Response To Kwara Must Change Letter By Lukman Mustapha

One Question Asked in Several Ways, my Reactions

Dear Abdulrazaq Hamzat, Coordinators, Kwara Must Change.

 I salute the resilience and doggedness of members of your group in pursuance of the Kwara of our dreams over time, if we can maintain a holistic committment and dedication towards the actualization of a better Kwara that works for all, definitely the dreamland isn't far away from us.

I refer to some questions sent by you to my mail some months ago and we agreed you'd be in Abuja to see me so we can have some discussions that will answer your questions, but unfortunately,  you didn't follow it up.

The following are ny sincere and brief reactions to sone of the posers in your questionnaire:

1. It is a fact that I worked at Societe Generale Bank, owned by Dr. Olushola Saraki, the father of Sen. Bukola Saraki between 1990-1994 as a Customer Service Representative/TELLER. We were seconded to SGBN as youth corpers in 1990 and after completion of our NYSC service year in 1991, we were subjected to written tests for consideration for retention as staff of the bank. Not all the Corp members passed the test and the few that passed, which I was fortunate to be one were recruited then. The lesson here is that Lukman Mustapha was appointed at SGBN on merit and not personal. I hope you won't  want us to believe that every bank Teller in our conventional banks knows the founder of the banks they work for? It won't be out of place to remind us that owners of banks don't partake in the day to day activities of those banks, the management does and as at then, Lukman Mustapha was only a junior staff and not even a part of the management that would report to the Directors and owners of the bank.

2. I will like us to get practical answer to the second poser, let us walk into any bank in Ilorin and ask a Teller or Customer Care Attendant of the Executive Directors and see if he/she would even know their names, let alone knowing their faces. The organizational structure of corporate entities is known to us all  if we would be sincere. The Directors of banks are found at the headquarters of a bank and only oversee the activities of the managers through reports from their various branches. Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha was appointed a Teller in Ilorin branch in 1991 and that makes any personal encounter between him and Bukola Saraki who was a Director practically impossible. This is because the Directors don't engage in day to day activities of the bank.

3. I left SGBN as a junior staff in 1994 and proceeded to work for an accounting firm in Lagos and later joined FINBANK. I rose to the level of Regional Manager (RM), covering the South West 2 axis, consisting of Kwara, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo in 2006. The primary business of banking is deposit mobilization and loan administration and myself or any banker on their own wouldn't have stopped a state government from patronizing the bank they work for and any transaction in that capacity was between FINBANK and Kwara state government and not Lukman Mustapha and anybody. It is thus a figment of imaginations to say that Lukman did some 'deals' with somebody. The nature of the relationship that existed between Mal. Lukman Mustapha as the Regional Manager of FINBANK and Kwara, Osun,  Ondo and Ekiti state governments between 2006-2008 was purely banker-customer and nothing more. I left Ithe South West 2 for Abuja 0in 2008, upon my promotion to the level of Regional Director, North and Abuja and the same kind of relationship that I had on behalf of my bank then is what I still maintain with the different categories of customers where my bank operates in the north and Abuja. Or do we say it was the then Osun, Ondo or Ekiti Governor that is sponsoring my gubernatorial ambition?

4. With respect to the ownership of SOBI FM, it is not in any way in doubt nor dispute. The worrisome question however is: how will Bukola Saraki or any pro-establisment personality have interest in SOBI FM and yet, the station have been instrumental to exposure of governmental and political misdeamenors in Kwara state? How will the ruling government have interest in a radio station that have given the people a voice and reflects the yearnings of our people? It is unhealthy for the liberation we seek to place unsubstantiable fictions above rational facts.  Sobi FM was established in good faith,  to cause social rebirth in the face of social decadence and disorder to redeem our socio-economic values and not even for political reasons as being ascribed by opponents and those who sees LOM's gubernatorial ambition as a threat to their cancerous political survival.

5. Just like you said, Hon. Moshood Mustapha, my brother is an age long ally of Sen. Bukola Saraki, not Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha, I was never with him. The fact that your brother is a Republican doesn't neccesarily make you one, you may decide to be a Democrat base on your personal conviction. It is surprising Lukman Mustapha, an Accountant, Banker and Entrepreneur could be questioned for the relationship between my brother, a politician and his boss, Bukola Saraki. We know aspirants in the opposition who were active participant in the struggle that brought Bukola Saraki to power in 2003, yet unquestioned. Just like Lukman can't stop Mashood Mustapha from believing in an ideology or associate with his preferred political associates, Moshood can't dictate Lukman's political ideological inclinations and the kind of people I relate with. We are brothers, we love ourselves, our ways of life and ideologies are however  different, what we believe in and represent politically is absolutely different.

6. As opposed to erroneous belief, my silent intervention into community service and Kwara struggle for political liberation predates 2015.  I have  been an active supporter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) which was the opposition party in Kwara state since 2013 when Bukola Saraki left the party for APC. My modest contributions towards rejigging the party after Bukola Saraki left it empty are verifiable and my efforts have since then remain ceaseless in ensuring a virile and strong opposition is instituted in Kwara state. During the 2015 elections, I was a major part of the struggle without showing interest in contesting for any position whatsoever and no one labeled me just because there wasn't contradiction of interests. We didn't stop after 2015 general elections, we've been a major sustainer of the voice of the oppressed. The above nullifies our perceived newness to Kwara politics and struggle for liberation.

7. Having contributed immensely and understand the basis of our bane as a people and the peculiarities of Kwara politics, that I believe strongly I can win for Kwara and bring forth a Kwara that works for all shouldn't look odd before any well meaning Kwaran.. Gov. Mohammed Lawal of blessed memory came to contest for Governor for the first time, same with Alh. Hakeem Lawal,  Alh. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN)  among others, without neccesarily contesting for Reps or Senate abinitio and no one has asked questions why they didn't contest for a lower position before aspiring to be Governor. Presently,  we've a number of people whom have never held public offices running for political offices. I believe I've the wherewithal to Govern Kwara state and I  feel the right questions at the moment is how I intend to fix Kwara and not just why I  am volunteering to fix Kwara. From our private lives, we've proved to have the wherewithal to make Kwara work for Kwarans with trackable record of integrity,, competence, communism and compassion for the common man, his intention to run for Governorship seat is holistic, not personal and well thought out ,it is not my project, it's collectively ours.

8. I thank you sincerely for the civility exhibited in your questions and it is my hope that my sincere submissions are received in good faith. With sincerity of purpose and holistic dedication, Kwara of our dream is here.

Sincerely yours,

Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha,

Chairman, BoT, SOBI FM and Kwara state APC Governorship Aspirant