*Praises late Shagari over Ajaojuta steel .
By Andrew Oota
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and former Senator for the Kogi East senatorial district , Senator Alex Kadiri has singled out first republic President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari for his foresight and sound decision in establishment of the Ajaokuta steel company which would have placed Nigeria on the international manufacturing map , if well managed.
Kadiri who was a member of the Nigeria Senate between 1999 and 2003 told journalists in Abuja that the inability or outright refusal of successive governments in Nigeria to complete the project which was designed to offer Nigeria international recorgnition betrays the vision of the late President and brings shame on the entire country .
He maintained that the abandoned Steel company had potentials of addressing joblessness ,wealth creation and tourism not only for Kogi alone but Nigeria in general .
It was after his trip to his hometown of Odu in Dekina, Local Government of Kogi State that the outspoken and fearless Kadiri maintained that Nigeria is unfortunately wasteful and breathtakingly indecent hence the ugly happenings in and around the country that cults across various sectors.
He expressed shock on why for instance, a road leading to Lokoja the Kogi State capital will be under Construction for the past seventeen years and remains in bad shape.
Taking a swipe in his party the All Progressives Congress and specifically the His Kogi State Government , senator Kadiri pointed out that, “There’s no other state capital that looks like mine. Which was also the first country’s capital. I passed through that road with tears in my eyes.
“It’s very unfortunate for me that my party is APC has not done any thing across the river Niger for the past eight years”.
While lampooning the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC over what he described as sham ,the conduct of the just conclude Governorship elections in Kogi state , senator Kadiri said, “God knows, we know, If this is democracy, then we are not practicing such in that part of kogi state. Nigerians resources were just wasted by INEC by conducting a sham election.
“Once I arrived at my village, everyone was looking very frail and impoverished and dispirited in a country in which they live. They can’t go elsewhere, they’re stuck.
“I’m even mocked by my children about the fact that I speak about such things and I’m being paid with a deaf ear. They feel that I’m criticising the government too much and should just keep quiet like every other person, because that’s what Nigeria wants.
“Let the whole country collapse and we’ll all collapse with it.
“Nigerians are being treated like conqured stifle.
“We’ve not conquered Nigeria. We’ve not conquered kogi state. We’ve not conquered the Igala people. We’ve not conquered the individuals. We’ve forced them and this force cannot be sustained.
“The November 11, Governorship election was a rape of democracy as nobody voted for anyone. There was no election.
“The government will feel like, they are in control of all the local governments, we’ve all the councils, all the chairmen”.
“We’re taking Nigerians as nothing, and in fact they have no choice. They can’t protest”.
On the national Assembly,the firebrand senator maintained ,”They now want to construct boreholes, roads, schools and so on, which are the functions of the executive. They are supposed to make laws for good governance of the country, the state and the local governments. They are not expected to do such.”
On the judiciary he said, “Why can’t we allow the judiciary to function. I feel so bitter”.
