‘I Am Ready To Hit The Ground Running

Alhaji Yahaya Bello, an All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Kogi State, described himself as the right person for the position because he has the vision, energy, qualification and track record in both the public and private sectors to govern. “I am young and I belong to the youth. I belong to the teaming population that has been disenchanted.

We believe we belong to the future and it is time to take our destinies into our hands and rescue it,” he stated. Bello said he knows what it feels to be a youth and not to be engaged, adding: “I come from a poor background and having passed through hard times in my young age and seeing women and children pass through the same hardship now, with the system going down, despite the resources at our disposal, I feel that given the opportunity, I should be able to contribute and to rescue the state.

He does not think the current government in the state has policies to change the situation. “The reason I say this is because last year’s budget failed and no government that has good policies will fail.

The budget was not executed up to 14 per cent and that is why teachers are being owed salaries, civil servants and health workers are on strike.

The state government and local governments cannot pay their staff salary, so everything failed. “We owe huge debt all because of self interest, people enriching their pockets and that of their families. “They were never prepared for the job, so it is an opportunity for them to be in government.

I am the best because I am prepared for the job; I am ready to hit the ground and start working,” he enthused. Bello said he would ensure true separation of powers in the state, noting: “We will allow the judiciary and the legislatures to continue to work.

We will work with the state Assembly to ensure bills are passed. “We will ensure that we bring governance to the grassroots and engage community governance. I have travelled across the state and related with so many and will build upon this by working extensively with our elders and leaders.

“We will hold town hall meetings, communities and senatorial districts to listen to peculiar problems.” He revealed how he intends to boost the heath sector.

Firstly, we plan to adequately refurbish and equip the existing health facilities to international standards. “Secondly, we shall propose a 500-bed referral hospital of international standards under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with reputable private investors.

This will give Kogi a much-needed healthcare institution capable of handling the most severe of health challenges, while removing the bulk of the financial burden for its construction from the people.” Upon completion, he explained that the hospital would be the destination of choice for Kogites in need of quality healthcare and put Kogi on the map for health tourism. “Thirdly, our focus in the rural areas is to ensure access to basic healthcare through cottage hospitals dedicated mainly to women and children.”

In the area of agricultural development, Bello promised to capitalise on the accessibility of the state to many rivers to provide food items for direct consumption, sale locally and internationally and also as feedstock for food processing schemes.

These schemes shall include provision of cassava, oil palm and other farm produce processing units all over the state. “We shall make extensive use of small-scale mechanisation to make these businesses not only more lucrative, but also less laborious and therefore more attractive to our people. “By the time we are two years in office, our reforms in the sector would be employing at least 100,000 Kogites of different ages, education and backgrounds.”

He also intends to develop the educational infrastructure ensure that teachers are well trained and paid and provide enhance welfare package for them to motivate them. “We will ensure that primary and secondary education is compulsory across the states.

Education should not be a luxury, but a right and all children have the right to an education. “Prioritising investments in education is the very smartest thing to do, because education gives people the skills they need to help themselves out of poverty and into prosperity.”

To revamp the educational system, he has come up with a number of strategies after studying what has worked and what has not in Kogi, vis-à-vis other states and in developed nations. “Our action plans have been carefully engineered to deliver rapid and sustainable improvements in our educational sector from primary to tertiary level.

These broad categories include conditional cash grants, school meal vouchers, full and partial scholarships, early childhood/youth leadership development, school-based child health interventions for new school infrastructures and educational materials, additional teaching resources, incentivised vocational and apprenticeship schemes, training and re-training of teachers.”

The aspirant vowed not to tolerate corruption in government, saying: “I don’t believe in stealing and my records are there, and if I don’t steal, my subordinates, appointees and other government functionaries will not steal. “I would ensure that we comply with all the rules of anti-corruption agencies and where such laws exist within our state, we will make sure it is practised and also ensure that our government runs an open door policy.”

He added that whatever is realised as internal generated revenue and the federation accounts and other grants, as well as expenditures are published periodically.

Whatever memo been passed and approved at the State Executive Council meetings will be published. “If a road construction is approved by the council, the government and society will be able to monitor the progress of the project.

Whichever company wins a contact and at what sum and the quality of project will be monitored by everybody. “So, it will be very difficult for anybody to embezzle money.” Forty-year-old Bello recently resigned from his post as Assistant Chief Accountant under the Allocation Department of the Federation Account Allocation Commission to join politics and contest this year’s governorship election.