Bello missteps in Kogi

Sir: One should not say it’s too early to start complaining about Gov. Bello’s administration, looking at the fact that he recently assumed office. However, despite the above fact, one should also not keep quiet when the starting is wrong and things are beginning to fall apart. Since the inaugurations of Gov. Bello as the fourth executive governor of Kogi State, the state has remained static compared to the previous administrations of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and the immediate past Gov. Capt. Idris Wada.

The state has been in turmoil, from one problem to another, ranging from constitutional crisis to political crisis, administrative crisis to economic crisis and development crisis. He said the state is broke but his first misstep is to appoint incompetent men to his cabinet as senior special advisers and special assistants whose track records have failed Nigerian institutions. Some of these men are sacked professionals and dismissed appointees from various positions of government because of their incompetency.

So far, impunity has become the talk of the day in Kogi State. The past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, where 16 was greater than 19 is what has replicated itself in Kogi State House of Assembly and the state governor, Bello, happened to be on the side of the smaller number that is greater than the bigger one, which necessitated the impeachment of the speaker.

It is obvious that Gov. Bello can’t distance himself from Kogi State House of Assembly problem. In terms of development, Gov. Bello’s slogan “New Direction”, the so-called new direction cannot lead us to Confluence River because of his inability to manage the state by controlling its resources. Recently, he embarked on demolition of popular roundabout in the state capital constructed by the late Prince Abubakar Audu, the act was motivated by political interests

Kogi voted for change and not anarchy. Kogi voted for change and not impunity, Kogi voted for change and not suffering, Kogi voted for change and not corruption, Kogi voted for change and not sentiment. Therefore, there is need to advise Gov. Bello to appoint technocrats into his cabinet and abide by the rule of law to ensure credibility, accountability and transparency in order to bring back the lost image of the state.
• Ikani Joshua,
Kogi State.