Ajakaye, the Only Fact-Checker Kwara Must Heed, and Kwara North’s Absurd Stakeholders

It is interesting to observe the manipulative tendencies of the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. I have never encountered a more vicious and monopolistic individual when it comes to controlling information. In his view, there is only one truth, the one he presents; he positions himself as the only fact-checker the public must heed. According to him, only what the State Government says is correct.

For approximately six months, this same attitude has been used to dismiss reports from outlets like Informant 247, Justeventonline, Sahara Reporters and others, which were routinely dismissed as politically motivated. It appears the officials of this government are primarily concerned with financial gain, and nothing more. This is evident in their misplaced priorities; while Oyo State invested in two helicopters for surveillance, Kwara was commissioning a multi-million naira flagpole and concentrating inflated projects along Ahmadu Bello Way.

The peace Kwara has enjoyed was built more on luck than on any tangible security capacity. Yet, as usual, Rafiu Ajakaye seeks a pity party and invents imaginary enemies for the government. He publicly registers his disappointment in others, yet his own conduct in government over the past six years has been lacking in both moral integrity and dignity. This is exemplified by the conflicting reports about airstrikes; when the Nigerian Air Force claims it struck enemies, but residents of the troubled area insist no helicopter was seen, who should we believe, especially given the government’s initial falsehoods?

The leadership of the security forces in Kwara has not taken the battle to these uninvited guests; they have simply waited for them. Is the remote governor even present to coordinate a response? For about five years, we have protested the Governor’s refusal to summon a security council meeting with traditional rulers. Why are government elements acting as if our present reality is shocking? When you dismantle the frameworks that have sustained peace, what result did you expect?

The only truth is not the one that comes from Ajakaye’s mouth. Without any apology, he has lied with every part of his being in defense of his employer. There is no honor to be redeemed with him; rather, he will be held accountable. The call remains simple: the Governor should stay home and confront the evil individuals trying to turn things upside down. We are undoubtedly at war, and the number of victims is staggering. The death toll in Kwara is higher than the daily casualties in the ongoing European war.

The government must stop its deceptive “Cho Cho Cho” and show its workings. Results are the only facts that matter, and they do not need fact-checking, especially when they are visible for all to see. If the Governor and his handlers are guilty of deception, then the stakeholders in Kwara North are guilty of a deadly and complicit silence.

The Kwara North stakeholders, especially those in the APC, are, without mincing words, the most absurd people to have ever graced the earth. Their entire region has suffered more than the South is currently experiencing, yet they have failed to rise to the occasion. Perhaps the governorship ticket is more valuable to them than the lives of the people in their domain; they aspire to rule over dead bodies. The casualties in their region are underreported, yet their calls for the governorship ticket gain greater traction. They should look toward the South, imagine what Central would have done, and ask themselves if they are truly competent to govern this state.