The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GYB

  • Kogi: Affliction called GYB

    Sir: Popularly called ‘The White Lion’, Yahaya Bello was declared winner of the 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election after he replaced late Abubakar Audu who had won the election but died before the result was declared.

    As it is now, Nigeria’s youngest governor is Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, who is 43. The #Not Too Young to Run Act was pushed by young brilliant Nigerians, as well as NGOs and CSOs to reduce the age of political contestants and to encourage youth’s participation in politics. But going by complaints from his people, one can rightly conclude that Yahaya Bello is the worst example of that quest

    What has he done for his state? Well, Governor Yahaya Bello – GYB as he is wont to be called has done little or nothing tangible in his state as the good people of Kogi (particularly civil servants) are complaining about his refusal to pay them their salaries for months. Yet, he persistently claims to have created a development footprint that could be smelt.

    This youthful governor is supposed to carry out activities and programmes to help drive development in all spheres of Kogi State. But he prefers to make the people suffer while he builds mansions and castles, in and outside his state.

    It is no news that there is a form of categorized payroll in Kogi State—the cleared and uncleared list. Only God knows where the retirees fall – maybe the ‘dead list’! One is left agape as even with the federal allocation, bail out, together with the Paris Club funds GYB cannot still pay salaries of Kogi workers—many of whom have died, just as some are on the verge of dying.

    Most recently, his deputy, Simon Achuba revealed that GYB has refused to pay his salaries and allowances, which has risen to the tune of N819 million. Achuba, said he has been working without statutory allocations for the last two years and couldn’t bear it any longer. That is the state’s deputy governor; how about the teeming civil servants in Kogi?

    The big question is where is EFCC and NLC that are supposed to check corruption associated with mismanagement of public funds and remuneration of workers? Indeed, we need to tell ourselves the indisputable truth, which is, GYB has terribly disappointed Nigerian youths with his tyrannical system of leadership.

    Thus, Kogites should not consider giving him another chance. He has visited deprivation, poverty, emotional and psychological trauma on the people.  He lacks empathy for the people that he is supposed to govern.

    As teeming Kogites yearn for quantifiable development both materially and immaterially, the leadership of his party and the federal authorities need to intervene by calling him to order. They should checkmate his excesses while the masses on their part should drag the bull by the horn by ending the cruelly narcissists’ tenure of GYB in the same manner slave trade was abolished. Kogi deserves to be liberated from the shackles of bad governance and the stranglehold of the current rudderless helmsman.

     

    • Isah Ismaila, Abuja.

  • Kogi Central Senate seat and GYB

    SIR: Arguably, since late Senator A.T Ahmed left the red chamber, the central senatorial district of Kogi State has yeaned for quality and effective representation at the National Assembly. The score card of the personalities who have represented us both at the House of Representatives and the Senate since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 has been too scanty in terms of sponsored bills, federal projects attracted to Ebiraland and quality of contributions made during plenary.

    Representatives and senators from our part of the country are majorly known for sleeping off or reading newspapers while important and vital issues are deliberated. Our lawmakers are always the first to be mentioned when listing “bench warmers” and “I support” members and senators. Some people have described the abysmally low quality of representation and contributions legislators of Ebira origin to the kind of political system which favors and allows politicians with relatively low academic qualifications, scanty credentials and very limited experience to emerge largely due to their financial muscle, ability to mobilise thugs or political rascality.

    Over the years, our federal lawmakers have reduced representation to mere distribution of a few items like Keke Napeps, motorbikes, sewing machines, hair dryers and food stuffs to a few of their party loyalists and political thugs under the guise of carrying out empowerment programmes. The fact that our elected representatives haven’t been able to look beyond sharing of a few gift items means they lack the fundamental capacity or capability to comprehend the real meaning of empowerment or ways to truly affect and make meaningful impact on their constituencies or senatorial districts.

    The lack of adequate maintenance of federal establishments, near moribund and abandonment that federal projects and structures are presently in is a pointer to the fact that the federal lawmakers from the central district of Kogi State do not have the slightest idea or an iota of knowledge of their duties and responsibilities at the hallowed chambers. Currently, the state of Okene-Lokoja federal highway leaves much to be desired and can be described as a national shame. If attracting new federal presence and projects becomes such an impossible task for our representatives and senators, they should at least make efforts in asking the federal government to as a matter of urgency and national emergency, fix and maintain existing dilapidated once. The clamor for the revitalization and resuscitation of Ajaokuta steel complex has continued to suffer neglect despite all that this country stand to benefit from the gigantic company; this is because we have always allowed semi-literates to represent Kogi central at the National Assembly.

    For the very first time in our history as a people, the good people of Kogi Central Senatorial District are determined to put forward one of their first eleven and best brains for election into the senate. Just when it is beginning to look like we are finally starting to get it right by unanimously nominating Barrister Natasha Hadiza Akpoti, the signal coming out of Lugard House doesn’t seem to favor the popular wish and choice of the people. Although there is nothing fundamentally wrong in a governor endorsing his preferred candidate to vie for elective positions, such endorsements should consider and take the popular opinion of the electorates into cognizance.

