Governor Yahaya Bello: What History Will And Will Not Remember Him For

The good news of a man they say comes after his death. Death as reference here is metaphorical for exit, absence and in the Nigeria case, loose of election. While the above statement hold sway and truism for Gabriel Suswam the formal Governor of Benue state whose utterly condemned kleptomaniac attitude is now receiving applause in several quarters due to the elevated nature of kleptomaniac nature of the incumbent ruling class in the state, the same cannot be said of Peter Obi of Anambra State whose successor William Obiano has beat his records and delivered to some extent the dividend of democracy. Though it shouldn’t go without saying that Peter Obi didn’t do his best, it only goes to say that when your successor’s performance beats yours, people hardly talk about you and that is while today, even while in DSS custody, the people of Benue state and even residents in the state can draw a thick line between Suswam’s administration and that of his Excellency Samuel Ortom the seating Governor.

The case with Kogi State is not different, no successive administration after late prince Audu Abubakar have been able to take his good news away from the lips of Kogites, the two successive administration before Yahaya Bello where nothing to write home about with matters unrelated to taking the state two step backward and promotion of thuggery and ghost workers. Then came Yahaya Bello, a child of circumstance and a very controversial young man. The incidence that led to his ascendant to the throne at Lugard House has become a general knowledge by way of mass media, social media and group discussion so this page will not trace it, perhaps, his antecedents since the inception of office as the number one citizen of the state which has left many skeptical on the state of affair in the state calls for this opinionated analysis.

First, it will go down history in the state that he was the first democratically elected Governor in the state from the Egbira extract breaking the monopolistic chain of leadership of the Igala extracts.

Secondly, it will be on record that he is the first Governor in the state whom have dare to do the long overdue weeding away of ghost workers from the state civil service, this demonic compensation act has for long left the state backward as most of the resources supposedly meant for capital expenditure is focused on recurrent expenditure while the state remain in stagnation after the exit of Late Prince Audu Abubakar who was ousted by Alh. Ibrahim Abubakar in 2003.

Now on the issue of his image when he is dead (metaphorically). He will be remembered as the first Governor who have constructed more rural roads than his predecessors in the last 14 years and have at the same time killed more souls to starvation as a result of his long overdue staff screening. History will also remember him for sending all tertiary institutions in the state home without remorse for the plight of the students, history will also remember him as the first Governor who demolishes states roundabout overnight and brought kidnappers to their kneels through the ongoing demolition of their acquired mansions from the proceeds of their dubious act.

However, what history will not remember him for, and his successor will never admit to Kogites is that he is the first fearless Governor who have dare to rid the state off of ghost workers who do nothing but queue up to get paid by the end of the month. History will not remember him for attracting more capital to embark on capital projects for his predecessors. History will not remember him as the man who embarked on more developmental project in the eastern part of the state than other senatorial district. Lastly, history will not remember him as the man who set the pace for a new Kogi, devoid of thuggery, ghost workers among others because in his own case, his good news came before his death and will die with him.


Agada Freeman Daniel