Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, who became the fourth executive governor of Kogi state in January 2016, recorded high performances that surpassed all the previous administrations in the state. He assembled eggheads with high competences across primordial lines. This reminds me that there is a difference between a landlord and a tenant. We are proud of former Governor Yahaya Bello, which is why I call him, ‘our governor’. Bello, governed the state at the right time and did the right thing for Kogities. I appreciate you for keeping the state on the right track. More plum positions ahead for you. Insha Allahu.
On his inauguration on January 27, 2016, Bello, who exited office in January on the completion of of his constitutional two terms of eight years, swung into action beginning with civil service reform as he committed to the transformation of the state by reforming the machinery of government, security architecture, and ensuring ethnic cohesion and development at all levels.
Though, his first term was turbulently marred by unprecedented litigations and the political battles, he was not deterred in implementing his policies. As a pragmatic leader, he meticulously examined the situation and used his administration’s “New Direction’ blueprint as a compass to address the pressing needs of Kogi state.
The first problem he encountered in the course of governance was the civil service. It was rotten, corrupt and unproductive. Using the democratic and legal means to ensure an effective and productive civil service, the then governor embarked on a screening exercise that ignited an outcry from ghost workers and employment racketeers who were the target of the exercise.
After the completion of screening in 2018, Bello gave a standing order for the civil servants’ salaries to be paid between 24 and 27th of every month, an order that was sustained throughout his administration.
The autocratic nature of Bello in policy execution was a morale booster for workers towards productive and patriotism. Added to that is the fact that even in the face of the crippling national economy, he approved the National Minimum Wage for Kogi civil servants.
The issue of insecurity in Kogi on the eve of Bello’s administration was intractable. Lives and property were lost through incessant bank robberies, kidnapping, highway robbery, and political thuggery, making the state to be notoriously christened “the kidnap capital of Nigeria.” For instance, in 2011, ISWAP established a fortress in Okene, where most of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were made for terrorism in the North-east. Attacks on worship centres were frequent occurrences. Worthy of note was the killing of 16 Deeper Life Church members on August 7, 2012. Military formations in the area were also not left out of the preponderant clandestine clannish crises that led to the death of many citizens especially youths. Charity, they say, begins at home. Bello invaded the rocky caves of Okene and sacked ISWAP; the notorious kidnappers were identified and arrested and the proceeds of their nefarious activities were destroyed in broad daylight. The same actions were carried out in Kogi East and West where criminal elements were ransacked and arrested to make Kogi one of the safest states in the country.
In the health sector, he built hospitals and health care centres. He built the Reference Hospital, Okene as a medical cathedral to put an end to medical tourism by Nigerians. Other three state-of-the-art medical centres were built in Isanlu, Gegu-Beki and Eganyi in Ajaokuta local government area, while the Idah General Hospital was upgraded to o a zonal hospital to cater for the healthcare needs of the people. Today, every community in Kogi state can access basic healthcare delivery service within a 2km radius of their area.
On the roads of the state that were death traps, the Bello administration stunned many as its infrastructural master-pieces adorned the state right from its capital, to Idah, Gegu-Beki, Anyigba, Ogugu, Okene, Kabba, and some other places are cherished by the people. Specifically, these multi-billion naira projects that gave the state facelift include the Ganaja Junction flyover (which has brought the incessant traffic in the junction to an abrupt end), the 55 km Ejule – Umomi – Ugwolawo – Ajaka – Idah road, the Kabba township roads, Felele-Oworo road, the Okene township roads around Agasa GRA and Okengwe-Makaranta areas of the town, the 56km Ibana-Okpo-Ikeje-Emon- yokwu-Ogugu road, Ankpa township road, 38km Itakpe-Okene road, Agala-Ogane-aji road, Lokoja township roads, all the 3 senatorial district has benefited.
In carrying out these projects, the then governor was utterly and noticeably prudent. Through financial probity, accountability and transparency, Kogi state was rated best by the World Bank and other financial and accounting bodies in Nigeria. With effective communication and strong relationships, Kogi under governor Bello collaborated with international organisations in curtailing the menace gully erosion in the state. One of such collaborations was with the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP where the state consistently paid its counterpart funds. This intervention has permanently addressed the erosion menace in Adumu and Ogugu, Olamaboro local government area, Agasa in Okene local government area and Ogane-aji in Dekina local government area. It is this achievement of Bello that prompted President Bola Tinubu to appoint him as chairman of the committee to produce a roadmap for harmonising the recent National Economic Council (NEC) report on flood, the 2022 National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan as well as all other national reports on flood.
Education was not left out as Bello’s magic wand was also evident in putting an end to the incessant ASUU strike in the state-owned institutions in 2017 through strategic negotiation with stakeholders. The agreement therefrom normalised activities in the institutions and ensured prompt and regular payment of staff salaries. The development encouraged the governor to establish the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara after obtaining approval from the NUC in 2020. The specialised institution took off in 2021 with 245 students. On February 12, 2022, the Kogi state government disbursed N6b to contractors handling projects in the university while construction of the college of medicine, Prince Abubakar Audu University,Anyigba for full medical accreditation was also getting final requirement. Another deft move in reshaping the education sector in Kogi state was the establishment of the Kogi State University, Kabba in 2023, making his administration the first to establish and nurture two-state-owned universities within four years. Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja; College of Education, Ankpa; and College of Education Technical, Mopa.
To bridge the gap between the rich and poor, he went ahead to pay for final year students WAEC, NECO and JAMB and a host of others. Therefore with these achievements, I am proud to say that he deserves more responsibility. The youth of Nigeria are proud of you; you have liberated us from old politicians. We are working towards your slag “Youth O’clock”
Sulieman Raji Saidu,
Mando, Kaduna
08121227292
