By Hon Alfa Tijani.
I strongly believe that it is only failures or people who have no ideas or solutions to problems who will always apportion blame in addition to giving excuses.
If Alhaji Yahaya Bello and his appointees were serious from the word go, they would have been able to hit the ground running from day one. But that wasn’t the case for a state that was in dire need of salvation from mess. The expectation from Bello and his appointees were huge.
In fact, Kogites expected Bello to perform miracle because he has come to rule through the back door, but that wasn’t the case. It is expected within some months, we should have seen the tangible promises, rather all we hear and see is Birthday Celebration and Verification Exercises.
It is quite unfortunate the change we expected seems to be a chain!
Some notable Kogites like His Excellency Goodman Akwu, Tom Ohikere, Usman Okai Austin, Muhammed Nasir and Ehimoni Mike have aired their voice on the State of the economy.
Blaming others is a sign of helplessness. By far the greatest albatross of Bello is the comatose economy. Our economy under the government of Bello has nosedived to an all-time low in just ten months. Unemployment has become dangerously massive. In fact, we are now rated as the State with the largest army of unemployed youths in Nigeria.
And the list of our woes is full and unending.
No crime could be worse than apartheid yet Dr Nelson Mandela chose peace over crisis. No Kogites should be detained when he/she has aired his/her view on the state of the economy at this time and experimental basis. Bello must always embrace dialogue as means to conflict resolution. Great Britain, USA, and other European countries sometimes even negotiate with citizens. Those asking for blood today will sing in different song and tune when tomorrow comes, Bello must do everything possible to secure the cooperation of every Kogite no matter our ethnic, religious and political differences as we awaits God’s judgement on Kogi state.
Bello must remember that he was the first man from Ebira land to govern Kogite by divine intervention. He will pay dearly for fumbling in power and that is enough punishment.
I will summarise the article with the opinion of an incisive prolific blogger in Kogi; “In simple terms are Kogites better off or worse off in the past ten months under Bello administration? Can we be bold to say that government policies in the past eight months are true reflection of positive changes in the standard of living of the common man?
APC won the election with the promise of restoring security and restructuring the economy, but my brothers and sisters from Umomi in Ofu LGA, Ibaji LGA, Odolu axis in Igalamela LGA and adding salt to the injury, a day, week or month couldn’t be completed in Idah LGA without one or or more tragic events, our people in the aforementioned areas are not safe as I speak, another soul has been sent to early grave in Idah yesterday. All thanks to the activities of herdsmen and Bello pays deaf ear. Cultism how far? Is our economy restructured? Is inflation on the rise? What are the current prices of good and services in our market as at today? Are we heading to a great recession”?
I can go on and on to list the litany of weakness and failures. of this Bello’s government within the past ten months, but then, I will end with a note of advice, A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE.
