Any denial of signs of better days ahead for the people and government of Kogi State can either be seen as malicious, pessimistic, hate-induced or other sadistic adjectives not far from these.
This is because, as things stand now, the second leg of the New Direction administration of Governor Yahaya Bello seems to have commenced with a lot of momentum.
Come to think of it, isn’t it interestingly historic that a new administration would, without a waste of time, constitute its executive council within 48 hours of inauguration? This singular action of Governor Bello, in the opinions of many experienced political watchers portends a good omen when viewed from every sphere of democratic experimentation.
However, not giving needless attention to sycophants that may be found around the governor, some notable personalities who have closely interacted with the governor have always alluded to his empathetic disposition towards the plight of the have-nots around him. In fact, a close ally of governor Bello had once confided in a close friend that the ordeal of non-payment of salaries of Kogi State workers in the last administration would have been a turbulent period of his life.
According to this Bello’s ally, the Yahaya Bello he knows, would stop at nothing to make sure that life is devoid of frustration for any human he comes across. He said that maybe Bello had to endure the travails of those circumstances in order re-examine himself and therefore reposition to eventually emerge spotless in the fullness of his tenure.
Meanwhile, against all predictable conventional politicians’ ways of doing things, many people usually expect that second terms are not times to impress anymore, that the governor would be taking steps now that would point to insensitivity to the the yearnings of the people. But that’s not to be in this case.
Starting with the calibre of men the governor has harvested to form the state executive council, one is not left behind a smoke screen as to the envisioned destination of the governor.
As hinted earlier, the timely constitution of this council which is germaine to the effective operation of the entire mechanism of government is another pointer to the unusual governance business the governor is determined to transact henceforth.
More over, one would have also expected to reason with the government if salaries for the month of January were not paid civil servants. This would have simply been excused by consideration of the cost of going through the recent election and its attendant expenditure. On the contrary, shouts of austerity from the Confluence State have gone into the abyss as civil servants have quietly continued to enjoy their pays in the state.
In the mean time and with every sense of sincerity, it’s looking like it’s a time of stability for my governor now. A time to sternly be in charge of the government he heads in the state. It’s obvious that the bucks stop at his table and so, he takes either the glory or otherwise after he might have come and gone.
Apart from stability, I think it is a time of peace. The initiative by His Excellency to bring all aggrieved party members together shortly before the general election should be sustained. No matter the gravity of the enmity in the past, common grounds should somehow be found where harmonious relationships that’ll be geared towards a better Kogi State be re-established, regardless of political parties divides.
I want to make a particular citizen’s appeal to my governor; please extend an olive branch to all your Kogi brothers and sisters that you have hitherto been at loggerheads with. Some of them are your fellow alumni of the same alma mater, some are your kith and kin and above all, all of you are the same indigenes of Kogi State.
The positive difference that we all expected from our governor is yet taken to a higher pedestal now. Our prayers will continually be with Your Excellency knowing full well that your government, like every other one, is ordained by God.
Our prayers are with you that in your time, no Kogi person would go to bed on an empty stomach; that the dividing lines of religion, tribe, gender, class etc would have all completely fizzled out, giving way to stronger bond of unity among our people; that Kogi State would be a land known for limitless opportunities for all.
Congratulations to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello on his second coming. Only remember to turn away from the past turbulence, it’s a dawn of a new era!
– Solomon Enejoh, Abuja.
solenex2007@yahoo.com
