Karu, Keffi, Kokona Need a Fighter, Not a Finger-Pointer — Ogazi’s Excuse Is an Insult to Our Intelligence

By Joseph Maisamari Kaura

The recent comment by Hon. Daniel Ogazi  that the development of Karu Local Government Area is “solely” the job of the federal government  has sparked outrage across Karu, Keffi, and Kokona. For an APC House of Representatives aspirant to make such a statement reveals either a shocking ignorance of legislative duties or a deliberate attempt to lower the bar for leadership.

Let’s be clear: local government development is not an Abuja affair. It is the daily business of representatives who understand that roads in Mararaba, primary healthcare in Masaka, markets in New Karu, and drainage in One-Man Village are not federal projects  they are constituency responsibilities that demand relentless advocacy, budget tracking, and inter-governmental collaboration.

The federal government funds national infrastructure. But the representative for Karu, Keffi, and Kokona must be the one who:

· Lobbies for federal road repairs on the Keffi-Abuja highway,

· Pushes for special urban development funds for border LGAs,

· Ensures primary schools get teachers and clinics get drugs,

· And holds the state and local councils accountable not absolves them.

To tell our people that “only FG can fix Karu” is to admit, before the election, that you have no strategy to fight for us in the National Assembly. That is not humility; it is abdication.

Worse still was Ogazi’s reckless analogy comparing Karu to Bakassi suggesting our LGA could be “sealed to the federal government just as Bakassi was sealed to Cameroon.” This is not only geographically and constitutionally absurd, it is deeply offensive to every resident whose livelihood, land, and future are rooted here. Karu is not a disputed territory. It is home to over a million hardworking Nigerians who deserve respect, not rhetorical surrender.

Our people are not asking for miracles. They are asking for:

· Legislation that increases federal allocation to rapidly urbanising border LGAs,

· Constituency projects that fix federal roads and link them to state feeder roads,

· Partnerships across all three tiers of government to tackle housing, waste, and security in the FCT corridor,

· And a voice that speaks for Karu in every committee, every budget session, and every executive meeting without excuses.

A man who begins his campaign by saying, “It’s not my job,” will never be the one to demand accountability when Abuja fails us. He will not fight for emergency relief during floods, nor push for federal intervention when our markets burn or our schools crumble.

This election is a clear choice: between a representative who knows the Constitution and one who ignores it; between a leader who works the system and one who surrenders to it; between someone who sees Karu as a responsibility and someone who sees it as a problem to pass on.

Karu, Keffi, and Kokona are not for sale. They are not for “sealing.” They are not for relocation. They are for development  and that development begins with leaders who show up, speak up, and stand up.

We have examined the records. We have asked the tough questions. And we know that real representation doesn't shift blame  it shifts resources.