Kogi state was the hotbed of criminality and the brooding room for all kinds of criminals – from political thugs, to armed robbers, morphing into modern day terrorists, not limited to the guises of bandits and kidnappers. But these have practically become a thing of the past. I put it to a Kogilite that the Gwagwalada-Lokoja highway is safe for travel now, even in the evening. I was pleasantly surprised that he admitted that the road wasn’t one that you could ply safely even in the afternoon, not to talk of the evening time.
Governor Yahaya Bello has turned that hotbed into a cold room of a confluence state that is producing young farmers and entrepreneurs, as well as organised youths as vigilantes, contributing to a collaborative security network where locals and state security agencies are on a synergy that is providing astonishing results. This is not hearsay, as Governor Yahaya Bello bagged Mr. President’s award for security management, at the Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Award.
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in a letter to Governor YB, declared that since his assumption of office on January 27, 2016, YB is widely acclaimed nationwide as the most security conscious governor, for his onslaught against crime, and all other forms of criminality, which have made Kogi state one of the Industrial hubs of Northern Nigeria lately.
Governor Yahaya Bello has been able to effectively identify and tame the monster that has been the devil, undermining Kogi’s growth, bedeviling the youth populace as it churns them out as miscreants in a society where they would have otherwise thrived as agropreneurs, Silicon Valley Whizkids, and newage techies who would immensely contribute to the IGR of the state and to the country as a whole.
This turn around is what has irked opposition politicians who are in a hurried campaign of calumny against Bello, as election season hots up and the politicisation of insecurity that breeds poverty is once again sought after; and get rich quick dare devils are ready material to wreck havoc on Kogi. They are bent on rewinding the Kogi tapes, pausing them and playing them over periods when Kogi was challenged security wise, editing and corrupting the story, to fit their narrative of a failed state.
This is the only method known to them, and it is the only card to play, as Kogi’s reality and its successes are undeniable and incontrovertible. For Baba, Dogo Dan Daura, to recognise you and award you for excellence in service, as The Best Governor in Security Management, surely you are to make a lot of enemies from opposition politicians who would have no room to criticise, let alone make any progress or foray into the populace politically.
From excelling in the number one duty/ responsibility of government, Governor YB has built a solid foundation for his government, that has served as a springboard for implementing and pursuing government’s policies and schemes that have attracted global acclaim to his state and his style of governance. Governor YB refunded well over $4.5 million to the World Bank, from their Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP. This, the World Bank said, made it possible for other states which had deficits, to enjoy more funding. It also made it possible for the World Bank to expand their projects’ scopes and deadlines all over the country.
The regional director commended Governor YB for this most outstanding action, and underlined that what the governor did was a sign of good leadership. In the final analysis, Kogi state bagged three World Bank awards for; 1. Fiscal Transparency & Accountability, 2. Debt Sustainability, and 3. Domestic Revenue Mobilisation. These were presented at a dinner organised by The World Bank at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. This yearly event focuses on the scrutiny and improvement of Public Financial Management Systems of State Governments. Yahaya Bello aced it once again. So when Shubham Chaudhuri of the World Bank, a regional firector, is commending and applauding Governor YB, where do politicians like Natasha Akpoti and her spurious tirades and allegations at media houses, reputably, under fines for one fake news or the other, fit in?
Politicians must evolve beyond the politics of poverty and insecurity. These two factors are inherently responsible for the stagnation of the growth and development of our dear nation. Political party differences should not be excuses for heaping troubles and casting gloom over a people that are beginning to enjoy the dividends of democracy of the Governor Yahaya Bello years in their enclaves.
This is disingenuous, unpatriotic and devilish. Kogi state is more than one individual and its peace and prosperity is for the benefit of generations to come. Kogi is strategic to the economic wherewithal of the North and as the gateway to the economic livelihood of the country as a whole. Flooding and other recent challenges of the beautiful and bountiful confluence state has proven once again how vital Kogi is. So Kogi’s security is Nigeria’s secure well-being.
Tahir is Talban Bauchi.
