y concern in this write – up is to pick issues with one Mr. Joseph M. Adeola, who in the column of Palladium of The Nation on Sunday, February 21, 2016, used the medium to cast aspersions on the present policy direction of the new government in Kogi State. The attempts of Mr. Adeola were to mislead and misrepresent the policy drives of the Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, mischievously giving the new governor a bad name in the eyes of the Nigerians.
Perceptive political observers taking interest to study the political developments unfolding by the new and dynamic governor of Kogi State are rather disturbed how a new administration that is hardly one month in office could be subjected to such wicked negative commentaries, hatred and vicious political attacks.
The present leadership in the state is aware of where the lies, falsehood and attacks are coming from. Disgraced decadent and corrupt political elite now out of power is not comfortable with its present position. A corrupt past that has held the state hostage and fed fat on the poor masses of the state. They want to fight back. Mr. Adeola represents that fight. But Mr. Adeola and his paymasters cannot win the war. Before debunking the falsehood, lies and misrepresentations of issues by this writer, I will go back a little to comment on where we are coming from as a state.
I am from the progressive and civil society segment of Kogi State. Before the governorship election in November 21, 2015, the civil society groups have largely agreed to campaign and seek the election of APC governorship aspirant. The civil society group has carried out a detailed study of Kogi State between 2003 and 2015. This period was when PDP ruling elites held sway in Kogi State. These were years when maximum looting and plundering of the common wealth of our people were carried out by a gang of decadent PDP predators.
The net result of this inept and decadent leadership was that Kogi State was perpetually put in a state of auto-reverse in developments. We have decay of critical infrastructural facilities all around the State. All public schools, health facilities were grounded to a halt. Lokoja, the state capital, became the worst hit-all major roads in the capital city are in permanent state of disrepairs, with heaps of refuse taking over all the major roads in Lokoja metropolis.
Kogi State civil servants and workers of 21 Local Government Areas of the State will never forget the era of Governor Idris Wada. The Wada administration was probably the worst in the history of the state. It was an era where nothing seems to be working, except the sharing of the monthly revenue allocation. The administration was very insensitive to the plight of the local government workers as through the dubious state joint account, he doled out whatever percentage he likes as salary to the workers. Kogi State workers were owned many months of unpaid salaries.
The election was a classical engagement of the angry masses of Kogi State to wrestle power from the inept, corrupt and decadent ruling elite that has held sway in the affairs of Kogi State since 2003.
Prince Abubakar Audu (late) was already coasting to victory in November 21, 2015 governorship election, before he met an untimely death. This sad development brought confusion to Kogi State and Constitutional politics in Nigeria. The national leadership of APC in its wisdom intervened to bring sanity to the confusion and political logjam created by the death of Prince Abubakar Audu. Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who emerged next in position to Prince Abubakar Audu in the APC governorship primary election was then asked by the national leadership of the party to fill the vacuum created by the death of Prince Audu.
Alhaji Yahaya Bello took mantle of leadership as the fourth governor of Kogi State on 27th January, 2016 and his political vision is to transform the good fortunes of the state, so that Kogi people will live a better life free from hunger, poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. Our new Governor is out to institute a new culture of transparency, accountability, good governance in all activities of governance in the State.
The main policy thrusts of Yahaya Bello’s administration are directed to improve the standard of living of people of the state. Governor Bello wants to put measures in governance to address problems of poverty, hunger, unemployment, housing etc in the State. The governor has also promised to address the pervasive problems in the education, health and agricultural sectors of the state economy.
Another critical area that will receive the attention of Governor Yahaya Bello is the restructuring and repositioning of public service at the local and state level. Another policy thrust of the new government that has attracted the support and confidence of Kogi people is the abolition of joint state account committee and granting autonomy to the local government areas
What pains Mr. Adeola and his paymasters is the confidence and support Kogi people continue to extend to the new leadership of the state. Governor Yahaya Bello has become a reality today and no amount of lies, falsehood, confusion from the baskets of Mr. Adeola and his paymasters can stop the moving train.
- Isiaka writes from Ajaokuta in Kogi State