Work progressing on schedule at the District General Hospital, Gegu Beki under construction by the administration of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. The government is living up to its promise to do more in all sectors.
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
A group under the auspices of Rescue Nigeria Mission, RenMiss, has urged the youths in the South West region of Nigeria to support the 2023 presidential aspiration of Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello inorder to ensure vibrant representation in changing the political narrative of Nigeria in the interest of the masses.
The group, along with thousands of youths from across the six states of the South-West, gave the urge on Saturday, when they converged on Lagos to boost support for Governor Bello 2023 presidential bid, as well as the need for Bello to contest in the poll.
RenMiss which insisted that it was Bello or no other person for President in 2023, vowed to rewrite what they described as “Nigeria’s political history” of “recycling old, tired politicians”, vowed that they were ready to also disgrace money bags with their money.
The group, affirmed that like their counterparts in the Northern states, they were ready to mobilise heavily for the Kogi State Governor no matter what happens within his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
South West Coordinator of the youths, Shola Saheed, speaking at the South West Zonal launch and induction programme, stressed that; “We are excited today that all our youths are keying in. As we speak today, over 20 million youths (PVC holders), at home and abroad, are already actively involved in the struggle to install our own, Governor Yahaya Bello, as President. Others are already trooping in.
“We are set to change the political narrative, rewrite political history of Nigeria. We will not listen to godfathers (‘Baba sope’), we will collect their billions if they bring it, but we assure you, we will put Yahaya Bello there with our numbers. Bello is the only man in the race who can fix Nigeria myriad problems.
“Don’t ask me how we will do it. Just watch and see how we would rescue this nation resolutely and peacefully.”
Sajeed maintained that the youths’ involvement in politics was not tied to any political party, noting that with the capacity Governor Bello had displayed in Kogi State and within his party, they would queue behind him to rescue Nigeria.
“Mark today’s date. This is the Lagos declaration of Nigerian youths for Yahaya Bello. We will say we said so after his inauguration in 2023,” he noted.
The Chief of Staff to Bello, Abdulkareem Asuku, who was invited to witness the South-West declaration, commended the youths for their unflinching support for his principal and promised that he would not let them down on the call on him to contest.
He said, “Governor Yahaya Bello is the face of the youth in the Nigerian government system. Kogi State is the centre of Nigeria, being the only state bordering 10 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Hahaha Bello came on board as governor and governed Kogi State without a porous border.
“The economy and Internally Generated Revenue, IGR of Kogi State tripled within the short period. Such a man who has been able to transform the economy of Kogi State, unite the people and fix security issues in record time is the man Nigeria needs.
“The South-West youths of Nigeria are here in Lagos to call for a replication of what is happening in Kogi State in the larger Nigeria. Thank you for standing by the truth. Only the truth can address the challenges of Nigeria,” he affirmed.
A University Don and Dean of Student Affairs, Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State, Dr Uzah Thomas said only Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello can put an end to the incessant strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Dr Thomas stated this on Friday in a paper he presented at the Civil Society Think Tank Round Table on a Glance into Nigeria’s Future and Governor Yahaya Bello’s Developmental Politics.
In his presentation, Thomas harped on Governor Bello’s giant strides in the education sector in Kogi to buttress his point.
According to him, Bello who is tipped by many Nigerians to run for the office of the President in 2023, upon assuming office as Kogi State Governor in 2015 ended the strike pandemic that has ravaged the university system at the state-owned university now known as Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba for years by pulling the university out of ASUU.
He also established a new specialized university – Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.
Thomas, in his paper titled ‘Looking into the Future of Nigeria through Governor Yahaya Bello’s leadership Strides in Kogi State’, affirmed that there have been massive investment in the educational sector in the state, with a large chunk of the state budget allocated to education.
“This has consequently reflected in the revamping of schools across the state.
The quality of human resources in the state has improved tremendously by implementing a policy on training and retraining for teachers”.
He argued that “in looking at Nigeria from the Kogi State perspective before the assumption of office by Governor Yahaya Bello, it must be stated that leadership competence is what is required to take the country out of the doldrums. The agitations for zoning based on ethnicity do not stand a chance. This paper concludes that competence should be emphasized.”
Similarly, Prof Ahmed Danfulani, former Director General of National Institute for Peace and Strategy Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, said Governor Bello has set examples that should be amplified and used as a yardstick in assessing candidates that have signified interest in leading Nigeria.
“At the back of our minds, we must be clear about the qualities the next President of Nigeria should possess. This is on the heels that stepping into the shoes of President Muhammadu Buhari is a tedious task,” Danfulani said.
2023 Presidency: Transparency and Open Governance.
Looking into one of the characteristics of the future leader of the nation, Governor Yahaya Bello is imbued with a professional ethos acting in furtherance of the public good, the rule of law, transparent processes, and a strong civil society participation in public affairs.
World Bank defines Good Governance as the one epitomized by predictable, open, and enlightened policy-making.
In this light, transparency and accountability – as one of the characteristics of Good Governance, is a bedrock upon which Yahaya Bello built his administration, and this is perceptible in the institutionalization of the Bureau of Public Procurement to ensure compliance with the Public Procurement Act, which decentralized the procurement process and stimulated due diligence practices in Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs). This has led to quality delivery of services as well as ensure value for public funds.
Furthermore, Governor Yahaya Bello has consistently ensured the publication of the State’s yearly financial statements. This qualified the State to participate in the World Bank’s States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme (SFTAS 2019) where it came out first position among other States.
The administration of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, has a deliberate policy of fidelity and cooperation with the Federal Government. This synchronization with the Federal Government has resulted in the injection of about N1.3Bn monthly into the State’s economy since February 2018, through the various Social Safety Net (SSN) and Social Intervention Programmes (SIPs).
