OPINION: Adesoji OMOSEBI
There was this adage by one of our famous music idol in the 70’s and early 80’s, Bongos Ikwe which says; “…nothing good comes to easy.â€
There is a difference between what you laboured hard to achieve and what gets to you on a platter of gold without sweat.
Governor Yahaya Bello fought tenaciously to clinch the APC ticket to contest the governorship election in Kogi but never made it. He lost to Prince Abubakar Audu.
History had it that immediately he lost the primaries he stopped fraternizing with his own party, APC either in their campaigns or in any other functions to get APC to power. Bello was said to have openly canvassed votes for the opposition party, PDP candidate, Wada. A reliable source confirmed that Bello was seen giving monies to voters on Election Day to canvass votes for the PDP.
As fate would later have it, Prince Abubarkar Audu who would have turned 70 this week were he to be alive gave up the ghost on the day when he was supposed to be declared winner and claim his mandate on November 22, 2015. His sudden death brought about constitutional crisis as there was no place for a candidate who died at the point of being declared a winner in the Nigeria’s 1999 constitution.
Either through whatever manipulations from the APC leadership, they jettisoned the deputy to Audu, Abiodun Faleke and picked Alhaji Yahaya Bello who did not participate in the elections that ushered in APC in the state.
Hardly had the tension generated from the battles subsided when the youngest governor started exhibiting youthful exuberance in the art of governance. He pitched his tent against the state’s civil servants in the name of endless screening that resulted to the deaths of many workers through accidents either when going or coming back from screening exercises.
There was nothing unusual about screening exercise to fish out ghost workers or those who falsified their age or their academic requirements. The ugly issue about Kogi issue was its endless screening that took its toll on innocent workers.
From the workers debacles, imagined enemies surfaced here and there. Kogi State became the dens of kidnappers, robbers and many unusual happenings in the history of the prosperous but mismanaged state.
From one crisis to the other; the sacking of university lecturers, proscription of state ASUU wing and other unions in tertiary institutions, the plots to recall Senator Dino Melaye.
In all of these battles, the workers were unpaid for close to 12 months in spite of bailout funds from the federal government.
The Senate termed the pathetic situation of workers in Kogi as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) by donating 1,260 bags of rice to alleviate their pains.
The one that broke the camel’s back was the sudden death of Mr. Edward Soje, a level 16 Director in the state’s Teaching Service Commission who died by committing suicide after his wife delivered triplets after 17 years marriage.
The other day, at the inauguration of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, Bello was the cynosure of all eyes at the event with retinue of security details that accosted him. You would have thought he was the Senate President with the rate of blaring of siren with numbers of mobile men guarding him to the car. Those who did not know him were asking who he was. Youthful exuberance!
Yahaya Bello force of governance and tyranny has shown that he did not seek wisdom of governance from God on assumption of office. It shows he never prepared for the seat he occupies. He has shown a bad example to teeming youths clamouring for governance in Nigeria. His, has shown to the populace that youths are far from ready to lead in Nigeria.
Almost two years into office no Kogites can show any tangible things he has done with their commonwealth. What distinguished him from other governors in Nigeria are the appointment of town cries and thugs in his cabinet. Instead of the Advisers to tell him the truth, some resorted to verbal attacks on perceived enemies opposed to the governor’s style of leadership.
The media men also got bitter pills from the governor’s aides. Two media men were beaten to a stupor by his aides.Gover
As at time of filing this report, Bello is still battling with non-payment of workers’ salaries for 11 months, contending with ASUU, Senator Dino Melaye, parent body of Nigeria Labour Congress in Nigeria. Oppositions are in exile for fear of political assassins.
His critics refer to him as a disaster in Luggard House, Kogi.
There is still room for amends if he so desire. Bello should not forget that those aides helping him to destroy his government are not accountable to the people but him. The success or failure of his government rests on him hence the reason he should urgently redeem his image by correcting his past error of governance.
A man whom God had favoured, who is expected to be a worthy example of a good leader had today become a subject of ridicule among his peers in Nigeria.
www.sojworld.com © October 28, 2017
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