Date: 2014-08-21

My apology to Henry Semilore who originally owned the title for this piece. Semilore may not have known, while writing his article, that he was helping someone like me who will one day need to speak for the so-called "Abuja politicians". However, I will borrow more than Semilore's title as I seek to once again remind Abdulraheem Salman that one need more than just a pen and a paper to think.

Before I proceed, let me first appreciate the guys behind Ilorin.info . They have provided us a platform for public debate and also created a fora for sensitization and enrichment of public discourse. Without critical evaluation of issues, such as the ones we engage in on this platform, Kwara politics would have been driven solely by the opinion of "back-yard" commentators like Salman who think they are the only ones who have access to 'classified' documents on Kwara politics.

Now coming back to the latest of Salman's 'hate-speeches', for that is how I see his writings, I will like to remind him again that smart writers must never assume or think that their readers are daft and dumb. They are not.

The reason I am supporting Sherrif Shagaya is the very reason Abdulraheem Salman is against him. I am yearning for a new political culture where young men and women would come to give a new meaning to politics and offer a generational hope to the citizens that are already getting accustomed to the betrayal of the social contract by the old generation of politicians and leaders. I am supporting Sherrif Shagaya because I see in him an opportunity to build a youth-led political movement that is not only youthful in outlook but also in content. I am supporting Sheriff Shagaya because I see in him a young man who will expectedly be a custodian of fresh ideas and youthful aspirations. Through Sherrif, we can begin to serve ourselves and not some demigods.

I believe that Sherrif Shagaya will not play a petty politics of "we" versus "them". And this is what I meant when I said Salman is against Sherrif because of the same reasons I am for him. While Sherrif believes that all people are equal and have the same rights, Salman thinks some people are "alien politicians" even in their place of birth. If Sherrif is now "alien" to Ilorin, a place where he was born, bred and even grew up, I think some of us who grew up in the North should live in fear, because some day, people like Salman would call us bastards.

Am I willing to engage in "Media War"? Probably yes, because I do not subscribe to anyone distorting information and standing truth on its head. I also do not think people should employ the PHD (Pull Him Down) strategy all in the name of politics. Why should Sherrif Shagaya be hated because of the actions or inactions of his mother? Even the God we serve does not punish the son for his father's sins - everyone must bear the consequences of the choices they make in life. And did Hajia Muinat Bola Shagaya even committed any sin? There is only one that I know of.

Hajia Bola Shagaya committed a sin when she became the only known face in the present Kwara PDP the Presidency was willing to do business with. And because other PDP leaders in the State must go through her whenever they need the attention of Mr. President and/or his wife; she became an object of collective hatred. And what did they do to get back at her? They employ the services of local writers like Salman to disparage and soil her integrity, just to make sure that she does not have any home-grown support to complement her strong connection to the seat of power in Abuja.

You don't need to search too far for the evidence of this internal conspiracy against Hajia Shagaya in the Kwara PDP. Just in his last piece, Abdulraheem Salman, one of those hired to do this 'hatchet' job said "why should Sheriff Shagaya represent Ilorin West/Asa Constituency in the House of Representatives? Is it because his mother is rich or CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT or what?". This is exactly their grouse with Hajia Bola Shagaya. Yes, Kwara PDP needs federal government support as they move to dislodge the incompetent government of APC in the State, but why should this "support" come through Hajia Shagaya. This is exactly the headache of people like Salman and those who send them on this highly divisive assignment.

Salman asked a somewhat funny question: "...whose interest is the new entrant and her lobby group representing by playing Kwara politics from far away Abuja?". Salman, what you don't know is that the politics Hajia Shagaya is playing "from far away Abuja" is the only single factor that gives the Kwara PDP the level of potency it currently has. There is no way PDP in Kwara would be able to uproot a dynasty that has sustainably controlled Kwara's destiny for four decades without building strong individuals to lead the fight. So, if people like Hajia Bola Shagaya are not in the forefront of negotiating for members of PDP in Kwara State to get Federal government appointments, so as to build their capacity to fight the impeding political "battle", do you think that the noise you are making online can win elections. Look brother, playing Abuja politics should not and must not be underestimated, because how well Hajia Shagaya plays that politics would go a long way in making the difference between victory and defeat for the Kwara PDP next year.

"It is also amazing that one of Hajia Muinat's 'hired writers' Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi, could also join a capitalist to cover her many atrocities of misrepresenting the interests of innocent Kwarans who are damn eager of effecting positive change in the state through the ballots in few months time."Salman, I don't know the interest of Kwarans that Hajia Bola Shagaya misrepresented and to who. But as far as I know, Hajia Shagaya has never been a governor, Senator or even held any public office, so I don't know how she would have misrepresented the interest of "innocent Kwarans" being not the one who collect Kwara's share of Federal allocation.

