Experience people generally regards as the best Teacher. I am one out of thousands of people who passionately queued behind Governor Bello in the last Kogi State gubernatorial election. Standing with him was spiritually motivated.
Just like how my holy Bible enjoins us to have spirit of forgiveness and this singular act prompts me to give my whole support to Governor Bello which I know everyone out there had done. I put up several write up to justify why he should be given second chance in spite of his abysmal performance in the State. In one of my articles, I made it clear to people that I quite agree that Governor Bello really messed up in his first term in office and opined further that given him second chance would afford him the opportunity to correct all wrongs and re-write his history.
Just like my usual habit of putting my phone number in most of my articles for the purpose of feedback mechanism, three persons of wisdom put calls to me on what they foresee if Governor Bello got re-elected. I will not forget, one elder from Kogi central who told me point blank that voting Governor Bello was a waste of time. He pointed out that it is paining that at the time of power-shift struggle in Kogi central, the people of ebiraland failed to tell God to give them a Governor who and his lieutenant would be passionate about the Youths and societal development.
This same stance of his was also re-echoed by one opposition critic of Governor Bello then whom I met when I went for cousin of mine marriage ceremony immediately after the Kogi gubernatorial election. Just like the declaration of these people, what we are presently seeing in Kogi State is not to the contrary of the postulation of these individuals.
It is not something bad to clamour and support a Youthful person as President of Nigeria but the like of Governor Bello and his Youthful political appointees are not the appropriate leaders Nigerians need at this time around.
While Ebira people were agitating to have Kogi Governor during the power-shift struggle, they forgot to tell God to provide them one who and his lieutenants would be passionate about societal development. Today, Kogi central axis of the State got a Governor on a platter of Gold through divine intervention and the infrastructural development have not been anyway better. People are dying and retired civil servants are sick at home. My Dad who retired in the first administration of Governor Bello is yet to receive his pension and critically sick at home. This is happening to many other retired civil servants.
Any development the present administration showcase to the people is pantry when compare to the bogus yearly Budget of the State. During Igalla regime, the Youths of Igalla extraction had it better despite that it was elderly that ruled the State then. Since the onset of this administration, a whooping amount of N2billion has always been ear-marked for Youth empowerment.
Before you sing song for Governor Bello for President, how many of you have access this fund? More also, there is Bello health foundation fund amounting to N2billion too every year. Another question again, how many of the sick individual in Kogi central have gotten the fund? There is poverty alleviate grant to Kogi State Youths, how many of you have access the fund and you are fooling yourself singing Governor Bello for President? If all these funds were judiciously utilized for the good of all, it is the people that suppose to roll their drum and call on Governor Bello to gun for President and not the reverse today.
For you to know how pathetic the situation is, when I have conservation with people at home during my recent visit, I nearly had a slap from one woman when I told her that Governor Bello is gunning for President. Even when I jokingly tell her to support Governor Bello for President being an Ebira person, she said I must be fool for making that comment. Her final declaration was, ‘’who has he helped and what benefit would that be to her when she is presently dying of hunger now’’.
Nigerians should not make that mistake of telling God to give us a Youthful President. Rather our prayer should be a President and one who would be passionate about society and Youth development.
There is a proverbial saying in Ebiraland that a Dog who would tear Lion apart is known through its’ hands’’. So, we have seen it all in Kogi State and for this reason Governor Bello is not that right person for the national exalted seat. It is better to support an elderly that shows concerns for the Youths than voting your contemporaries who would not care about your existence.
– Shaibu Stephen Ojate, a public affairs commentator, writes from Kubwa, Abuja.
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