A Second Look at Yahaya Bello’s World Bank Transparency Award By Nafisat Bello
POLITICS DIGEST- Governor Yahaya Bello’s work rate, tight schedule and the fact that he has packed his cabinet with equally youthful commissioners and aides are responsible for the way Kogi state is often in the news on a daily basis for one reason or the other.
This fact makes sure journalists covering the state, civil society groups and others do not have enough time to ruminate on some particular stories and events for long before they are forced to move to other ones.
But we shouldn’t allow certain events to come and go just like that without celebrating them and doing certain things to plant them on the sands of time for the sake of posterity. One of those events was the recent honour bestowed on the state government by the World Bank which has to do with Transparency, Accountability, Financial Probity and Integrity.
The award is a big deal for two reasons. One, the above virtues that earned the state government the award are believed to be rare in governance and public service in Nigeria. Two, the World Bank is a global, reputable institution that is not given to pettiness and inanities and is also not interested in the local politics or sentiments that are prevalent in their countries of operation. So for an individual or institution to earn their commendation and award, something extraordinary must have transpired.
Actually, majority of Kogites and Nigerians in general are of the opinion that something extraordinary hit Kogi state in January 2016 with the coming of Governor Bello which many submit is by sheer, divine arrangement. If his coming was deemed extraordinary, his performance in office over seven years seems remarkable.
Even with about 42 mineral resources deposited in the state, Kogi had always struggled to meet up with her counterparts across the country in terms of youth employment, human capital, infrastructure, security and stability as well as other indices of development. But this seven-year period has seen a marked departure from the past with roads and bridges, hospitals and schools which are of world class standards lined up across the state.
The administration also took deliberate steps to beef up the revenue profile of the state which culminated in the remarkable increase of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N350 million monthly to N1.3 billion naira.
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When it comes to fighting for and defending the corporate and strategic interest of his state, no governor in Nigeria comes near Governor Bello. And when it comes to stopping powerful forces from trampling upon the rights of Kogites, Governor Bello gives it his all and does not get intimidated with the status or profile of any individual or organisation. The long-drawn battle between the state and the Dangote Group of Companies over the ownership of the Cement Factory in the state is a case in point.
And the big one was the recognition of Kogi state as an oil producing entity by the federal government which Governor Bello painstakingly and consistently fought for, for years. And when the state government got the first monthly 13 percent derivation fund late last year, it was a landmark in the history of Kogi state.
The World Bank and other reputable international organisations that are interested in Nigeria must have been taken note of these milestones and landmarks taking place in Kogi state.
And when the opportunity presented itself through the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), the World Bank did not waste time to commend Governor Bello for the refund of $4.63 million surpluses under the scheme.
According to a letter of appreciation titled ‘Refund of Surplus Project Funds to the World Bank under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) (IDA Credits: 62770, 62780),’ signed by its Regional Director, Shubham Chaudhuri, the Bretton Woods institution asserted that Bello’s action made it possible for the organisation to extend its projects to other states facing deficit funds.
That is not all, Kogi state also recently won the World Bank’s Awards of Excellence in three categories which include Fiscal Transparency and Accountability, Debt Sustainability and Domestic Revenue Mobilisation. The remarkable boost in the state IGR must have played a huge role in the latter.
Celebrating the awards, the Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, stated that the objective of the World Bank’s state fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability programme was to push Nigerian states towards improvement of their PFM systems, processes and institutions.
On his part, the Auditor-General of the state, Yakubu Okala, attributed the success in the areas of fiscal transparency and accountability to self-discipline, as well as the institution of a transparent and accountable governance system by Governor Bello from the inception of his administration.
There is no doubting the fact that Governor Bello is not celebrated enough for the integrity, brilliance and vision he has brought into governance in the state. But we must acknowledge that it is heartwarming to see global institutions celebrating someone who others at the local level like to criticise unfairly for political reasons or other reasons that are not altruistic.
