It is not surprising that the untold hardship being experienced by the people of Kogi State since the administration of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello came into being on 27th January, 2016 is as a result of his belief that Kogi is his conquered territory.
Bello sees Kogites as vassals. His action, his inaction tests positive to this postulations. The governor is a citizen of Kogi State, first, before he became a State Governor. One wonders, what went wrong that occasioned the high velocity of hardships on the people he took oath to guide and protect.
It is an incontrovertible fact that the people of the Central and Western Senatorial district have never governed the State since its creation and the return of democracy in 1999, hence there was audacious agitation to govern the state. There is nothing wrong with that in morality and law, but here we are, power shifted against fairness or in what can be qualified as travesty of justice, between Bello and Faleke, and we are all disappointed.
As vassals, the people do not deserve fair treatment; the people do not deserve to live an average life, hence, it’s not an issue providing infrastructure; health care facilities; water; education, etc.
Under Yahaya Bello administration, the people at the grassroot do not deserve a government on their own called ‘Local government.’ Against the Constitution which is the grundnum that recognises existence of local government administration and against judgements of courts of competent jurisdiction, the governor is never bothered to conduct LG election which he can sit down in Lugard House and write results. No, Bello wouldn’t conduct election in over three years. Stricto senso, he is not a democrat, but a despot, an attacker of good people!
If the governor could balkanised democracy, bastardised the citizens in his first tenure, how terrible would it be if he gains a second term? God forbid. If it happens, we are all doomed as citizens.
The mindset that Kogi people of Igala extraction dominated the state workforce beclouds his sense of reasoning to the extent that immediately he assumed office in 2016, top officers at the executive cadre in the civil service were all removed with Igala people as worst hit. I am not a tribal bigot, I am stating the obvious. Before we say, Jack Robinson, about 135 lecturers were sacked from the Kogi State University in a single swoop.
Other sectors of the state civil service received the same scenario of baptism of fire.
What of the anachronistic workers’ screening that lasted for three years with attendant deaths, and confusion of who and who were ghost workers? What is the plight of pensioners in the state? Pensioners’ condition as at today is penury, lamentation and woes. It is no wonder, that few individuals, cronies and crooks are those benefiting from Bello’s administration.
When government of the day such as the one we have in Kogi State is besieged with sycophants, illiterate and neophytes, the result has always been fatalities and that is what has happened.
Bello is the most criticised governor of all that governed the state, yet, the administration remains deep-necked in falsehood. Before now, he would always pose in photograph suggesting that he is close to Mr. President. He would declare public holidays in the state to welcome President Buhari each time he travels. The governor claims to be close to the seat of power.
In his words: “If President Buhari asks me to jump in to fire, I will jump into fire.” Three years after, what has that claim translated in to? Nothing!
Ordinarily, Kogi State should be gaining from the advantage of having Mr. President on his side. Alas, that is not to be!
President Buhari has never visited Kogi State to inaugurate or commission projects and the reason is that there is nothing on ground. The resources have been misappropriated or mismanaged. Projects are facts. They speak for themselves. ‘Reps ipsa loquitor.’
Recently, Mr President declined assent to the bill to pump $1 billion dollars in to Ajaokuta Steel which is located in the state. What agitated one’s mind is, what was governor’s effort toward ensuring that Mr. President assented to the bill? When the bill was being processed at the National Assembly, did he collaborate with the Federal lawmakers from the state? Absolutely no. Rather it was the battle of political supremacy all through.
Drawing inference from these scenarios, it is not just about rejecting Bello at the forthcoming polls, but any one contesting governorship must be properly profiled to avoid anarchy in future.
– Samson Atekojo Usman
