Excellence is indeed an art, greatness is a habit, for we are what we repeatedly do. It is no longer news that Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has been consistently identified as one of the best performing Governors in sub-Saharan Africa by pundits and political observers. With recorded giant strides made with his New Direction Team in the core areas of infrastructural revampment, security, agricultural revolution, Civil service and pension reforms, youth empowerment and probity in governance, it is indeed a thoroughly merited observation.
Little wonder the Governor received goodwill messages from many quarters as Daily Times Nigeria honoured him deservingly as one of the Times Heroes in commemoration of the 91st anniversary of the oldest Newspaper in Nigeria. For a recognized, age-long truth-dispensing institution like Daily Times Nigeria to find one worthy of honour, celebration and recognition for charting a new course and plausible direction for development, stability, peace and progress in the glare of stiff opposition to change and development is no mean feat. Such reputable recognitions are therefore needed to celebrate performing public office holders to encourage them to do more.
It is worthy of note that the Inspector General of Police gave a similar Award of Recognition for outstanding Leadership and Efforts at Adressing Security Challenges in the State for the year 2016 to the Governor.
This lofty stride achieved in the area of security has been lauded by a number of well-meaning people, Kogites and non-Kogites alike. One of such people is a respected military personnel who fought in the warfront for four years, Cheer Agba who made an incisive comment on security in Kogi State then and now. He remarked:
“It (insecurity in Kogi State) got so bad my battalion drafted a fighting unit to marry up with other regiments in the fight to rescue Kogi. I lost two of my colleagues there in 2012. In fact, Boko Haram boast and threat that they would demolish Nigeria in 24 hours was as a result of the grip they had on Kogi as their tactical command headquarters. That Kogi enjoys this level of peace and tranquility this soon is a miracle to me.”
This is a great testimony from a dispassionate and objective Nigerian Soldier. It bears eloquent testimony to the Governor’s capacity to deliver on his electioneering promises.
It would be recalled that the Governor has made good his promise to sanitize the Kogi State civil service and pension’s scheme, thus fishing out ghost workers and saving the State of monumental waste hitherto expended on paying non-existent people on the State’s wage bill. Not only has he successfully cleared the stables, he has commenced the payment of the cleared workers.
Torrents of deserving applause for this trustworthy Statesman attended the Kogi airwaves as members of the Kogi State Council for Arts and Culture began to sing his praise as they received their salary alerts. Many people also offered him hearty prayers for pardoning the less grievous offences committed by some civil servants including the staff of Kogi State Arts Council, who received alerts for their accumulated salaries and emoluments. These include the staff who were on the uncleared list for “less serious” infractions and pardoned on April 30th, 2017 with a directive that their entitlements be computed and paid before May 31. No wonder, the moniker for the performance-delivery Governor in the State is “Mr. Talk and Do”.
That is not all, as part of the Agricultural revolution initiative of the Governor, the State under the distinguished leadership of the Executive Governor would on May 29, 2017 be kickstarting massive agricultural projects in Kogi State. Rice mill would be situated in Kampe-Omi Dam and it would create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for citizens of the State and the scheme plans to have the production of Confluence Rice to be made abundantly available in the State by December projection.
It is worthy of commendation that investors are now trooping into the State because the State is now safe, secure and business-friendly due to the efforts of the quiet achieving Governor who is eternally committed to turning around the fortunes of the State and leaving in its trail, monumental verifiable achievements.
It is instructive to note that the safety of the state is not unconnected to Governor Yahaya Bello’s passion for the security of lives and properties of all indigenes and inhabitants of Kogi State.
It is amazing that the Governor is not doing exploits because of his desire to continue in office, but because of posterity. At the Daily Times Nigeria Banquet where he was honoured he enthused: “My fellow awardees, congratulations. As we continue in the business of governance, let us govern with posterity and not the next election in mind”.
This is indeed the word and mindset of a Statesman who is primarily concerned about the next generation, not a typical Politician simply worried about the next election.
It’s indeed the dawn of new direction, the core of good governance, the crescendo of excellent servant leadership, the gizmo of dependable industry and the shore of socio-political and economic prosperity for the people of Kogi. History will one day adjudge as fair and rewarding the giant strides of this great leader who prioritises the people over and above himself.
God bless the people of Kogi State; God bless the performing Governor as he continues to deliver the dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of the people.
– Petra Akinti Onyegbule is the Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
