Kogi Deputy Governor rejects Sowore’s prayer for Daughter

The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, has hit back at convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, over a prayer he offered for his daughter who had just been matriculated at the Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja.

Onoja had shared photos from the matriculation on his Twitter page and prayed to God to grant his daughter “speed and excellence” at the private university.

Commenting right under Onojo’s post, Sowore prayed that the deputy governor’s daughter would not suffer the fate of many Nigerians who become unemployed after graduating from the university.

But to the deputy Governor, Sowore’s prayers appeared to be an indirect attack on the administation of Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, in which Onoja is currently serving.

The rights activist, former presidential candidate and publisher of online newspaper, Sahara Reporters, also used the #FreeKogi2 hashtag which Nigerians have been using to demand the release of two anti-Buhari protesters who were recently arrested in Kogi.

Sowore tweeted, “#Freekogi2 I congratulate your daughter on this special occasion of her matriculation. May she never live in a world of impunity, may she never become unemployed upon graduation, may her future be bright and may she never have to work without getting paid.

“May her pension never be denied her when she retires, may she never be silenced for speaking up against tyranny and may she never die in election related violence! Once again, congratulations to her!”

Responding, Onoja slammed Sowore for allegedly trying to get into position of leadership by attacking those in power.

The deputy governor said he, “thought families, especially, the children are out of bounds in political brickbats.”

His response reads: “Anyway, I too have a prayer for you…

“1. I pray that you are Nigerian and patriotic enough to stay at home, establish and have your family here in Nigeria, just like I have done. (It will teach you to truly work for the improvement of the country for their sakes).

“2. I pray you are man enough to hustle with your mates, working to assume leadership of the Nation by paying your dues, and not trying to jump in through the window like a palliative thief. (It will teach you that your contemporaries at home are not indolent layabouts looking for a saviour from abroad to whom they will handover govt once he wears an orange beret and yells ‘revolution’ or ‘Buhari Must Go).

“3. I pray for you that you will truly come to love this great country and her people with a mindset to sacrifice for her and not to sacrifice her to your lust for power. (It will stop you from trying to set fire to your own father’s house simply because you have a mat in your rich uncle’s BQ who has induced you with peanuts in the name of activism so he can claim the land once the house is destroyed).

“4. I pray you have the balls to learn from some of us and begin your leadership quest from your State. (You will finally learn Leadership 101, not #gbasgbos and chewing gum activism. I recommend you start as councillor in your ward, if you know your ward).

“5. I pray you grow out of your desire to seek attention and play to the gallery. (Leadership and Governance is not a circus, you know and a dancing monkey can only grab attention for only so long).

“6. I pray you redeem your already lost image amongst genuine freedom fighters. (Shebi you know say dem no send you again?).

“7. I pray my daughter won’t need to defend you pro bono when you are 70, still wearing beret, sagging trousers and still unable to distinguish between lawful and unlawful protest. Shebi you see the travails of your types wey invade US Congress in the name of revolution?).”

Onoja added, “Sowore this is brother to brother, comrade to comrade, Aluta to Aluta… guy e get wetin person dey grow pass. Leave this lane and get serious if you really want to do politics. You don old pass this thing.

“Another brotherly advice: Find another target. Kogi is getting on very well and fine. This your contract don cut. Those who gave you this job, tell them say we be street pass you. E no get where you fit take your madness pass. We go cure am for you.

“All of you unpatriotic citizens wey dey plan burn Naija after securing your families safely abroad, make una go restrategize.

“I pray this sinks and leads you on the path to being a better man. Thus far you are way below the bar of a patriotic citizen.”