In Seven Years, I have Done Well for Kogi – Yahaya Bello
By Nafisat Bello
Basking in the euphoria of his seventh year in office, Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has declared that his stewardship has been blessed with achievements, successes and milestones.
He said those successes have come in the area of landmark projects, women and youth empowerment and new state policy on unity and appointment of officials.
The governor argued that no single governor can completely rebuild a society in the time available to one administration.
Governor Bello stated this on Friday while marking his seventh anniversary in office.
He noted that even if he has to vacate the office today, he will live with a clear conscience, confident that “we did our best for Kogites with the time and resources available to us.”
“We promised that long-standing divisions along tribal, religious and other fault-lines were over and that fairness, equity and justice to all would be guaranteed. We swore to eliminate the out-of-control insecurity Kogi was notorious for back then and we undertook to make all of Kogi’s resources work for all of Kogi’s People, he said.
“We have worked assiduously as an administration to fulfill the mandate which the people of the state have so enthusiastically entrusted to us twice now,” he added.
Governor Bello noted that his administration did not underestimate the amount of work they needed to do to overcome the abysmally low levels of socioeconomic development they inherited.
“We have executed life-transforming projects across the length and breadth of Kogi State from City to Town to Villages, even Hamlets. At a time when the Naira has been steadily contracting in real value and supply, our Administration can boast of an array of projects numbering in their thousands.
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“We also made it a deliberate policy to observe affirmative action and for the first time in our history, the youth and the womenfolk occupied the largest number of high profile positions in government, and they were not only entrusted with high office, but were allowed to wield real power and influence.
“Till today, we continue to tackle our challenges with stoicism and the heart of a Lion. For the first time since Kogi State was created, we programmed equity into the spread of government appointments and projects,” the governor said.
He also described president Muhammadu Buhari’s style of leadership as an inspiration for him in delivering good governance and leadership in the Confluence State.
“If you see me fixated on providing transformational leadership and good governance in Kogi State, it is because our President, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, has laid down solid examples which I find inspirational. Mr. President has surpassed every Nigerian president before him in the delivery of strategic infrastructure across Nigeria and I am compelled to follow suit in Kogi State.
“To me, Kogi State is a metaphor for our Nation. We are the intersection at the heart of Nigeria where compatriots from different parts of Nigeria meet everyday on their journey of life, share a meal or a short rest and travel together to their respective destinations.
“Merit, fairness and justice determined the selection and placement of persons who worked with us, and when it came to projects, we have tried to spread the love proportionately among our three Senatorial Districts. Tribe, religion and class are no longer the determinants of who or where gets what. They play no role except as a measure of proportionality, and only in the pursuit of inclusivity.
“Our aspiration is a Nigeria where we can all meet in our rich diversity, unite in our nationhood and travel together towards our shared greatness.
“So, on this 7th year of our Administration in Lugard House, we celebrate our achievements for our people because they are the most important measures of how far and how well we have come,” the governor concluded.
