Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Governor of Kogi State is not relenting in keeping to his election promise of transferring power to the youths and keep the elderly ones at the background. The youthful Bello, who just celebrated his first 100 days in office as governor of the most controversial states in the country has become the ambassador and the voice of the youths in the management of the treasured peel of the state craft.
He had begun in earnest to match his words with actions with his slogan “new direction” which has become a platform for the early arrival of tomorrow for the youths to realise their destiny. For the first time in the history of the state, 40-year old Edward Onoja was appointed as chief of staff to the governor.
Against the protest by the old brigade for the choice of Onoja, the governor’s closest ally, he remained undaunted as he has literally transmitted the art of governance to the office. Onoja, a banker of great reputation has not let his friend, confidant and ally, the governor down as he has become the engine room and bedrock of the child of circumstance administration.
He is known across the length and breadth of the state as a workaholic and a goal getter, putting round peg in round hole with his digital advice to his principal who is catching up quickly with the challenges associated with governance.
Apart from Secretary to the state government Mrs Folashade Anike Ayoade and a few others who were tired legs , most of the appointees, were in the same age bracket with him. He has embarked on some controversial projects, such as roundabout demolition and civil service verification which could only be done by an energetic, result oriented with a youthful vitality and valor. Although, the screening exercise’ s report has not been made public feelers from the field indicates that monumental disservice would have been wreck on the state which is adjudged to be on the highest rung of the poverty index in the country.
According to commentators on Kogi politics, most of those appointed were on personal merit devoid of the usual godfather’s influence. They posited that his radical stand on issues of state management may have been responsible for the barrage of protests from the self style stakeholders, opinion leaders and the state APC hierarchy who were disappointed with the entrenched wrong diagnosis of ” the way we use to do it” syndrome.
Ironically, the PDP as an opposition party which supposed to be in the forefront in confronting the governor has been at the background leaving some elements in the ruling party the APC to wash their dirty linen in the market square. First to throw the stone was the members of the state Assembly who attributed their unending crisis to the actions of the governor who has been working against all attempt by individuals and institutions at resolving the impasse.
The members known G15 faction who are loyal to the embattled speaker RT Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal gave a hard knock at the governor whom they alleged that he was working against the resolution of the National Assembly to take over the functions of the House and the subsequent seal off of the assembly complex by the police.
The lawmakers lamented that the governor had on the seal off of the Assembly complex provided accommodation for the Umar Imam led group to perform their duties insisting that Bello was responsible for the recalcitrance of the group of 5 lawmakers to the directive of the National Assembly. In the same vein, the APC state executive council met and passed vote of no confidence on the governor on what it termed anti party activities of the governor and his disregard for the party that gave him the power. The decision of the party Exco suspending Yahaya Bello was roundly supported by the self styled stakeholders of Okun west senatorial district .
In a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Lokoja, they condemned the attempt by the governor to constitute caretaker committee for the 21 LGCs of the state. But in a swift reaction the APC youth leaders across the 21 LGAs of Kogi state recently threatened to sue the embattled state chairman of the party Alhaji Haddy Ametuo for forging their names in the purported vote of no confidence passed on the governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello . Addressing a cross section of APC youths from the 21 local government areas of the state in Lokoja, the youth leader, Mr. Emmanuel Ayo cautioned the youth to be mindful of the antic of some members of the executives who will hide under the canopy of the party to cause crises. Ayo stated that the last state Exco meeting of APC held in Lokoja, the issue of passing Vote of No Confidence was never discussed, lamented that what happened few days ago clearly shows that they were working for Hon. Abiodun Faleke to jettison the administration of Yahaya Bello.
He pointed out that governor Bello style of leadership had liberate the youth in the state from the misconception of elders that the youth should not be given the chance to grow. The group however unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the governor and called on perpetrators of evil in APC in the state to have a rethink, saying “Kogi is our state and we cannot afford to allow those who have held the state at the jugular to cause more destruction at the detriment of the people” Speaking to the Independent, the Special Adviser to the governor on political Matters Hon. Pius Kolawole noted that the present government of Yahaya Bello is for the youth and by the youth, stressing that the era of putting old brigades, the elders, perpetually in positions of authority was over in the state
He added that Alhaji Yahaya Bello has come to the state to rest the old war horse who never thought the youths have the wherewithal to contribute to the meaningful development of the state. He added that in less than 100 days in office the governor’s footprint is felt across the state with people oriented projects. ” You can now see changes in the state since the screening exercise started. When the report is submitted and action is taking , kogi would have shed off a lot of extra luggages brought into the payroll by the ghost workers’ syndrome. ” We have respect for the elders, they have tried enough to give us experience, which we have learned and we think it is high time for the youths to take over. They should be at the background as advisers. We advised them to step aside and to play a mediating roles. We are capable to move the state forward.” He advised. Kolawole dismissed the actions of the APC Exco and the self styled stakeholders to issued vote of no confidence on the governor as self serving individuals. He labeled them as greedy and selfish politicians who believed things must always be done in their own ways, stressing that Bello has to build his political structure which is woven around the youths. He therefore urged the people of the state especially the youths to queue behind the governor to move the state forward.
