Bello and challenges of second term

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has been returned for a second term, following his victory at the November 16 election. Dogged by criticisms in his first term, he is now exibiting traits that give hope that he may deliver  dividends of democracy to the people in his second term. JAMES AZANIA reports

Shortly after he was presented with a certificate of return for a second term, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello sent out signals that, in the next four years, he will be positively impact on the people.

“The governor has assured the people of his administration’s commitment to concentrate on the comparative advantages of the state in order to take Kogi economy to the next level,” said Bello’s Director General of Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement.

The governor expressed confidence in leading the state to prosperity.

Bello said in the last four years his administration has been “striving to remove the state from social and economic shambles,” assuring that it is time to move the state into sustainable development.

Many challenges will face the governor in his second term.  Stakeholders expect him to mobilise human and material resources to develop Kogi.

Bello said: “Kogi has been seen as the capital of mineral resources in the country with the presence of heavy mineral resources in the state. The state is also home to rich human capital. We have water bodies that are massive and historic as well as a good number of tourist traps.

“But, we believe our prosperity is not only in those minerals and tourist sites. We have a massive advantage in our location. We are at the center of ten big states and many states in about three geo-political zones need our gates to enter the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Our economic team is looking at harnessing these realizable potentials to boost our economy and create more opportunities for our people. As a government, we will continue to promote agriculture in order to create more jobs, more opportunities and more windows to mitigate poverty in the society. Kogi is already a leader in cashew and cassava production. We want to do more as well as attract investors all over the world to help us convert our potentials to wealth.

“Our administration was re-elected to do more. We were re-elected to create more infrastructure and give more security to our people. The administration will never let the people down. The momentum will be sustained as leaving a good legacy of development remains the priority of the New Direction Government.

“On November 16, history was made as we recorded an unprecedented margin in our electoral victory. We thank the people for the massive endorsement of our programs and policies. We will do more.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented certificate of return to Bello and his deputy and running mate, Edward Onoja, during a ceremony at the Professor Mahmoud Yakubu Hall, INEC state headquarters, Lokoja.

Bello (APC) polled 406, 222 votes to defeat his closest rival, Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled  189,704 votes.

The INEC National Commissioner in-charge of the North Central, Mohammed Haruna who presented the certificate to Bello, said, “today marks a new beginning after the election and a call to duty for the governor-elect.”

The Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. James Apam said the presentation was in line with the tradition of the commission, which it always look forward to.

“We know what we went through to get to this stage and its time to settle down for the job ahead,” he said.

Unlike during his first term when excuses can be marshalled for possible unpreparedness for the office, his reelection showed that the governor is no more a novice.

He said he will continue to pursue those laudable projects he pledged during the electioneering campaigns.

Bello called on the people to cooperate with him in order to continue to make Kogi peaceful and free of criminal activities, saying it was the only way investors can have confidence in the state.

He assured that the next level of his administration will deploy more technology in combating crimes, as his administration remains committed to making all safe.

“The New Direction Government will continue to drive its efforts in education, which is the bulwark of our progress. We will also continue to improve the quality of personnel and facilities in our healthcare system. To us, youth and women empowerment is non-negotiable.

“We urge Kogites around the world to partner with us in marketing the unbeatable brand that our state represents. As a government, we will continue to provide the enabling environment for innovation and prosperity.”

Read Also: I’ve burned ethnicity in Kogi with my victory-Yahaya Bello

 

Bello said the state Internal Revenue Service has improved the revenue generated internally by the, expressing confidence that the outfit will be a “veritable driver” of the 2020 budget.

No doubt, the revenue service must have upped the state’s resources in the last two to three years of its repositioning under his administration. Bello needs other sources of revenue to drive the economy of the predominantly civil service state.

For a state capital that can boast hardly of more than two branches of any large Banking group, one in some cases, the administration will have to put on a very large thinking cap, and maybe bring along a board of resourceful hands that were mainly lacking in the mix of the last four years.

Going by Bello’s manouver that resulted in the neutralisation of the political landmines that bedeviled his administration, and for which many had predicted will make him only a one-term governor, Bello has exhibited the ability to bring water from stone.

Beginning from political adversaries, including James Faleke, running mate to Prince Abubukar Audu, in 2015, who on the eve of the governership election posed in pictures with Bello, with the traditional Kogi APC four plus four fingers raise, and the coming on board his campaign train of hitherto strong critics, Bello appears to possess the magic wand to sustain political harmony in the state, which by all measures, and with all hands on deck augur well for the state.

“No doubt, political wranglings right within the rank of his party (APC), affected the administration badly, to the extend that Bello was forced into being a fighter,” said a party chieftain, who did not want his name in print.

To shore up his popularity, Bello  went on road rehabilitation that transformed the capital, so much so that a visitor to Lokoja, will remain unconvinced, were he or she to be told of bad roads in the city. To his credit, the road maintenance and sanitation of Lokoja has not stopped after his victory at the poll.

In the absence of clear-cut economic roadmap for the state, Bello’s New Direction agenda policy, which in the last four years has served as fulcrum of his administration, may have to be energised, if he is to deliver on the words made after his November 16 victory.