to the negotiation table in ensuring that Buruji group doesn't go into extinction, may all your legacies never be eroded.
Thanks so much sir.
Finally my people, it is with extreme joy, with gratitude to Almighty God that I congratulate all of us for the landslide achievement of 30 progressives already on our side as against 17 dissidents left.
We are in for a just cause and I can see a very bright light at the very end of this tunnel.
God bless us all.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment