The people of Kwara Central Senatorial District, under the umbrella of “Kwara Must Change,” have announced a plan to recall Senator Bukola Saraki, the current Senate President.
In a press statement on Tuesday, the group apologized to Nigerians for electing Mr. Saraki as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the first place, and for making it possible for him to become Senate President of Nigeria.
“Realizing the extent of damages done by the man we supplied to Nigeria as our contribution, we take full responsibility for his stay in the Senate while representing us, though we regret his actions,” they said, adding that it has become clear Mr. Saraki cannot represent the interest of the people because he doesn’t care about the existence of the people.
Kwara Must Change said its members met during the just-concluded Sallah celebration to deliberate on the state of the nation and of Kwara State, and concluded that the suffering in Kwara State is a self-inflicted borne out of wrong choices.
“We voted for the wrong people, when we should have voted for change,” they lamented.
They then said: “We are therefore declaring that, in line with the provisions of Nigerian constitution, we the people of Kwara Central under the Kwara Must Change platform have decided to commence the process of recall against the Senate President to pave way for a more responsible senator that will represent us well, so we can begin to get better results from Nigeria.”
Towards that end, they put their coordinators in the 52 wards of Kwara Central on notice to immediately commence the process of recalling Senator Saraki by assigning representatives to all polling units within their wards in the 4 Local Governments Areas of Kwara Central, namely Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa.
According to the statement, the appointment of polling unit representatives and mobilization for the recall is tobe completed in the next two weeks, “and by August 1st 2017, we shall begin the recall process properly by presenting the recall register to the public for collection of signatures at the various polling units.”
The statement was signed by Abdulrazaq O Hamzat, the President of Kwara Must Change, as well as the Coordinators of Kwara Central, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Asa, and Ilorin South.
Full text of the statement:
PRESS RELEASE
DATE FOR SARAKI’S RECALL-KWARA MUST CHANGE
11/07/2017
1. We the people of Kwara State are not happy with what we are getting from Nigeria, but we realized that from Nigeria, we can only get what we give. Since we are not satisfied with the result we are getting from the leadership of our nation, we have decided to review our input.
2. During the just concluded Sallah Celebration, KwaraMust Change group uses the opportunity of the public holiday to meet and deliberate on the state of the nation, as well as the current state of things in our dear Kwara state.
3. The leaders of our group, from across the length and breathe of the state all contributed to the discussion and in the process, we heard different tales of agony being experienced by our people on daily basis. Tears were visible in the eyes of many.
4. After careful consideration of all factors that are responsible for the stagnation of our nation’s progress, both at the state and national level, we came to a very sad conclusion that indeed, what ever suffering we are experiencing today in Kwara State is a self inflicted one made out of wrong choices. We voted for the wrong people, when we should have voted for change.
5. We came to the realization that, while the rest of Nigeria were voting change from one candidate to the other, bringing in new ideas and hope, we in Kwara didn’t vote for change, we voted for the same people raping our state with impunity.
6. Our own change in Kwara, was supposed to be away from the corrupt ruling Saraki dynasty, which has remain a menace since our return to democracy in 1999, but we didn’t vote for change during the 2015 election, we voted for hunger, unemployment, more suffering and extreme hardship. The result is what we are witnessing today.
7. Furthermore, we in Kwara, particularly in Kwara Central Senatorial District didn’t only voted for leader of the dynasty Mr. Bukola Saraki to represent us at the Senate, he is our contribution to the nation and with him as the head of the legislative arm of government, we have inflicted unimaginable damage on the psychology of the Nigerian people by contributing, arguably the most corrupt politician Nigeria has today. And to make matter worse, he became the senate President, a sensitive position capable of truncating any positive stride being made by the sincere and most patriotic anti-corruption president.
8. We are sad that our contribution to Nigeria is the reason why the nation is bleeding; using the position of the Senate Presidency to hinder sincere fight against corruption, preventing genuine infrastructural development through misplaced budget allocation, while promoting fraudulent budget padding and now holding the nation to ransom, through acts of legislative impunity that is capable of derailing our fragile democracy.
9. Additionally, the leader of Saraki dynasty, who is also the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District has abandoned his primary responsibility of representing us in Kwara Central. He is more concerned in pursing personal interest, which adds no value to our well being as a people. His over ambition and quest for personal enrichment is driving him nut, leading to several questionable actions and unnecessary confrontation with the executive arm of government. This selfish pursuit has now made the Nigerian Senate abandon its constitutional responsibility of screening political appointment to score cheap political point, by way of forcing the removal of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through self help. But this is not what we sent him to do.
10. Sequel to the foregoing, we would like to state as follows:
• We sincerely apologize to all Nigerians for electing Senator Bukola Saraki as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• We also apologize for making it possible for him to become Senate President of Nigeria. We had thought that by having one of our own as Senate President, things would be better for us and the country, but the reverse is now the case.
• Realizing the extent of damages done by the man we supplied to Nigeria as our contribution, we take full responsibility for his stay in the senate while representing us, though we regret his actions.
• We dissociate the good people of Kwara Central from all his numerous acts of irresponsibility and declare that we are against the legislative rascality that the 8th senate under Saraki’s leadership is now known for.
11. In view of the above, it is clear that Senator Bukola Saraki has not been representing the interest of Kwara Central at the Nigerian Senate. It is also clear that he cannot represent the interest of the people, because he doesn’t care about the existence of the people.
12. We are therefore declaring that, in line with the provisions of Nigerian constitution, we the people of Kwara Central under the Kwara Must Change platform have decided to commence the process of recall against the Senate President to pave way for a more responsible senator that will represent us well, so we can begin to get better results from Nigeria.
13. With this release, we are putting our coordinators in the 52 wards of Kwara Central on notice, to with immediate effect, commence the process of recall by assigning representatives to all polling units within their wards in the 4 Local Governments Areas of Kwara Central, namely Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa.
14. This appointment of polling unit representatives as well as mobilization for the recall should be completed within the next 14 working days and by August 1st 2017, we shall begin the recall process properly by presenting the recall register to the public for collection of signatures at the various polling units.
15. We are open to collaboration and partnership with local associations, community organizations, artisan union and other civil society organizations to ensure this recall process is successful.
16. We therefore calling on all groups within Kwara Central Senatorial district to join this patriotic move to free our people from a discredited senator that is not representing our interest in whatever capacity, but using our good name to cause havoc against us, as well as the rest of the nation.
Signed by:
Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
President
Yusuf Olatunji
Kwara Central Coordinator
Ibrahim Olanrewaju
Ilorin West Coordinator
Mariam Oniye
Ilorin East Coordinator
Ahmed Khalil
Asa Coordinator
Waheed Abdullah
Ilorin South Coordinator
For: Kwara Must Change
SR
