Residents of Kogi state and well-wishers would on Saturday, January 27, converge on the Muhammadu Buhari Square to witness the peaceful transition of power from Gov. Yahaya Bello to the Governor-elect and his erstwhile Auditor General for Local Governments, Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman “OAU”.
The atmosphere in the state is carnival-like. An attempt by yours sincerely to book an hotel in Lokoja, the state capital, two weeks before the D-Day was largely unsuccessful as every available hotel room in the ancient city had been booked ahead by people from all walks of life who want to be witnesses to history. Perhaps, an evidence of the popularity of the mandate freely given to Alhaji Ododo on November 11, 2023. Like bees to a nectar, so is the name, Ododo, which literally means flower in his native Ebira language.
Both the governor and the governor-elect have been reaching out to people, preaching the ‘One Kogi’ gospel even before and after the election. Only few days ago, Gov. Yahaya Bello received in his Abuja home, his immediate predecessor, Capt. Idris Wada who is of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
Wada commended Bello for his sterling performance in the last eight years and promised to also support the incoming administration of Ododo.
Thereafter, the Governorship Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC and a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leke Abejide also visited Gov. Bello in a move that upset conventional expectations and shocked political analysts who had thought that the outcome of the governorship election had created a gulf between the duo.
Curiously however, Hon. Abejide expressed his unalloyed commitment to the Kogi Project under Alhaji Ododo.
“Your Excellency, let me congratulate my brother, Ahmed Usman Ododo, the governor-elect of our dear state once again. We all ran a good race and we also believe that at the end of it, only one candidate will emerge and we have Ododo as that candidate today. My participation in politics is about the people and once elections are over, all issues around it must be put behind to forge a progressive administration.
“The interest of our people supercedes that of individuals. I will support Ahmed Usman Ododo to succeed in the interest of our people,” Abejide had told Gov. Bello.
As Ododo takes over, a former coordinator of Kogi Peoples Movement, Aliyu Ismaila has however called on the Governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka and that of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Senator Dino Melaye to bury the hatchet and join hands with the new administration in the interest of peace and development.
He said; “Those who seek to exercise political power must be able to discern when to keep fighting and when to stop. Now’s the time to stop and queue behind the incoming administration.
“Elections would always come and elections would always be won by an individual. Both Ajaka and Dino used to be in the same camp with Yahaya Bello. So what changed? Why the sudden animosity against the governor?”
Indeed, Dino was so close to Bello that eight years ago, during the inauguration of the Gov. Bello, the then Kogi West Senator, had told the audience that “Kogi people voted for Audu, but God voted for Yahaya Bello”.
While residents are upbeat about tomorrow’s event, Gov. Bello has himself been carrying along the Governor-elect, meeting with relevant stakeholders and the business community.
At a time when some governors would wish they had more days in office, Bello seem eager to leave, having prepared a worthy successor to continue with the state’s 32-year development plan.
Apart from delegating some responsibilities like projects commissioning to the incoming governor, Bello on Wednesday in Lokoja, freely handed over his red pen to Ododo – a symbolic transfer of power, even days before his tenure would elapse.
The red pen is not often used in writing, yet it is perhaps the most powerful in our world. Some of the words associated with it are; “Approved”, “Treat”, “Deal” and “Proceed”.
It had in some cases precipitated conflicts between predecessors and their successors. However, in Kogi, Gov. Bello may have set an example for his peers by willingly relinquishing his red pen even days before the official handover.
Unlike in some states where past officials had to be chased around to hand over some government property or documents in their possession, Gov. Bello had since concluded the handing over processes in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs, and only retained few officials who he also directed to conclude their handing over processes on the eve of Ododo’s inauguration.
Moving away from “tradition”, Bello on assumption of office appointed Chief Edward Onoja, a Christian of Igala extraction as his chief of staff. In the same breathe, he appointee my friend and colleague, Evangelist Kingsley Fanwo, another Christian of Okun extraction as his chief press secretary and my kinsman, Abdulmalik Abdulkarim, a Muslim of Ebira extraction as his special adviser on media and strategy.
Bello would thereafter go on to tackle the highly contentious issue of ghost workers. Highly contentious because on one hand there could be few unintended casualties and on the other hand, there are the culprits who would ride on emotional sentiments of the unintended casualties to swing public opinion.
The over-bloated workforce was such that there were a lot of “workers” who had been “working” in Kogi state and yet drawing their monthly salaries from Automated Teller Machines ATMs scattered within and around the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
While my mother retired from the civil service several years ago, it must be noted that some of those she met in service were still in “active service” , more than 35 years after. One curiously asked what was chasing her. Lol.
Then the wave of insecurity which pervaded the state for some years was brought down in a way that even travellers and residents alike could testify to.
While it could indeed prove very energy-sapping to begin to reel out the achievements of the governor one by one, it is instructive to note that true to his promise to continue to commission projects till the last day in office, Gov. Bello on Friday, 26th January, 2024 commissioned the Itakpe-Okene road as well as the Muhammadu Buhari hospital in Adavi Local Government Area.
It is indeed, a worthy end to an era!
©Omeiza
