Bello’s Scorecard

Yekini Jimoh writes that one year into GovernorYahaya Bello’s administration in Kogi State, the Confluence State has started witnessing various developmental strides

Yekini Jimoh writes that one yearinto Governor Ya hay aB ello’ s administrationinKog iState, the Confluence State has started witnessing various developmental strides

Bello...moving Kogi forward

History was made about a year ago when the present Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello was elected as the fourth executive governor of the state. His emergence followed the sudden death of the late governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu who was already winning the election.

Governor Bello, who came second during the party’s governorship primary election was automatically picked as a replacement for the late Audu.

Since when he assumed leadership by chance on January 27, 2016, the governor has been making efforts to advance development across the three senatorial districts of the state in spite of the nation’s current economic challenges, which have drastically dwindled the state’s revenue.

One major step the governor took immediately he came on board was to embark on workers screening both at the state and local government levels, so as to ascertain the actual number of workers in the state.

During the exercise, it was discovered that Kogi State Government loses over N1.4billion monthly to ghost workers. It was also discovered that many people earn salary while residing outside the state. Today, the governor has been able to curtail the situation.

Lokoja, the state capital is now wearing a new look as the state government embarked on renovation of failed township roads and remodeling of outdated roundabouts. Streetlights in Lokoja were changed to solar powered models to reduce costs of maintenance and electricity and improve the aesthetics of the capital city.

Presently, ongoing projects spread across the state in the last one year include 15 road construction projects, 17 motorised rural water schemes and about 10 electricity projects to connect hitherto un-served communities to national grid.

The administration has also constructed a multimillion naira Kogi State Revenue House situated in Lokoja. In fact, history was made when the governor invited the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar to commission the project.

In his speech, the Sultan called on Governor Bello to create job opportunities for the youths as he commended him for bringing the dividend of democracy to the people of the state.

According to him, creating jobs for the youth is the best way to avoid youth restiveness, adding that creating more jobs for the youth will definitely solve most problems that societies normally face, especially robbery, cultism, prostitution and all that.

According to the respectable monarch, the governor has demonstrated that he is committed to developing the state. He stressed that in the next two years the state will definitely witness more developments.

He enjoined the people of Kogi State to rally support for Governor Bello, pointing out that the only way the governor can succeed is when he gets the support of his people.

As part of activities marking his one year anniversary, in the last one week alone, Governor Bello has been to Kogi East, Kogi West and Kogi Central senatorial districts to flag off various projects put in place to improve the standard of living of the citizenry.

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Hajia Mariam Salihu Ibrahim, in a chat with THISDAY, said the governor has been doing his best to move the state forward.

According to her, it is time for the people to come together and move the state forward. She therefore urged the people to give their maximum support to the administration to enable it remove all the clogs that had been hindering the development of Kogi State.

Mariam noted that the commissioning of the Kogi State Revenue House constructed by the governor is a testimony that the Bello-led administration will better the lot of the people of the state.

The prominent female politician however enjoined the civil servants in the state to exercise patience with Governor Bello, assuring them that after the conclusion of the staff screening exercise and payment are made, every worker in the state would have the cause to appreciate the new direction of government.

Also speaking with THISDAY, the administrator of Adavi local government council, Hon. Ajoge Enesi Abu commended Governor Bello for embarking on various projects across the state.

He also expressed optimism that in the next two years all the projects the government is embarking on now will be ready for commissioning to the admiration of the people.

“The governor has kept faith with his promise to give special attention to rural development and bring good governance closer to our people.

“We at the helm of affairs of the 21 local government areas have concluded that as the governor marks his one year in office, we therefore reassure our visionary governor of our maximum support for his grass root development initiatives.

“The onus is therefore on the people to continue to give his administration the needed support to sustain the current tempo of governance and take Kogi State to the next level in it the face of economic and other challenges”, Abu urged.

We at the helm of affairs of the 21 local government areas have concluded that as the governor marks his one year in office, we therefore reassure our visionary governor of our maximum support for his grass root development initiatives