Bello’s Eight Years of Service to Humanity in Kogi
Ibrahim Oyewale writes that Governor Yahaya Bello has made much impact in his eight-year tenure in the Confluence state despite the general perception and opinion of his perceived political opponents.
On January 27, 2024 to be precise, the administration of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello will come to an end and pave way for that of Ahmed Usman Ododo who had won the November 11, 2023 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressive Congress APC in Kogi State.
Bello who ventured into the state political landscape in 2015 contested for governorship primary election on the platform of the APC culminating in his becoming number one citizen of Kogi State on 27th of January 2016. The rest is history. Bello has come, saw and conquered, most importantly, he has etched his name in gold following his spectacular performance in the last eight years.
Notwithstanding the critical circumstances that brought him in as the Governor of Kogi State and litany of opposition, Bello however navigated through thick and thin in the past eight years and berthed in style with numerous successes achieved in the State.
Shortly after taking oath of office on January 27, 2016, the new administration which was tagged a “New Direction Administration” led by the young Yahaya Bello highlighted thematics areas for the government such as security of lives and property, health, education, civil service reforms and provision of infrastructures across the length and breadth of Kogi State.
Motivated by a desire to address underdevelopment in Kogi state, Bello constituted a screening committee to look at the various crises rocking the engine room of government - the Civil Service - with the aim of repositioning it. The exercise was greeted with opposition from the labour union and characterised with a lot of noise particularly fron the workers.
By and large, Bello’s administration succeeded in weeding out the bad elements and was able to raise Kogi Civil Service to a bar comparable with any State in the federation or ever more better.
This singular act has not only fetched the state accolades and receipient of international awards as the most transparent state and also for adhering strictly to Budget principles. He was also able to determine the monthly wage bill for the State against hitherto ever increase in payment of huge monthly bill .
No doubt about the fact that before the advent of Governor Bello’s administration in Kogi State, the State was known as a flash point for all forms of criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and killings. But on assumption of office, Bello swung into action by declaring zero tolerance for crimes in the state and asked the criminals to relocate to another place as Kogi would no longer be a safe destination for them.
He marched his word with action as he donated over 150 Hilux vans to the forner Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun, to combact crimes in the state.
Not only that, he was determined to ensure the setting up of Joint Security Task Force in the state comprising all the security agencies in Kogi State in collaboration with the State government to reduce the rate of crime.
For taking critical steps to stem the high tide of insecurity in Kogi and Nigeria at large, the then Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun recognised Bello’s efforts in fighting insecurity and subsequently became the first Governor to be so honoured with Nigerian Police award as best Governor on Security.
In the area of Agriculture, it is a known fact that Kogi is an agraian State and in line with the determination to ensure food security in the State, the Bello-led administration established the largest Rice Mill at Ejiba with capacity to employ over 2000 workers as the project also targetted to move unemployed youths out of the street .This is in addition to various agricultural programmes initiated by the new direction administration in the State.
The Health sector’s services delivery was second to none in Kogi State under the leadership of Bello in the past eight years as it received financial boost.
Having realised the importance of wellin ness of the people of the State and in a bid to discourage medical tourism abroad, Governor Bello established a gigantic Reference Hospital in Okene equipped with modern medical facilities, while he rehabilitated the Prince Abubarkar Audu University Teaching Hospital Anyingba. Government also upgraded the General Hospitals at Adogo in Ajaokuta Local government and Isanlu in Yagba East Local government area of the State and similarly established new General Hospital at Gegu in Kogi Local government area.
Just like the health sector, Governor Bello’s administration also made an indelible mark on the sound of time in the education sector of the State Apart from the fact that model primary and secondary schools were established across the state, it is incontrovertible fact that Bello was the first governor to establish two Universities within the four years of his second tenure in office. These are legacy projects which would outlive the administration and many citizens would live to remember.
As part of efforts to provide manpower for the growth and ever increase in the technological revolution across the globe, Governor Bello approved the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology at Osara in Adavi local government area of the State during the Covid 19 era in 2020.
His Administration also championed a ‘New Direction’ agenda to promote development in Kogi State. The “New Direction Blueprint’ utilized the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) to address multidimensional poverty and leadership. The State received recognition at the 72nd United Nations Assembly (UNGA) for its successful implementation of the SDGS