About 179,156 beneficiaries have benefitted through the various programmes in the State ranging from N-Power, Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CTT) and Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP). These have helped to provide employment, increased intervention in public schools, market women economy and monthly grants to the poor and vulnerable in the State. institutionalizing it
Furthermore, Governor Yahaya Bello is responsive to the present and future needs of the society.
This can be seen in his deployment of the knowledge-based technology, Kogi State Open Governance and Accountability System (KOGAS) as well as the Kogi Digital Album – a platform meant to bridge the gap between government and the people.
It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of the minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making and they can as well see their democracy dividends translating to impactful policies, programmes and projects even as they have access to real-time monitoring and evaluation.
A Nigeria with an innovative leader like Yahaya Bello is a recipe for accelerated socio-economic development and sustainability.
For the 2023 general election, Nigerian women have expressed a footnote of caution to governorship and Presidential candidates that their votes is for a leader who include women in the system of government.
It is noted that Governor Yahaya Bellos gender-friendly policy is unprecedented in the political history of Nigeria. It is a policy that other state governors should facsimile. The Governor has set a standard for a race on how best to run an administration of inclusion that not only recognizes the role of women in politics but also offering them high-visibility offices, such that they could play an active part in shaping and implementing policies for a balanced and solid development of the nation.
In line with his inclusion policy; Governor Yahaya Bello has been honored on the premise that he has surpassed the United Nations 35 per cent affirmative action, having also appointed women to strategic positions in his government.
Women in the state have risen up to support him as well as set to tour around the country creating awareness to other women that they could be involved in contributing to the growth and well-being of the economy in the country. The success story being recorded in Kogi state strengthens the saying that behind a successful man is a woman. Kogi is working because women are manning strategic positions in the state.
As record has indicated, Kogi state is the state where a woman is the ADC to the Governor. This is not enough, the Secretary to the State Government is a woman, the Head of Service is a woman, all the Vice Chairmen of the Local Governments are women, among many other female appointees.
Governor Yahaya Bello will get women’s support all the way because he knows how to make a nation great by women inclusion.
– Funmilayo Olusi
The Obaro of Kabba and Chairman Okun Area Traditional Council, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi has commended Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for the quality of work done on Kabba Township.
Oba Owoniyi, who made the remark during a tour of the ongoing rehabilitation of the township road expressed satisfaction with the work done so far.
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Kabba Township Road: Obaro Lauds Kogi Govt, Expresses Satisfaction with Work DoneRead More »
The Kogi State Government has handed over seven project sites to contractors at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, with the promised to make the Institution a world class of learning.
The State Commissioner for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Ohere did the handing over on behalf of the State Government, expressed optimism that the Projects embarked upon by the State Government has a hundred percent of funding.
The project sites are for six faculties and the Senate Building. The faculties are for the building of a Laboratory, Library, School of Medicine, Faculty of Information Technology amongst others.
Engr. Ohere assured that once the issue of technicalities are resolved, the projects he pointed out would witness speedy completion and would meet the required GYB standard.
He expressed confidence that the quality of work would meet with the quality and level of deployment of the infrastructure already at the University.
Engr. Ohere described Gov. Bello’s commitment to making CUSTECH a world class University as unprecedented, pointed out that the Governor has proven to be a rare gem and a National leader.
While promising that the Ministry would not shirk in its monitoring and supervisory role, promised to sustain the confidence the Ministry has maintained in quality service delivery.
Earlier in his remarks, Engr. Kabiru Suleiman, the Consultant to the Project, said efforts would be made to sustain the narrative of maintaining the GYB standard in the seven project like the Civic Center in Lokoja and other landmark projects in the State.
Engr. Suleiman described Education as live wire of developing nation, assures of frequent visits to all the seven projects towards ensuring that CUSTECH becomes a world standard for learning.
In their separate remarks, the, MD of 2, 7,8 Nig. Ltd. Engr Subayeru Ibrahim and the MD Musalib Nig. Ltd expressed their willingness to deliver the project on schedule, pointing out this is the first time they would be embarking on a project that is fully funded before commencement, described it as a measure that underscores Gov. Bello’s commitment to quality and early completion of the work.
This is the ongoing Asphalt Overlay of Bolorunduro and Surulere Roads in Kabba.
The New Direction administration is committed to actualizing its promise of providing good road infrastructure in Kogi State.
Forum of members of State Houses of Assembly in the South South zone of the country, on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), have endorsed Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, for presidency in 2023.
The legislators declared the support of the zone in Calabar, a few days after APC legislators from all zones declared their support for the governor and also passed a vote of confidence in the chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.
Rising from its extraordinary meeting in Calabar, capital of Cross River, yesterday, the forum said it would be the best decision for the leadership of APC to zone the presidency to the North Central in the spirit of fairness and justice.
The legislators, elected by the people of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states, agreed that the North Central had been marginalised since the nation gained independence, adding that allowing it to produce the next president would be fair.
The lawmakers commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his purposeful leadership and also eulogised Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, for promptly connecting the state to the centre and for being the first in the South South geopolitical zone.
grow the party and attract eminent Nigerians into its folds.
Part of the communique issued by the forum read: “That we have painstakingly brainstormed on the political developments in APC, vis-a-vis the need for Nigeria to chart a course to a more secure and prosperous country and, therefore, decided to throw our weight behind the presidential bid of the Governor Bello.
“That we acknowledge that Governor Bello has, against all odds, forged ahead in his quest for the office of the president in 2023, and therefore, thank him for his tenacity.
“We assure him of our support. The meeting also agreed to call on the leadership of APC to zone the presidency to the North.”
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