    Apart from the obvious fact that Natasha’s sole efforts and struggle towards the revitalization of Ajaokuta Steel Complex has endeared her to the masses in Kogi Central and beyond, Hadiza Akpoti’s academic credencials are enviable and the enthusiastic and passionate manner with which she carries herself in analysing, presenting and disecting issues are excellent and brilliant.

    Dear Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB), since the people of Kogi central wants Natasha Hadiza Akpoti for the senate, do not frustrate their quest so that posterity would be kind to you. Let commonsense prevail.

     

    • Hussain Obaro,

    Lokoja- Kogi State.

  • GYB, between loyalty and sycophancy

    IR: The first method of estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him (Niccole Machiavelli). The failure of the present administration in Kogi State began from day one, as a result of the calibre, quality and mentality of the men and women the governor, Yahaya Bello, chose to work with to pilot the affairs of the state. Didn’t the holy book say that he who walks with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall come to ruin and destruction?

    Governor Bello got it wrong from the beginning by appointing people who have got no value or something to add to his government but would rather use their appointments and positions as opportunities to further massage their ego, oppress the people and swell their bank accounts.

    The activities of many of his overzealous appointees who go about threatening and harassing members of the public with SARS and other security agencies, including thugs, if allowed to continue unchecked could result into violence and chaos capable of threatening the fragile and volatile peace of the state. See how the ineptitude and incompetence of the media team was exposed when the news of the purported dissolution of the state executive council and local government caretaker committees found its way into the public space even before the conclusion of the council meeting? Such embarrassment is what you get when you choose to work with intellectually deficient and redundant personalities.

    While aides of other governors were busy posting pictures and updates of landmark achievements and laudable policies, projects and programmes on the social media for the whole world to see, the governor’s clueless appointees were celebrating pictures of the governor’s newly built mansion in Okene on the social media. It is said that a good friend wouldn’t get on your way unless you are on you way down. Sadly, none of the appointees was clear-headed enough to advise that at the time when civil servants and pensionaers wallowed in poverty and untold hardship, a flashy, reckless and a lavish celebration of personal house was tantamount to insulting the sensibilities, understanding and patience of the good people of Kogi State.

    For a governor expected to be the beacon of hope, an ambassador and a role model to the millions of youth in Nigeria, he is being tossed around, influenced, manipulated and misled by sycophants who have hijacked his government for self-serving favours, political influence and financial enrichment. We are in the 21st century and in a digital age, so having around people who calls him “white lion” or “digital governor” is ridiculous and laughable.

    Since none of the governor’s appointees love him enough to look into his eyes and boldly tell him that his popularity and goodwill enjoyed at the inception of his government more than two years ago is fast eroding, the reality of the day is that he is not only despised and hated within the state but his actions and utterances, coupled with the recklessness and egoistic manner with which many of his appointees behave has earned him more enemies than friends all over the country.

    It is never too late to make amends.  All that the governor needs to do at this point in time is to draw the line between genuine loyalty and sycophancy. Identify those who really share and believe in his vision and give them responsibilities, separate the trouble makers who go about using his name to harass members of the public and show them the way out. He should do away with sycophants who have turned themselves into praise singers instead of doing what they are appointed for and purge the government of inexperienced and inept appointees.

    • Hussain Obaro,

    Lokoja.

  • GYB’s ruinous “New Direction” in Kogi

    SIR: It’s no longer news that Kogi State has recently been ranked first among states of the federation where examination malpractice is prevalent. In its 2016 report released a couple of day back, the West African Examination Council  (WAEC)) placed the confluence state on top of states tagged as notorious for examination malpractices. This is coming at a time when the states owned university, polytechnic and colleges of education have been closed since four months as a result of the striking academic and non-academic staff who are protesting non-payment of their 15 months salaries and allowances.

    Kogi State under the so-called “new direction” has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. It is leading among the states that are notorious for non-payment of salaries and allowances. Recently, houses and properties of certain individuals were demolished and destroyed even though the alleged criminals were never convicted by any court. Now, guns have been found in the houses of some of the alleged assassins who allegedly made an attempt on the life of a senator, which have been displayed by the Nigerian police, yet the state government hasn’t deemed fit to extend the same gesture of demolition.

    The show of shame by the state government in the past few days during which medical doctors under the aegis of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) who are currently on strike were threatened with sack and a no-work-no-pay policy instead of urgently engaging them in a dialogue is to say the least an embarrassment and an open display of immaturity by the state government. It’s now obvious that the “new direction” blueprint of the Yahaya Bello government is set to further ruin the state rather than bringing any positive change and development.

    It is high time the state government began to think  outside the box and consult widely for wise counsel and proper guidance on how best to resolve and tackle the myriad of problems militating against the state. The state is blessed with men and women with vast experience in all sectors of life; the time to bring them in is now.

     

    • Hussain Obaro,

    Lokoja, Kogi State.