Of Turaki and his outright dismissal of the supremacy of ideas By Olota Abdulsomad

Unless Mallam Saliu Mustapha has a different meaning to what impact means, it is enormously embarrassing that an intending Senator, which will Insha Allah not be, is in the public domain, asking what impact did Bolaji's ideas have on the people and the society as Commissioner for Education in Kwara State and Minister of Youth and Sports. If not an act borne out of hatred, desperation and low self-esteem, what can such statement be excused for? It's perchance, another display of ineptitude to grasp how a policy is evaluated. Again, it is a pure insult on the "citizens" who are the beneficiaries of Bolaji's efforts as Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Nigerian Minister. This act reminds me of a proverb which says "Ignorance is More Expensive than Education"

History can't be rewritten in anyway that pleases you just because the time has passed. The time may be long passed, but not all the people that witnessed Bolaji's time as Kwara State Commissioner for Education have died or lost their memory. Thank God, people like myself are still alive, not only as witnesses but also as beneficiaries.

MSM must have overrated himself to understand the second idea of Protagora's three most popular ideas which says one could make the “worse (or weaker) argument appears the better (or stronger)”. Or perhaps, he thinks the submission of Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson in the Age of Propaganda that read, "It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle". Hence, our Turaki's repetitive lies against Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi. Our Turaki, Saliu Mustapha's attempt to rewrite history the way he pleases is grubby and pedestrian because no matter how he tries, there is one thing he can never change and that is, the lifelong impact of Bolaji's ideas, policies and programmes in the lives of many of us who are the direct beneficiaries. That is the psychology of people concerned in the Age of Propaganda Turaki has failed to consider in his embarrassing attempt to blandish the voters.

Prior to the time of Honorable Bolaji Abdullahi as Commissioner for Education, students commonly roamed about the street while teachers and the head of schools showed little or no concern about the menace; some students would even go into the bush for nonidentical purpose.

Thankfully for Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi's inspection through Quality Assurance Bureau, students were no longer seen unnecessarily on the street, class teachers started to monitor the movement of each student in their respective classes as they must account for every students whose name appeared in the school register. School Principals became at unrest unless teachers attended classes appropriately; all these because Bolaji Abdullahi could appear out of the moon for inspection with no specification of time, day or moment, he would even visit some schools twice in a day. My Principal (may his soul continue to rest in perfect peace) drawing inspiration from Bolaji Abdullahi's humility to enter the class and teach even as a commissioner, mandated us to arrive school earlier and took us on extra-class lessons before the usual school activities began. 

Again, thanks to Bolaji Abdullahi's ideas, concern and innovation, young and promising students coming from poor homes like myself were able to sit for both WAEC and NECO exams after passing the state mock examination which ordinarily, we wouldn't have been able to afford.

It is absolutely needless for me to dwell more on the many impacts of Bolaji Abdullahi's ideas as he has factually and evidently replied to all Turaki's questions in his letter. What I however found disturbing is our Turaki acting like a tortoise once more: which fully retract its head and legs inside the shell when it feels uncomfortable. Our Turaki's act is of no difference. 

The contest between our both Mallams was presumed to be an interesting one but everyone was soon disappointed with how Mallam Saliu Mustapha insistently dismissed the importance of debate as requisite for effective legislative council. We thought we had been disappointed enough as we await February 25th to choose who believes the ability to debate is a prerequisite for being at the senate until our Turaki in an attempt to dismiss Omoluabi's big ideas, dropped another bombshell that he has gone beyond ideas. A statement that forced a reply from the former Minister and also, a response from Turaki. The interesting days are back!, that was what we all exclaimed until Turaki ran away from further engagement as he is fond of doing which only proves that he will chicken out if his ideas are interrogated at the senate. The electorates are watching closely!

Interestingly, Turaki in his reaction to the former minister's letter did himself a great disservice with his pettiness to broke-shame Omoluabi: firstly, it shows the kind of person Turaki is and also sends a strong message to those who are enjoying his generousity today that, their names might be published on national dailies tomorrow as beggers of Turaki's mercy. Secondly, he also made the citizens to see Omoluabi in a different light and gave a big boost to his credibility, because how possible is it for a former minister of Nigeria to purportedly seek for financial assistance? A minister under whose watch Nigeria won the highest African trophy? It only proves that Omoluabi was a diligent public servant who didn't enrich himself at the expense of the people in a society where we have seen state commissioners amassing unprecedented wealth. 

With his track records, if he had wished to, he could have chosen to be among the corrupt leaders who embezzled public funds for personal aggrandizement but, here is Omoluabi, a former minister and occupant of many more public offices in times past being alleged of seeking financial support from an ordinary citizen. His mandate is indeed one which common people must support.

Conclusively, I advise and also hope that, Mallam Saliu Mustapha will stop acting: either in speech or deed in a way that denigrates the Emirate highly valued traditional title given to him. The Turaki of Ilorin. It is my prayer that Almighty Allah rewards him for his generousity according to his intention and also that, He grants us the courage to vote for a good representative over a power seeking individual with overrated sense of entitlement (Amen).