The greatest threat to development in Kogi State is Edward Onoja, who by virtue of his position as the chief of staff to the Kogi State Government, gave himself CHIEF, and is popularly called CEDO by his fawners. As long as Bello remains in power, Edward will continue to wield a strong hammer of influence on the state, and will continue to jinx the state, and the workers and pensioners’ welfare.
Nigeria practises federal system of government, but Kogi State practises parliamentary system of government. In parliamentary system of government, the head of state is different from the head of government. In Nigeria, in the First Republic, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was the head of state, while Tafawa Balewa was the head of government. Today, Governor Yahaya Bello is the ceremonial head of Kogi State while Edward Onoja is the mindless head of government. Edward is three in one: the Chief of Staff, the Deputy Governor and the Account-General of the state.
Edward Onoja, like a rabbi, moves in his own signature-brand of clothes, dolls out money to grovellers and clods, the money that should have been used to develop the workers (including the pensioners), their welfare and the state just for his own personal glory; Edward Onoja hires louts and gawks to do dirty jobs for the government just as he does; he is being praised by many hungry urchins, and worshipped by many hopeless stumblebums. He executes baby projects in his choicest communities and commissions same in his own personal name. Such unbridled impunity has never had its way in any part of the country as it is in Kogi State.
Yahaya Bello makes a dog’s food of his opportunity, and allows a professional swindler, Edward Onoja, to dictate the pace and direction of his government. It is clear therefore that Yahaya Bello is not really ready and or mature for governance, if he could allow an employee under him to hijack the entire structure of government from him.
It is for the sake of this act of incompetence, inanity and inhumanity exhibited by tyro Bello and his unfeeling Edward that the life of this illegal structure called the Kogi State Government under the watch of these two aninis must end in November, 2019 by God’s abiding grace.
– Odih D. N. writes from Lokoja.
