His weird appearance at any socio-political or cultural gathering could make people scamper for safety. He could decide to ride in a car with a convoy of his followers chanting and parading all over Dekina town or on horseback, gallivanting-a piece of black and white cloth tied to his oblong head. This is Ayuba Audu, leader of the popular Dekina Youth Revolution for Progress.
Ayuba, also known as the ‘Asari Dokubo’ of Dekina was a social misfit; in fact a persona non grata in Dekina and environs for some of his negative social vices until he cut his revolutionary teeth in Port Harcourt where he had gone to do a diploma certificate after a spell of prodigal living. It was here in Port Harcourt that the flu of Alhaji Muhajeed Asari Dokubo, the valiant founder of the Niger Delta Frontier Force (NDFF) stung him; and like a man under the influence of a relapsing fever, Audu got back to Dekina in a feat of delirium, engrossed with the venom for a queer revolution that would engulf his people.
Today, the once rejected stone whose father, ironically, was the first man to own a storey building in Dekina town, is being wooed by his family, the community and even the political class for some of his positive, revolutionary steps taken in the interest of the desired transformation of his people.
To bolster his struggle for the emancipation of his people are a horde of young people who have enlisted in the Dekina Youth Revolution for Progress. And he would tell you:
‘There is no security challenge in the whole of this local government. If you hear any uproar, a noise or a blockage anywhere, they are my boys; keep your cool, they are harmless!’. As he conducted this reporter round the venues of the recently conducted governorship polls in Kogi state, Ayuba said he is up to something unique in Dekina, nay the entire Igala land.
Ask the ‘Leader’ as he is addressed by his followers, what his grievances are or what in actual fact gave rise to the youth revolution in town and Audu would snap that the struggle is a child of necessity, given birth to as a result of protracted denial of opportunities, perceived marginalization and lack of basic amenities, including good roads, health infrastructure, electricity and functional education.
It was gathered in the course of the polling exercise that these basic facilities are either non-existent or are in various degrees of decay and dilapidation. Ironically, Dekina is the largest local government area in Kogi today-by population and landmass .By implication, therefore, the votes from this local government are usually the deciding factor for whoever emerges governor of the state. ‘It is for this and other dehumanizing treatment that I have continued to fight for fairness and restitution for our people. I have been called names before but they have come to the reality that the only way forward is a revolution which I am leading. There is no retreat, no surrender’, he lamented, trying to hold back tears.
Not one to be so easily intimidated, Audu, not long ago, mobilized against the contractor who was awarded the contract for the renovation of the Dekina General Hospital. His grouse was that the procedures were not only by-passed; it was given to someone outside of the Dekina domain whose interest ran counter to that of the people. Like a roaring lion, Ayuba snarled and collected the project; and got it to 75 per cent completion even with a paltry 30 per cent mobilization.? He told this reporter that his next target is to push for the employment of health personnel who were grossly inadequate in the institution.
But while this albatross is being takled head-on by the ‘Leader’, Ayuba’s other challenges and worries are in the area of the untapped mineral resources prevalent in Dekina, which successive governments have ignored despite the interest of foreign investors who had shown interest and concern for their exploration and exploitation over the years. The minerals include huge lime stone deposits, iron ore, coal, uranium, natural gas, and silt sand. ‘We are sitting right upon a variety of mineral resources; some will manifest in form of early morning sun ray, others will appear like flame of fire.
They are everywhere in Dekina and our people are suffering in the midst of plenty’, he said.
Interestingly, according to him, the December 3, 2011 governorship elections in the state could provide answers to the people’s predicaments. The outcome of the polls showed that, Idris Ichalla Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) beat his Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) opponent, Prince Abubakar Audu, silly. Wada, an aircraft pilot of over 35 years experience is from Odu in Dekina local government council. Audu and his boys believe that the aeronautics expert’s victory in the polls is a victory for Dekina people whose plight of a fair and equitable representation and opportunities have had to be kept in view (KIV) for decades.
Defending why he personally canvassed for the support of the governor-elect, Ayuba said: ‘It’s an opportunity which I divinely saw; he is one of us and he is capable. A man of such international exposure will surely bring development down to his home town and so I had no choice than to mobilize my boys and everybody for him’.
But would Wada not be intimidated by the paraphernalia of his office or overwhelmed by the political busybodies when he finally takes the oath of office? ‘No!’ stated Bejamin Dangana, acting Chairman of Dekina local government area who said Wada’s antecedent is far at variance with the negative insinuations which he ascribed to the handiwork of political spent-forces in and around Dekina axis.