Former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State remain of the politicians in the country who has consistently been misrepresented and misconstrued in negative perception in some quarters.
Many people who have never made any conscious effort to move close to him usually have this negative notion about him based on what mischief makers have fed them with regards to how they (Bello’s traducers) want the people to feel about him.
To those who don’t know the Ebira born tactician, he is an unfeeling politician who made little or no impact on the state where he governed for eight years.
The frenzy and the buzz, which the recent arraignment of the former governor generated in the media space tends to accentuate and give vent to the notion.
To some of us, his critics and the same time admirers, who knows the former governor, these are direct opposite of what his personality really is, which is unknown to many in the public space.
I’m a known critics of the former governor and at the same time, his former aide who should be able to say one or more things about him to the public.
It may interest you to know that Yahaya Bello is indeed a down to earth, populist and public spirited individual. The former governor remains an individual who looks at and work for what is good for the common good of all that he comes across.
Outside governance, Bello is kind and humane and always attend to people’s needs. He steadily render help and assistance to people, irrespective of his/her tribe or religion, whenever the need arises.
As the governor of Kogi State, it is on record that Yahaya Bello embarked on major projects that can be deemed as landmark and visible to all to see and the current governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo is building on.
A governor that established two full fledge universities in operations, they are; Kogi State University of Science and Technology Osara and Kogi state College of Education Kabba.
In health care sector, he built a world class reference hospital Okene, upgraded Kogi State teaching hospital Ayangba and other Primary healthcare hospital in some local government areas.
He won several national and international awards in area of security. During his tenure, he was simply the best security governor which is what it’s till today.
Most times, the successes attained by Bello has also attracted so much admiration and envy on equal measure to him.
While some of us love and adore him for his exemplary conduct in his public and private lives.
Those who harbour any misgivings against him have however coalesced into a formidable group with the aim of bringing him down at all costs using all manner of subterfuges.
One of such sinister plan is the ongoing trial over corruption levied against him by the EFCC acting on the promptings of this shadowy group.
Considering his style of governance which was an open and well scrutinized, Bello will eventually triumph as he has always done in the past.
Apart from the ongoing trial, these unforgiven elements are also trying to create a wedge between Bello and President Bola Tinubu who has no issue with the former governor.
For those who don’t know, Bello respects and enjoys warm relationship with President Tinubu whom he has a profound respect for as a leader and father.
The positive and favourable reactions to Bello’s current ordeal by the people of the state, is a testimony that the former governor enjoyed a great supports among the people, it also show that the people of Kogi State know he came into office facing the worst crisis confronting the state civil service, and that in the face of fierce dethroned oppositions and primordial ethnic rivalry in the state.
And in overall, majority of kogites believed that former governor Bello made some tough decisions to do what’s right for the state and create a stable environment for it’s future.
