Nigeria: We didn’t know Faleke in Kogi until Audu selected him – Dr. Atte

Faleke

Dr Oluwayomi David Atte, Commissioner for Education and Sole Administrator of the State Water Corporation in the old Kwara State, has said all is now set for swearing in of Kogi governor elect, Yahaya Bello.

The Kogi-born former lecturer, in an interview with Vanguard explained why he accepted to serve in the transition committee.

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“We have a State which has been so mismanaged by previous administrations that one can describe Kogi as a “failed State”.

“Any new and serious minded administration needs to do a fundamental appraisal of where we are and introduce radical and fundamental policy, administrative and developmental programmes to get the State going on a fresh course. Remember, you cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.

“With the foregoing, it will be irresponsible of me to refuse to contribute my considerable experience and competences to that process irrespective of political considerations. It is the right and noble thing to do.

“The same government that couldn’t pay wages to their workers is reported to have spent about two billion naira (N2b) in the last elections to try and get re-elected. People who understand that God will hold them accountable for their actions cannot do that.

“Whatever the Governor-Elect plans to do to ease the pains of the people and advance their wellbeing has my full support. This the second reason for accepting to serve in the Transition Committee.”

Asked why he is opposing his Okun kinsman, Hon. James Faleke, who is struggling to claim his mandate at the Election Tribunal, Atte responded thus: “The Honourable Member of the House of Representatives, representing a constituency in Lagos State came into the consciousness of Kogi people when Prince Abubakar Audu selected him as his running mate for the last gubernatorial elections. Until then, he was practically unknown in Kogi State.”

“I can also testify that he was completely unknown in all the struggles for a better Okun in the last 30 years. He creditably contributed his God-given talents to developing Lagos State and I believe Lagos State owes him a debt of gratitude for this.

“So at the time he was selected by Prince Abubakar as running mate in Kogi State, he was a registered voter in Lagos State and was legally and validly representing a Lagos State constituency in the House of Representatives.

“At the very time of his selection as running mate in Kogi State, was he actually eligible to be so selected? That is for the law to decide but for me the fact that he was Okun born is not enough to assure me to put the future of the people in his hands.

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“I do not mean he cannot represent Okun. What I am saying is that having not been involved, knowing little of the situation in Kogi State over the last 25 years and having been selected by late Prince Abubakar without any consultation with Okun, he did not represent the soul of Okun struggle and aspirations since state creation.”

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