The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, handed over power to his successor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, on January 27, 2024 after spending eight years at the popular Lugard House, Lokoja. No doubt, the governor has made an indelible footprint in the state which serves as colonial administrative headquarters in the early 90s. Bello was sworn into office in January.2016 after the rerun election he won following the demise of Prince Abubakar Audu, who passed on hours before the 2015 governorship election were concluded in the state. Our correspondent, IBRAHIM OBANSA, writes on the eight year tenure of Yahaya Bello.

The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Saturday, January 27, 2024, transmitted power to the winner of the November 11, 2023, governorship election in Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

No doubt, the eight years tenure of Governor Yahaya Bello will go in history as the most litigated administration in the history of the state. Bello, who came second in the 2015 primary election of the APC, replaced Prince Abubakar Audu, who died hours to his victory.

Bello contested the 2019 Governorship election, which he won overwhelmingly, but not without a challenge by his closest rival, Idris Wada, who came second in the election. In the two contests, the Apex court in the land upheld Bello’s election.

However, assessing the modest achievements of the governor, stakeholders were quick to say that the new helmsman must sustain his predecessor’s giant stride in the provision of critical infrastructures to the benefit of citizens

Only recently, the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), on tour of projects executed by the former governor, advised the new Governor of the State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, to sustain the giant stride of his predecessor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, in the provision of critical infrastructures.

The President of NGE, Mr Eze Anaba, gave the advice while briefing journalists, shortly after the media tour of the Reference Hospital and other legacy projects of the former governor.

Anaba, who noted that the immediate past administration has left a legacy worthy of emulation, said the good work of former Governor Bello should be sustained by the present administration.

While noting that Kogi State is working, the NGE President disclosed that the current administration under Ododo would be doing people of the state good by sustaining the legacies of his former boss.

Continuing, Anaba said: “Democracy is about the people and the facilities we have seen, the road construction we saw and the traffic time they have saved people of Kogi State and Nigeria in general that alone will help the country, boost our economy and help the citizens. People waste and lose life on traffic. If the road network is strong like we saw, I’m sure Nigeria will be better for it.

“Government is a continuum. I will advise the current Government to follow the foot step of his predecessor. It is only in that way the citizens will benefit and Kogi State will become the best place in the country. People will know that democracy has taken root in Kogi and the people are benefitting.

“At the end of the day, governance is about the people. From what I have seen, from what my colleagues saw, Kogi is working in terms of, education infrastructure and medical care.”

Earlier, while taking journalists round the hospital, the Chief Medical Director of Reference Hospital, Okene, Prof Solomon Avidime, said the facility has state of the art equipment to attend to the medical needs of Nigerians.

“You can’t find some of the equipments we are having here in other parts of the country. Outside this place, we have a centre that has a CT scan and MRI. They are all latest equipment. We have oxygen plant where we produced medical oxygen meant to serve not just Kogi, but the entire North Central as well as Nigeria.”

He noted that the hospital has an updated highly equipped radiology department. “The MRI we have here is the latest with artificial intelligence that has a processing time of about 30 minutes with our patients,” the CMD added.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdlulazeez Adams Adeiza, on his part, noted the edifice is not just out to serve the people of Kogi State, but the entire Nigerian nation.

Another member of the Guild, Adebayo Bodunrin, commended Kogi State government over its commitment to the educational development through upliftment of existing institutions and establishment of new ones.

Bodunrin, who was speaking after the inspection of the GYB Model Science Secondary School, Adankolo, poured encomiums on the state government for the feat attained in educational advancement of the state.

“For me, I believe in education. And I believe that is where the future of the country is. When we have educated people, we will be able to have knowledge to solve our problems.

“This is a bold initiative. I’m happy that they said they are four across the state. I do hope that in future that each local government will be able to have structures of this nature.

“And we will be at the forefront of producing future scientists, technologists, that will help our country to less its dependence on other nations,” he said.

Briefing newsmen at the Ganaja Junction Flyover, the state Commissioner for Works, Mohammed Yusuf, said the project was part of the GYB Legacy Projects.

The Commissioner, who was represented by Akubo Alhassan, Deputy Director, Civil Engineering, Ministry of Works, said, “this project was conceived and fully funded by the immediate past Government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

“The necessity of this project is that when you pass here before now, it was characterised by gridlocks at peak hours of 7.00am to 9.00am and 4.00pm to 7.00pm.

“We have occasions of patients dying in the gridlock on their way to hospitals, but the immediate past governor, in his wisdom, decided to resolve this conflict and gridlock permanently.

“When you come here now, the issue of gridlock has been resolved, there is free flow of traffic and it may interest you to know that this is the first ever flyover in Kogi State.”

He said that apart from the flyover, government also overlaid the dual carriage way from the Flyover to Zenith Bank Junction. He added that though a Federal road, His Excellency intervened in overlaying the road from the Ganaja Bridge through Dunamis Church to the flyover.

The commissioner said the state government had done five other township roads, especially from GYB Model Science Secondary School to Zenith Bank Junction, Dunamis through Federal University.

“There is another from Sardauna Junction through Maigari Palace. That is our escape route in the event of flood. Then Adankolo UBA to Adankolo Estate: Just this one, Government House Junction to the flyover. It is part of the facelift Bello has given to the state headquarters.

“Phase two, phase one, phase three road construction are ongoing. Some have been completed and some are at various stages of completion.

“As we go to Osara, you will see Zone 8 roundabout through CBN to Crusher. It is ongoing. Zone 8 roundabout through the Chari-Maigumeri Barrack to Zango to GYB Junction. Works are ongoing there simultaneously.”

Governor Bello will also go into history as one governor who established two universities within a record time of four years. The first is the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara and the Kogi State University, Kabba.

A chieftain of APC, and ex speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello, said this was unprecedented in the history of the state. He noted that the former governor was able to maintain and sustained an uninterrupted academic calendar in all the state’s tatiary institutions across the state.

Other legacy projects executed by the immediate administration include the rice mill in Omi, the ultra modern Buhari Civic Centre in the heart of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The new Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, during his inaugural speech, said he would continue to build on the achievements of his predecessor in the areas of infrastructure, security effective healthcare delivery among other legacies of the governor Bello administration.

Speaking at the maiden matriculation of the Kogi State University, Kabba, Bello said with official opening and maiden matriculation of Kogi State University, Kabba, “my vision for the establishment of a University in Kabba had been fulfilled.”

The governor said he met a state that was in a deplorable situation, but expressed gratitude to God that he would be handing over the state better than he met it. “Today I’m fulfilled. I promised to be part of the ceremony for the first set of matriculating students. I feel fulfilled and satisfied that we achieved our dreams.”