Your Position on COVID-19 Legendary, Press Corps Honour Kogi Governor

418
Spread the love

The position of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic has been described as commendable and legendary.

Speaking at the the maiden edition of Kogi State Government House Press Corps end of the year get-together and award ceremony in Lokoja on Wednesday, chairman of the planning committee, Jeremiah Ocheme, said the Governor took a stand that was unpopular and daring for the benefit of his people.

Ocheme lauded Bello for demystifying the way COVID-19 was ‘marketed’, thereby providing science-common sense approach to manage the pandemic.

“When COVID-19 broke out, you took a position that only those who have spent 30 years and above in politics could take. You took and unpopular, daring, politically confronting and dangerous position based on principles and stood by it.

“You were ready to face the consequences of your action and never mind the backlash that may come with it. Like a prophet, here we are, grappling with the realities of what you warned us about,” he said.

Governor Bello was conferred with an award of recognition for his role in demystifying the politics of covid-19 pandemic and his doggedness to stand against total lockdown because its devastating socio-economic impact on the people.

Presenting the award, National President, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Chief Chris Isiguzo thanked the Kogi State Governor for being media friendly.

Isiguzo added that NUJ as a national body was in agreement with the award conferred on the governor as it was not misplaced.

He stated that although many of them doubted initially but the governor took to his stand firmly which clearly showed that Yahaya Bello was seeing what the rest of them could not see.

He added that he was well aware of several projects of his administration which he at a time inspected across the state affirming that these were projects with direct impacts and benefits on the lives of the people.

In his remarks, Governor Bello pleaded with politicians and capitalists to desist from playing politics with the lives of the citizens, urging them to be sincere with the people.

He noted that the current negative economic effect of the highly marketed virus was as a result of insincerity of many individuals who have continued to make selfish gains while relegating collective interest and well being of the masses 

Governor Bello warned that citizens as well as other stakeholders should rethink the planned second wave of the pandemic, noting that there was gross deceit in the handling and propagation of the said virus.

He alluded that the country and many of its citizens were still yet to recover from the effect of the supposed first wave of the lock down necessitated by the out break of the virus, hence a second wave would cause much more damaging and colossal effect.

The Governor noted that his administration came up with indigenous strategy to solve its own challenges after realizing that the lockdown of businesses across the state would have a damaging socio-economic effect on the citizens and particularly the less privileged.

Governor Bello asserted that he would never play politics with the lives of his people irrespective of the monetary gains involved, reiterating that President Buhari’s well meaning plans for the people of the country were thwarted by these sets of politicians with selfish agenda. 


Spread the love



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *