GOV. YAHAYA BELLO WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH WAS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD WHEN KOGI STATE WAS CREATED
By Balogun Omeiza David (BA Mass Comm; UniJos), Lokoja.
Let me congratulate Kogites heartily as the state marks 30th years of its creation. A kind of marriage took place when Kogi State was created and it was the Eastern part of Kogi State that the Central and the West married. I talked about this “marriage” because the Ebiras and the Okuns were together with Kwara State before they were carved out to form Kogi State. On the other hand, the Igalas were detached from Benue State to get married to the Central and the West.
The Babangida’s military administration created Kogi State on the 27th of August, 1991. Many tales abound trying to tell us why Kogi State was created. Some are of the opinion that Babangida gave us Kogi State because he attended Abdul Aziz Attah Memorial College, Okene (AAAMCO). Another school of thought posited that it was because of the good and robust relationship Rtd. Gen. Salihu Ibrahim had with Babangida that made us have Kogi State. To others, there is the believe Nigeria was too large and therefore there was need to break her into governable fragments and this led to the birth of Kogi State. Whichever one it is, the core point is that Kogi State was created and today it is 30 years old.
As at 1991 when Kogi State was created, Gov. Yahaya Bello was just sixteen (16) years old. He was a teenage as at then. I have tried to read through what went on in his mind when the news broke that Kogi State was now having a space on the map of Nigeria. I would not know whether he was within the state when this happened but surely the news filtered to his ears. Like the happiness that was the mood of everyone, I surely believe he too was relishing the jocund moment of the creation of the new state. The radar of his bright destiny like that of the star that announced the birth of Jesus Christ took a new course and the little teenage Bello did not know that one day this state many are talking about its new creation was going to have him as governor. It is good we know that everything about success and failure that happens to a man or woman during their life time first happens in the spiritual realm. The day Kogi State was created was the day Bello’s name was written and saved in the cloud of destiny as one of those that will govern the state but God decided to hide it away even from “wise men” as a “Herod” may have wanted to snuff life out of him.
One cannot be celebrating Kogi State at 30 without talking about Gov. Yahaya Bello. His emergence as governor was God ordained as no mortal man can truly explain how God brought him on board. He met a Kogi State full of bitterness and hatred. The West, Central and East were enemies for different reasons. One of the major reasons the bitterness increased was because the East held unto power for too long and it was no longer going down well with rest part of Kogi State. The West and Central where embittered because they believed what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Many had thought Gov. Yahaya Bello was going to be wicked at heart when he finally came on board but he became a bridge builder. Like a mason, he started amending all the cracks in the wall that has caused brazen disunity and lack of trust. As an Ebira man, he was not after the good and progress of his own domain but the generality of Kogi State at large. This is better explained when one takes a look at his cabinet. It is a governing team having the presence of all within the state. Gov. Yahaya Bello operates with the expression that says, “there is neither Jew nor Greek.”
The teenage Bello who was sixteen years old when Kogi State was created grew into maturity as a god-fearing, detribalized and focused personality. He belongs to all and not to any section. There is no need we lie to ourselves that tribalism reigned supreme in Kogi State before the arrival of Gov. Yahaya Bello. It took God a long stretch of years before He could okay a man that will destroy and burn to ashes the replica of the Berlin Wall dividing the people of Kogi State. The governor gave women a voice when he became governor. His Aide De Camp (ADC) is a woman. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) is a woman. Many other appointees are women showing clearly that the governor is gender sensitive.
Of recent, I was almost deciding to stop arguing with those saying Gov. Yahaya Bello is a failure when it comes to developing the state. I have known fully well that not all those with open eyes have a firm grasp of sighting good things around them. However, two Ebira proverbs will not allow me keep away from telling some of the achievements of Gov. Yahaya Bello. The proverb says, “when you are dancing for the blind if he cannot see your dancing steps he should at least be able to hear the sound of your dancing steps and appreciate it.” Another of the many rich Ebira proverb says, “if your enemy sees you on top of a horse he will out of hatred tell people that you were riding on the back of a dog.” Gov. Yahaya Bello is indeed a phenomenon and has become a force to reckon with. Those doubting whether he has developed the senatorial Districts in Kogi State should gather money and transport themselves to see the wonders the governor has wrought. After all, seeing is believing and since they do not want to believe despite the many videos, pictures and writings about the developmental strides of the governor then they should tow the path of the biblical Thomas who only believed Jesus rose from the dead when He finally saw Christ in flesh and blood.
Under the powerful hands of Bello, roads in the East, Central and West have received attention with many construction still ongoing. Those from the Central saying the governor is not doing anything should start asking God for forgiveness. He has worked on may roads plus giving us a palace for our king. He has come up with the ongoing Reference Hospital that is to be built to world standard. The Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara created room for employment and the university has started her first academic session and will be starting the first Semester exam in the first week of September. The state capital is receiving a face-lift of proper road networking. The Ganaja flyover is ongoing and the road from Paparanda Square to the International Market Junction is ongoing. Civil servants get their take home pay as at when due. Gov. Yahaya Bello is human in flesh and blood and no one should expect a hundred percentage of performance from him. The utopian society we are craving for cannot be found anywhere in the world but this is not to say the governor should not strive to do better than what he has achieved so far. The areas we think he is performing less should see us praying for him, criticizing him in love and same time extolling the areas he has performed well.
Gov. Yahaya Bello is a security conscious governor. He okayed the inclusion of the vigilantes and hunters to work hand in hand with government security agents. He is one governor with a zero tolerance for criminal activities. His security vote is actually pumped into addressing and curtailing insecurity across the state. I was surprised to see a man who hardly supports Gov. Yahaya Bello even though he is from the Central started to praise the governor when he saw the security arrangement along Okene to Lokoja road. Many kidnappers and armed robbers have been dealt with. The other axis are also receiving the same security attention thus making Kogites to go about their business without any fear.
If I may ask, where is COVID-19? This dreaded disease was a security threat to nations of the world. Nigeria was affected also but Gov. Yahaya Bello’s stance and faithful declaration that “THERE IS NO COVID IN KOGI STATE” drove the sickness away and the state was not locked down for once. The same COVID-19 today has been put to shame. Have we not seen that spectators and football fans are back to the stadia across Europe? That Gov. Yahaya Bello is warming up to be Nigeria’s next President is no longer a news. He is the man that can comb all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and flush out all the criminals and hoodlums giving the country security headache. Kindly support him as I am doing for the betterment of Nigeria.
I wish Kogi State well in the hands of Gov. Yahaya Bello and the governor’s that will come after him. May all the federal presence in Kogi State receive attention even now that President Muhammed Buhari is President and furthermore when Gov. Yahaya Bello finally becomes President. May we all be alive and quick to be part of this glorious days of Kogi State we are envisaging. Amen.