Against the backdrop of the award of Best Governor on Security for the year 2016 given to the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Wednesday 8th February 2017, by the Inspector General of Police, residents of the state and public affairs analysts are perplexed at the rationale and yardstick used in picking and finding Gov. Bello worthy of such an award, considering the glaring facts available on ground for the whole world to see.
That the security situation in the entire state and kogi central in particular, where the governor hails from has gone from bad to worse since assumption of office of the present administration in the state is no longer news.
Twenty two kidnap cases were recorded in the state within the year in review and last month, while the central senatorial district has become a haven for all sorts and manner of evil activities by miscreants and men of the underworld. The people are dying in silence and wondering why incessant kidnapping and armed robbery has to been the order of the day now that a son of the soil is the chief security officer of the state. Families of victims of kidnap and armed robbery are traumatized and live in absolute fear of the unknown. The freedom and dignity of the people is being taken away as a result of the siege on them by evil doers and our land has acquired the despicable status of being the most dreadful, notorious and unsafe place in the country, which has affected and nearly crippled socio-economic activities in the state in general.
It is sad that with all the powers and influence he wields and controls as Executive Governor of the state, Gov. Yahaya Bello is clueless on how best to effectively channel the resources at his disposal in permanently bringing an end to the menace and free reign of kidnappers and armed robbers in the state. It is laughable that a governor whose state is under the terror of evil men is being selected and recognized for a clearly unmerited award. Kogites and watchers of events in the state are beginning to ask whether the award conferred on Gov. Bello was for security or insecurity.
In as much as it is important to support and encourage leaders so they can do better, it is completely out of place to praise and award people for failure, incompetence and cluelessness? The people of kogi state are not interested in knowing what transpired behind the scene between the IGP and Gov. Bello or whether money exchanged hands or not which facilitated the award. But at this juncture, the credibility and honor of the Nigerian police is being questioned, hence the need for the needful to be done as urgently as possible. The IGP should tender an apology to the good people of kogi state and Ebiraland in particular and publicly withdraw the award.
The wild celebration which greeted the security award by Gov. Bello and his team was not only sad, shameful and unfortunate; it goes to show that the present government in the state has no iota of respect for the sanctity of human lives. Going to Abuja with the entire state executive council to receive a “black market” award was tantamount to dancing on the graves of the innocent lives which has been lost to kidnapping and armed robbery in the state. For this, Gov. Bello should apologize to kogites and quietly return the award to the Nigerian police in a show of respect to the victims of insecurity in kogi state.
– Hussain Obaro
oseniobaro@yahoo.com
