Kogi writer and educationist has described Governor Yahaya Bello as a detribalised Leader for his approval for the establishment of a state university in Okun Land. Eleta went ahead to established that since the creation of Kogi State in 1991, Okun people has been living in what many may describe as a nonsymbiotic mutualism in terms of coexisting with other tribes in the state.
He also emphatically stressed that this may be due to stampede or relegation of power to a particular tribe for too long period of time; as Okun people and other ‘not-too-famous’ tribes in the state has been faced with core marginalization and adverse nepotism as regards to governance, over the years.
Notwithstanding, he claimed the above jinx was broken in 2016 when Governor Yahaya Bello assumed office and began his reformation quest for a better and more harmonious state. As we all are witnesses of his transformation initiatives in terms of infrastructural development, style of leadership, job creation, inclusive governance, and of course his tremendous achievement in the educational sector of which Kogi West and particularly Okun people are beneficiaries today.
Kelvin Eleta then uses the opportunity to solicit with His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello to graciously consider locating the proposed University in Ijumu Local Government Area; as the Local Government Area is currently without any notable establishment capable of boosting the people’s style of living and development, as regards to education. He also went further to drive home his point by stating that other Local Government Areas in OkunLand could boast of one or more functional higher institutions located on their soil, but same could not be said about Ijumu Local Government Area.
According to the young Statistician and Lecturer, he believes that Ijumu deserves this developmental boost from the state government, having been a core supporter of the current administration since it came to power since 2016 till date. He went further to eulogized the leadership prowess of Alhaji Taofiq Isha, the incumbent Local Government Chairman of Ijumu for providing an already existing favorable security architecture capable of safeguarding any meaningful establishment in the area.
Regardless of his request for the University to be sited in Ijumu Local Government Area, in conclusion he urged all sons and daughters of Okun to continue supporting Governor Yahaya Bello’s directives and also resist the urge of causing any fracas or intertribal chaos due to agitations and negotiations as regards the location of the proposed University, and rather trust in the judgement of the Governor and his established 15 man Committee working on all necessary parameters for the actualization of the university, without delay.
With prejudice, Eleta believed that for the university to become a reality, there is need for all Okun sons and daughters across board to key into the aspirations of Alhaji Usman Ododo and the All Progressive Congress for continuity of Governor Yahaya Bello’s legacy projects across the state.