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Perhaps one of the biggest dreams I had while growing up as a child was to see a lion in real life. I remember how I watched with rapt attention, documentary shows on the popular animals channel – NatGeoWild – that featured these ferocious kings of the jungle and imagining if and when in the future, I’d get to see one. The strength and power with which a lion attacks its prey is something I admired very much. Besides these interesting characteristics was also the knowledge that the female species are stronger and consequently more aggressive than their male counterparts. It’s interesting the many unique qualities these beasts possess but I’d leave my jungle story for another day.
But beyond my childhood wish to see a live lion, is also a recurring imagination of what it would be like if we had lions in human skin. Weird as it may sound, this thought is what informed the topic of this article – the while Lion – in describing Yahaya Bello, the “white-garment” governor of Kogi state. Perhaps I can say he is a perfect fulfillment of my dreamy reverie of a “white lion”.
One thing I’ve come to observe in the Kogi State political setting is a deeply ingrained tendency in the heart of political jobbers, to lay some entitlement claims on the pockets of public office holders by, particularly those who are elected into such positions. There are far too many sycophants in this country, who take advantage of the insatiable thirst of politicians, for praises from the people they govern – even if they had not done anything tangible to deserve such encomiums.
Having digressed enough, let me continue on my white lion story. Sometime ago, I stumbled on a video that was making the rounds on social media, showing the governor, who is currently the youngest in Nigeria, addressing the people he governs with so much rudeness and callousness! I watched with awe and disappointment as he told the people how unconcerned he is about their complaints and agitations. I continued to ponder why Bello made such insensitive remarks to the plights of his people until it dawned on me that it wasn’t just a man speaking- it was the “white lion of Kogi state” Could I have expected anything different from him?
Yahaya Bello was relatively unknown to me until the day he appeared in his Ehebe clan meeting to formally declare his intention to run in the governorship race. He had made such an indelible impression on my heart about his generosity and great potential to transform Kogi state and turn the fortunes of its people around. However, it is quite unfortunate that the man who is currently occupying the Luggard house is a complete Alice-in-Wonderland – entirely different from who I thought he was. He is now a white lion who is “fearless” and therefore insensitive to the cries of his people for good leadership.
It is noteworthy to state that Bello came in when a majority of the people were clamoring for a drastic change in the political trend in the state – a complete turn from the precedent custom of electing people of old age to govern. The people wanted a younger, vibrant and visionary candidate; one who would be a sharp decline from the way of the veteran elites, and bring a good dose of positive mindset and ideologies to bare on governance. Bello’s emergence therefore, was a timely answer to their prayers (or so they thought). It is however, quite unfortunate that two years after, his incompetence, as perceived by many, has dealt a big blow on the formerly popular notion that the youths of Kogi state, if given a level playing ground in politics and elected into office, would outperform the older men.
Governor Bello, has in such short time, developed a thick skin. He has continued to turn deaf ears to the cries of the people of Kogi state – a people who already have had many years of bad governance and are desperately in need of a compassionate and altruistic leader who would put an end to their sufferings, not someone who would subject them again to untold hardship – the latest one being the perpetual compulsory screening exercise he ordered on all civil servants in the state, all in the name of discovering ghost workers. A resounding question in my hand is: “how did the federal government, with the supervision of the current minister of finance, make its own ghost workers discovery without creating the kind of chaotic situation currently being faced by workers in Kogi state?“ From all indications, it’s beginning to look like a deliberate ploy by the Bello-led government to deny Kogi state civil servants their salaries and entitlements; otherwise, how can one explain the embarrassment it poses, that in 14 months running, the state is still doing with much hassle, a seemingly facile task, evident from how it was done at the federal level, and even so, over a larger pool of workers and in a short period of time!
This seemingly endless flurry of activities is at best an act of sheer incompetence and at worst, a deliberate act to siphon state resources and deny the workers their hard-earned salaries.
The sad truth is, there is a wide disconnect between Bello and the people he governs, and most of his policies don’t bare any direct impact on their lives. His antecedents as a successful businessman is completely at variance with his current style of administration. Perhaps one of the most troubling situations affecting the grassroots people in the state is the lack of potable water; but the governor has done little or nothing to alleviate the sufferings that this poses. Rather, he has adopted a “karikachop” style of politics – doling out cash in instances when his convoy is in motion, and leaving the people in a feeding frenzy!
Bello’s actions are reminiscent of Mohammed Adoke, the former minister of justice, who happens to also hail from the governor’s senatorial zone. A man who, for most part of his tenure stayed aloof of events that bothered on the lives of his people back home but during the buildup to the 2015 general elections, came calling with truck-loads of food items for onward distribution to the people. Ironically, even right there at the collection center, shouts of “Sai baba”, a popular slogan then in solidarity with Buhari, filled the air, coming from the same people who just benefited from the father-Christmas-like act of “benevolence”. Someone should allude to that situation in helping the governor see that the Nigerian populace are beginning to wake up from every hitherto used schemes to sway election results in their favor, including the frolic distribution of cash and food items!
Mr. Governor needs to be told that his popularity with the people is dwindling daily. He needs to readjust his policies in order to regain the love, goodwill and support he once enjoyed. He must be woken up to the realities facing an average Kogi man today and how the fecklessness of his cabinet members is telling negatively on the development of the state. Bello needs to pay more attention to the judgements given at the court of public opinion, in order to be in touch with the heartbeat of the people, especially those in the grassroot. Any attempt to muzzle anyone who criticizes his government would have dire comeuppance in the future, and at such, should be discontinued as that is the case right now.
Kogi state needs a human being for governor, who feels the pulse of his people and is willing to provide succor to them, not one who has evolved into a ruthless white lion who throws caution to the wind at the slightest provocation by critics, and rules with a heartless approach to his people’s predicaments. Kogi state needs a man, not a white lion; we need a reality, not a fantasy!
– Aliyu Mahmud Amoto
Spokesman Concerned Kogites Forum
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