In the past few days, Kogi State has been on the news again. Not for being a state without any case of Coronavirus but the usual risible governance approach of the governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the inglorious defence always put forward by the team to paint evil nice.
It takes no Kogite aback anymore seeing that the government is not putting out formidable proactive strategies to combat the penetration and spread of the dreaded virus in the state, because Kogites are aware that development in the state before now is in the speed of snail. However, it’s now worrisome and pathetic that the government and her team have continued defending themselves and exposing the good people of Kogi State to national mockery.
What the people don’t understand is – why should a man go to the market to make noise when he is putting on a torn garment? The unnecessary national television appearances made by Yahaya Bello two days ago has unimaginably caused more dent on the image of the governor and brought bucket of shame upon Kogites.
The government has refused to do anything tangible to protect the people even though it has has been predicted that the coronavirus is most likely to get into all states but the people whom have chosen to trust in God, because they have no government, are staying safe. Why then would the governor take to national televisions with claims he could not defend? Some one with the government opined that the people managing Bello now are not so good like the one that was managing him. That is quite an interesting slant but we are not interested in any existing fall out for now.
Obviously, the Kogi State government is currently portioned into cliques; the squad you see in the gym with the governor on daily basis and the squad seems shifted aside with its own pool of supporters. Well, that is a lesser business now.
Employing defensive measures in governance is the lowest anyone can get anywhere in this 21st century and it is the problem of the Kogi State Government. If you are claiming to do something you know you never did, you are not fooling the people, you are deceiving yourself and exposing yourself to mockery years to come. Instead of always coming out to defend, the government team should always observe their pitfalls and go back to remedy it. You can’t cure yourself of madness if you don’t admit you are mad.
I learnt that the infected person been rumoured to have escaped to Kogi State was discovered to be suffering from tuberculosis and my question is, was the Coronavirus test carried out on her? A traditional ruler rightly mentioned fever as part of the symptoms exhibited by that woman. Yet, defence won’t let government officials do the needful.
Like I did say sometime ago, Nigerians are not fools. If you don’t want them to mock you at death, be a good leader. No sane person would celebrate a demise of a good leader.
– Onoja Johnson Integrity writes from Kogi State.
