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The political sphere in Kogi State was known to be infested with political minions who have left the scene with their ugly mark of macabre dance. Kogi State found herself in a sorry state when the self styled political gladiators held sway and wielded treacherous power. This is the kind of political plague that afflicts Kogi State right from her “birth”.
The consequences of the political decay are better left to the imagination. There is no meaningful development found to abound in a State where self –centeredness and lack of vision are the ultimate and object of romance. Nothing destroys like self –centeredness and nothing put people in captivity than lack of vision. Sadly and painfully enough, until recent time, Kogi State was bedeviled with some group of people who are self –centered and selfish to the point of banality, ruling the hapless citizens with utter blindness. This is a clear indication of political decay. Another pointer of a political decay is persistent poverty in the land and persistent poverty breeds social dysfunctions, like “gangs, narcotrafficking, and a general feeling of insecurity on the part of ordinary people.”
Kogi State is so blessed in all ramifications but so backward in every way possible. One will wonder if Kogi State is been governed by some kind of creatures from other planet. One would have expected that Kogi State will be an epitome of pride and envy among the comity of States in Nigeria but alas the reverse is the case. Kogi State was known to be far from any form of political sanity and soundness.
The ultimate goal of this writing is not to dig into the malodorous past in Kogi State politics but to unveil a rare quest of political development emerging under the leadership of Governor Alh. Yahaya Bello, as there is evidence of emergence of gradual corrosion of “patrimonialism” in the body polity of Kogi State.
The concept of political development and renaissance is simply a sustained “movement beyond patrimonial relationships and personalistic politics.” This view was expressed by Francis Fukuyama in his book titled, “The Origins Of Political Order.” This concept also advocates a State being in tune with the reality of our time. This is what is playing out in the nascent politics of Kogi State.
If one is truly dispassionate you will notice that the kind of governance under Governor Alh. Yahaya Bello has never played out in the history of Kogi State before now. Right from the Secretary of State, Chief of Staff down to his domestic staff, the governor portrays a pattern of “non –patrimonialism”, which of course was deeply entrenched in the fabrics politics of Kogi State in the past.
Apart from unbiased appointment of his cabinets, the question is what has Governor Alh. Yahaya Bello done differently to prove this wave of political development in Kogi State? To put it straight, the unbiased appointment of his cabinets also revealed his mindset of fairness, equity and justice.
The dogmatic slogan of “we are born to rule” is fast becoming the thing of the past and serving the interest of the selected few has become alien in Kogi State. To add to this, no administration has consistently put up infrastructures in the State like the administration of Governor Alh. Yahaya Bello. His depth of ideas is a clear indication of a brand political order in Kogi State.
Governor Alh. Yahaya Bello is amazingly inculcating the spirit of oneness and Kogi dream in the minds of his followers and the generality of Kogites. This helps foster inclusiveness of all and dispels the inclination to create differences where there is no distinction.
It will go down in the history of Kogi State that Governor Alh. Yahaya Bello birthed the quest for political development.
By Barr. Shadrach Omeiza, E.
Senior Special Assistant to Kogi State Governor on Legal Matters
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