Whenever I read comments from the apologists of Governor Yahaya Bello saying “they want him out because he is not Igala” I laugh at their ignorance. It is a public fact in the state and across Nigeria today that Yahaya Bello has performed poorly, below expectations and should not in all sense of morality be seeking to return to office for the second time. But this is Nigeria where morality is dead, a thief will see stealing as a normal thing and will always want to continue by justifying the act.
However, my worries are the fact that people either easily forget history or have deliberately jettisoned the political history of Kogi State since democratic dispensation.
History has shown that the Igala people have no penchant for non performance and sheer wickedness. They hate it, speak to you for a change and ultimately boot you out from power when you refuse to learn from good advise.
Prince Abubakar Audu is adjudged to be one of the best performing Governor Kogi ever had, history showed that the Igala booted him out of power when he was found wanting to have committed crimes against the civil servants who are the life wire of the state economy.
When in 2015 Wada was voted out, it was not the Okun that led the front, it was not the Ebira that led it. In fact, Wada won the Kogi Central senatorial district. It was the Igala who said he has not performed to their expectations and so should go. Captain Wada in his humane disposition did not fight it, he was not desperate to stay in power and so allowed the people’s decision to stand.
Yahaya Bello will not be the first Governor the Igala speaking people of Kogi State will be standing against. His performance is driving their mood and views of his governance.
History has shown that they do not stand against you because of your tribe, religious background or color, it is your performance that will determine how you are to be treated and not where you come from.
Has Yahaya Bello done well to be supported by the Igalas or anyone at all? The answer is a big NO. He has failed all round and the sentiment of where he comes from should not even come into play in the first place. Even his supporters are ashamed of themselves in the closet but for their stomach, they had to stay with him until election day.
Our institutions are dead, salaries are not been paid, insecurity is rife, governance has been reduced to child’s play, health systems has collapsed, education is at the lowest ebbs, infrastructures are decaying, living standards can not be measured anymore, people are dying, hunger is walking naked on the streets of Kogi State and yet, they was enough resources to change the story of Kogi State positively under Yahaya Bello but squandered for lack of experience and youthful exuberance.
History should guide us in our comments going forward, you must change your views to reflect historical stances of the people of the East of the Niger.
The next time you argue with me that the Igalas are not supporting Bello because he is Ebira, I will look you in the face and call you a FOOL.
This people are playing a unique kind of politics, they support you if you do well and reject you if you perform poorly. This is what Kogi, Nigeria and the whole of Africa needs to progress.
We should learn from the Igalas and not chastise them for standing against re-enforcing failure.
– Comrade Maji Isah writes from Kogi State.
