When Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello registered his company as ‘Fairplus’, some of us Kogites wondered what FairPlus meant. But when he became the governor of Kogi state, we realised it meant business. It was the late musician Diyo Ozi Niger, who first predicted that Yahaya Bello ‘His Excellency is a good servant that will deliver and the trustworthy son of Egbira will not disappoint us’.
Yahaya Bello has proved his competency to the world as governor of Kogi state, where projects were distributed evenly in all the local government areas of the state. In fact, his predecessors testified to his superlative performance, when they confessed to have failed the state during their tenure as governors.
Some of the projects are renovation of Attah of Igala Palace, building of Igala Unity House, GYB Model Science School Adankolo, faculty building at Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, construction of 38km Inele Adum Akem road in Olamaboro LGA, 64km Umomi Akpagidigbo Ugwolawo Ajaka Idah road, Ogane Aji gully erosion site Dekina LGA, construction of Ganaja Flyover/Bridge, Kogi State Revenue House, Kogi Reference Hospital, internal road network and faculty building at the Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja.
Others include newly built Graphic Newspapers House, Hajia Hauwau Oziohu Hospital Okene, faculty building at Confluence University of Science and Technology Osara, reconstruction of primary and secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of the state, agricultural transformation in Kogi state, procurement and distribution of 100 tractors across the three senatorial districts, Omi Rice Milling Plant, construction of office complex at ministry of works and housing, newly built Presidential Lodge Government House Lokoja, newly built Government House Chapel, newly built Government House Mosque, newly built Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre Lokoja, newly built office complex for the States Special Environmental Project Team, newly built office complex of the Ministry of Transport.
Others are Okene township road, Governor Bello light up Kogi East, rehabilitation of Lokoja Mega Terminal at Felele, over 18000 street light procured and installed across Kogi state to curb insecurity, expansion and renovation of budget office Lokoja, renovation and reconstruction of government house Lokoja, newly built Ohinoyi of Egbiraland Palace Okene, construction of roads in Kogi west, renovation and construction of Kogi specialist hospital, construction of Lokoja township roads, ongoing construction of male and female hostels at the School of Nursing and Midwifery Obangede, newly built SDG complex, enormous Counterpart Funding of Appeals Project, construction of several similar hospitals like references hospital across the state, among ohers.
Bello was the first governor of Kogi state to receive payment as an oil producing state and was honoured by former President Muhammadu Buhari with the Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) award.
Because of his fairness to all Kogites, he appointed an Igala man, Edward David Onoja, as his chief of staff, the first in the history of the state. In his first term (2016-2019) an Igala man, Elder Simon Achuba, was his deputy while Onoja is the incumbent deputy governor.
Suleiman Raji Saidu
Mando, Kaduna state