Yes, you don't like this woman - Hajia Bola Shagaya. But Salman, it is not compulsory that those of us who can think and see beyond your myopic understanding must join you on this journey. The last time I checked, hatred has not yet become a virus, so it must not be contagious. I don't see reasons to hate anyone, because I know that hatred consume only its bearer.

What was that thing about payment again? Ok, you wrote that you were " considerate of the fact that (I) will be paid for every sentence (I) put across to defend (my) "Pen Hirer" but Mr. Abdullahi, I am very certain that your conscience will keep bothering you.". Ok, Salman. But before I lecture you on the subject of conscience, let me tell you that I have not even met either Hajia Bola Shagaya or her son, Sheriff. None of them have either my phone or account numbers. However, I can see you raising your nose in derision already, because people like you who survive solely on handouts cannot see beyond the daily meal. But then, not everything in the Bible is useless to a Muslim. If you have a Christian friend, please ask him to teach you that verse of the Bible which states that "man shall not live by bread alone".

Now, what is my understanding of conscience. I believe that conscience is the best friend that anyone can have. When everyone lies to you, conscience is the only friend who will tell you the truth. So on this Sherrif matter, I am simply doing the bidding of my conscience and writing what I think is the fair assessment of Sherrif Shagaya today. I have not yet met Sherrif, but if tomorrow I meet him and he is willing to "hire" me, I will be more than ready to defend him against people like you who only seeks to pull him down because you hate his mother. I do not and will never subscribe to your idea of collateral hatred.

You are right that I am finding ways to make ends meet, although you are wrong that I am doing this through 'praise-singing'. My belief about work is that we do not do it simply to make money and earn a living; we work to justify our existence as human beings. Presently, I do both public and private sector jobs, and I earn enough from these jobs to pay my bills. Praise-singing is therefore a vocation I am more than willing to leave for people like you who have made up their mind to stay back in Ilorin and pray for manna from heaven, and if possible a Personal Assistant (P.A) job.

Now, to the "faces that (you) know in Kwara politics". You mentioned Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, Senator Ruqayyat Gbemisola Saraki (GRS), and Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) in that order. In case you chose to ignore this lesson, I would like to emphasize it that none of the people you mentioned stayed back in Ilorin the way you are currently doing and became what they are today.

Professor Oba was for many years a lecturer in Bayero University Kano from where he came to serve as Vice Chancellor in Unilorin. Senator Saraki, until the return to democratic rule in 1999 when she contested and won elections into Federal House of Representatives, was not known to be roaming the Streets of Ilorin looking for which politicians are "Abuja based" and which ones are "Ilorin-based". She was outside Kwara State looking for "ways to make ends meet", just as I am currently doing. And Barr. Dele Belgore? Well, I am sure you know the man doesn't live in Emir's road or Ode Belgore but in Banana Island in Lagos. So like Sheriff Shagaya before them, they also went out of Ilorin and only came back to serve the people after their lives have taking appreciable shape. They were variously "Abuja Politicians", "Lagos Politicians", Port Harcourt Politicians" etc. Dear Salman, for you to also become a face that people will know in Kwara, like those you mentioned, you must be willing to travel out of your present comfort zone.

And about Sherrif Shagaya showing off "at the Ilorin Central Yidi praying ground the last Eid-Fitr Sallah celebration," I can tell you that the one before it also had Mr. Femi Adebayo, the son of Oga Bello, showing off in style. We all show off in our own little ways. So work hard and earn enough so you too can show off. Stop all this 'bad belle' and get people to also write about Abdulraheem Salman "showing off".

Finally, I will live you with the words of Henry Semilore, whose title I borrowed for this piece. I don't remember meeting Semilore at the bank while going to cash the money paid into our accounts by "Abuja Politicians". But he has these words for you: "They will also try fervently to black label our true sons and daughters in the struggle for a greater Kwara and tag them all sorts of names as they have already been tagged the "Abuja Politicians".

"Who are the "Abuja Politicians" ? They are true sons and daughters of Kwara that took the bull by the horn, traveled out of their comfort zone to make a name and living for themselves. They are doing wonderfully well in their various chosen professions and representing us well. They have never been found wanting in the discharge of their duties with no blemishes in their careers spanning over years. They are the ones that had their early days in life spent with the people of Kwara in different settlements, went out to seek for knowledge like the Holy Books prescribed and back loaded with both knowledge of the home front and that of the outside world."

Muhammed Abdullahi writes from Abuja