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It is almost three years now or so that Alhaji Yahaya Bello, a.k.a White Lion, became the governor of Kogi state, but the state is just stagnant.
There is no single project, current or ongoing and there is no sign of any physical developmental projects or programs. The state is just as it, worse than before. There is no any sign that things will change because it is self-evident that from the way he is fumbling, the governor doesn’t have vision and focus on how to administer the state.
The State and Local Government workers are owed several months. Many died without salary, while pensioners, for the first time in the history of Kogi State, were categorized as Ghost Pensioners.
A state where ordinary government appointee, to be precise, Chief of Staff becomes the defacto Governor in charge of Local Government’s monthly allocation.
Mr Edward Onoja, a former GTB staff, according to impeccable source is in charge of Kogi resources. Sources are of the opinion that he is now richer than Governor Bello.
But pundits feel that all these troubles and malaise afflicting the state are some of the direct consequences of APC leadership and cabals at Presidency led by the former National Chairman of APC, John Oyegun and the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari. These cabals forced Bello on Kogites after the death of Prince Abubakar Audu.
And now that it has become glaring that the stenches of APC’s misrule is blowing everywhere and it’s odour is being perceived by all; whether you are Ebira, Ijaw, Okun, Yoruba, Igala, Hausa, Fulani, Bassa Nge, Bassa Komu or Ebura Koto. In order words, everybody is suffering now, regardless of whether one voted for APC or not.
This, hopefully, will be a common ground for us in Kogi State and Lokoja in particular, especially we youths that occupy the largest space in terms of number and that have unfortunately been manipulated as the easiest instrument of violence necessary for the continuation of misrule, to decidedly vote APC out in the next coming election.
As it has appeared to be now, without any iota of doubt the APC under the present directionless administration of Yahaya Bello is akin to corruption, misgovernance and treachery.
Particularly in Kogi State, it is of necessity now for Ebira people, Onoja’s yeomen and attack dogs to throw out their deep-rooted jingoisms, bigotries, and ethno-centrism to face this reality; a reality of the fact that Kogi in this present administration is in serious crises of leadership and governance, in which everybody (including them) is now feeling.
I have said this because since from 1999 the people of Central Senatorial district where Governor Yahaya Bello was allegedly to have come from have been in forefront in agitation for power shift. It is only in that zone that you will see a 100% voter turnout whenever an Ebira man is aspiring to be the Governor of Kogi State.
With an Ebira man as Governor and now that the dividends of the bad governance has been felt everywhere in the state, it will be a wake-up call on all people of the state on the need to vote APC out not only in Kogi State but in the whole nation.
However, when I complained last year in a form of write-up titled “Nothing is Moving in Kogi State” with a particular statement therein which I now quoted above, and which went viral, I had, as I expected received a fusillade of condemnations and abuses from no less than people of my home town Lokoja.
Why should I criticize the governor despite his dismal performance?
Those were the most uttered words. As a normative practice I shouldn’t raise an eyebrow to the governor no matter how bad his actions or in actions, just some hucks and eating from our Commonwealth. But I think these sorts of people have missed the point because criticisms are always necessary ingredients germane to the development of any serious society, in so far as such criticisms are focused and unbiased. As noted some time by the Emir of Kano, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi 11, that “Criticism of government should always be fair, objective and principled.”
Also as a Muslim, speaking the truth at all times; and enjoining others to do so, or discouraging them from doing bad things are central to the teachings of my religion. It is again in tandem with the traditions of my Prophet- Mohammed (SAW), that is the best jihad and the most excellent of men is to speak truth no matter the price, no matter the cost. Thus “the highest kind of Jihad is to speak up for truth in the face of any authority”. All these guys I know are the His Excellency’s favor-seekers.
– Aliyu Ibrahim Usman Lokoja writes from Lokoja.
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