Yahaya Bello: Finally Kogi’s Sun Is Out To Shine By Toyosi Adetayo 

“Governor of the Year 2020”- that was written boldly on Yahaya Bello’s certificate in the Sun Awards. The awards, which have long been a way to measure the performance of Nigeria’s political office holders, are known for rewarding good governance and leadership.

Just like in 2020, the governor has performed creditably well in 2021, working to improve the security in Kogi State and also make the state economically viable.

In the past, these current realities would have been mere dreams, as Kogi was a hotbed of kidnappings. His bravado and fearless approach to leadership have ensured he has pulled all stops to take the state off the shackles of criminals. His “Excellence Award on Security” proves this.

Despite the struggles that came with the pandemic in 2020, Governor Bello ensured Kogi stayed steady and, through his constructive governance, ensured the state’s domestic debt burden was reduced while he created more opportunities for local investors.

He is never one that’d allow the ordinary citizen to get cheated and proved his stance again when he ordered the Police in Kogi to fish out officers who had riotously beaten an innocent passenger in the state. His swift response went all the way and helped the passenger get good justice in good time. In Nigeria, justice has always been a challenge. To see a political office holder hold forth for the rights of the people is admirable, and at a time when Police brutality is at the centre of most discourse, seeing a governor frown on it gives hope for the future.

“Our nation will only thrive when the rights of the citizens are respected and protected. This is what the administration of Alh. Yahaya Bello stands for Kogi State and his wish for Nigeria.

“We owe Nigerians a responsibility of protection and security as the centre of the nation,” Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, said after the government ordered the prosecution of the officers.

Governor Bello has proven himself as a brilliant, brisk leader who is always ready when called. And with him, Kogi’s rainy days are over. The sun is out.