Meet the man who invented the ‘O to ge’ movement that swept away Saraki’s dynasty

Lazeez Ayinla Kolawole (LAK), the man who invented the “O To Ge” movement that swept the Bukola Saraki dynasty in Kwara state away.

This was the basis upon which the All Progressives Congress (APC) ran its campaign, invariably landing them victory for President Muhammadu Buhari, three sitting senators and six house of reps members.

The 79 years old politician said the “O To Ge” movement which means “Enough is Enough’’ in English, started back in 2010 in Kwara state. This was during the time he was a PDP aspirant for the Kwara central senatorial seat.

Speaking to NAN, LAK said he was “robbed of his mandate’’ by Saraki, who also contested the primary election with him.

His words; This movement did not just start in 2018,” the politician said. “Every revolution starts like a seed and with time it grows to become an oak tree.

“When I foresaw the revolution that will end the era of bad governance in Kwara, majority of the people did not see it.

“People did not see it then and I was accused of being too revolutionary but I assured them that we will ultimately get there.

“Gradually, the revolution assumed the spine and magnitude that we just saw in this year’s election, when the people used the power of their votes to dethrone decades of a political dynasty that had impoverished Kwara.”

“Kwara is not an industrial state, it is an agrarian state but today we do not have even a Ministry of Agriculture. We do not have any thriving agricultural project at all,” he said.

“All the Agric nurseries and training schools and even the land of the Ministry of Agriculture were sold out.’’

“Billions of Naira were pumped into the project but till today no single farm product came out of the farm till it got moribund.”

“It is all fraud. What they called Zimbabwe farmers were just farm workers who did not bring a dime to the state for investment yet they called them investors.

“It was the state government that borrowed billions of Naira from the defunct Intercontinental Bank and gave it to these people but we have nothing to show for it.”

“When I saw all these, I said we must not continue in that way and allow these people to destroy the state. Then, I said, “O to Ge, Enough is Enough. We must rise against the misrule and slavery.’’

“With reckless looting of the state’s treasury and siphoning of government money to individual pockets, the government could not pay salaries of civil servants,” he said.

“The entitlements of retirees after 35 years of active service to the state were not paid and they were regularly being called for screening during which many of them died.

“In 2008, the Bukola Saraki government borrowed N3.3 billion from Intercontinental Bank to settle the accumulated arrears of benefits of Kwara retirees.

“When the government received the money, a committee set up for the disbursement recommended that 50 per cent of the money be used for the pensioners while the balance be used for the development of infrastructure.’’

“It is not just about campaign because the people of Kwara decided that they want a change of government because they were tired of the old order,” he said.

“What we have achieved today is the collective efforts of all Kwarans who wear the shoes and know where they pinch.”

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