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Ododo as Chief security officer in Bello/EFCC continued harassment : The truth of the matter
By Chris Ben-Kato Senior Special Assistant Information & Communication to Gov. Ahmed Usman Ododo
By the virtue of the nation’s 1999 constitution as amended, governors of each state of the federation are the chief security officers of their various states. By this, the protection of lives and properties of the state squarely lay in the hands of the governor of each state in Nigeria.
The cover often provided by governor Ahmed Usman Ododo whenever the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) agents moves to harass, intimidate the former governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello who has served the state for eight years meritoriously is not therefore out of place.
If truth should be told, when the erstwhile governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello took over power on January 27, 2016, he met a state that was polarized on tribal and religious divide. The unity of the people was at its lowest ebb. The atmosphere in the state was never conducive for development.
On assumption of office, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello took the bull by the horn by uniting the various tribes in the state. One of the first steps he took was to live by example through the appointment of his direct Chief of Staff, Mr Edward Onoja who is an Igala by tribe. This has never happened since the creation of the state for a sitting governor to appoint his Chief of Staff from a tribe other than his own. This is a great feat achieved by a visionary leader in person of His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.
In terms of development former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello excelled in all areas of human endeavors. Take education for instance, former governor Bello saw the plight of Kogi indigent students being denied admission in many tertiary institutions in the country and therefore took the bold step and established the Confluence State University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Osara. Today many of our youths now get admission with ease in that university. During his second term in office, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello again established Kogi State University Kabba. The establishment of the university has opened up more admissions for our youths and job opportunities for Kogi indigenes. The erstwhile governor also paid the school fees of stranded indigent Kogi State medical students in various institutions across the country. He built the modern and model GYB secondary school Adankolo and its prototype across the state. Today Kogi State is competing favourably among other states in the country in the education sector. Former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello must not therefore be allowed to be victimized by the agents of the EFCC.
On infrastructural development, former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello constructed township roads across the three Senatorial districts of Kogi State. The usual unending traffic hold up at the popular Ganaja junction in Lokoja metropolis was bursted by former governor Bello. It is on record that the long queues been witnessed on a daily basis at the Ganaja round about came to an end after governor Bello constructed the multi-million naira flyover. Today this singular effort has boosted the movement of goods and services within and outside the state and has significantly improved economic activities in the country.
In terms of security, it is on record that former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello assumed office when the men of the underworld had already established their dens across the three Senatorial districts of Kogi State. As a fearless leader, former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello took the insecurity battle to the corridors of the hoodlums. He succeeded in destroying the notorious centers of bandits in the three Senatorial districts of the state.
It is on record that former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello is the only former chief executive officer of a state who received laurels from the Inspector General of Police and other well meaning security organizations across the country for his feat in dealing with insurgents in his state.
On the side of the civil service, many civil servants in the state were promoted during former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello’s tenure. It is on record that the former governor never owed a dime in payment of monthly salaries to the state civil servants till he left office. Based on his high profile performance in his two terms in office, it is wrong for the EFCC agents to keep witch-hunting former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello.
Let it be clear today that His Excellency, the Chief Servant of Kogi State has done nothing wrong by protecting the rights and life of former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello who during his two term in office served Kogi State meritoriously to the glory of Allah.
His Excellency, the Chief Servant of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is the chief security officer of Kogi State, it is his duty to protect the lives of Kogi State citizens who are harassed by overzealous Nigeria security agents.
His Excellency, the Chief Servant of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo deserve accolades for protecting the rights and life of His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello who served the state meritoriously for two terms in office.
BRAVO HIS EXCELLENCY THE CHIEF SERVANT OF KOGI STATE, ALHAJI AHMED USMAN ODODO
KEEP DOING YOUR GOOD WORK. KOGI ELECTORATES ARE PROUD OF YOU
Chris Ben-Kato lives in Lokoja and is the Senior Special Assistant on Information and Communication to the Chief Servant of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
