Has Yahaya Bello Delivered Dividends of Democracy in Kogi State?

HighLife

At a time when the media can be used as an instrument to batter the public into favouring or ignoring an individual, it is usually difficult to tell left from right about said individual. Unless one makes a journey down the rabbit hole, that is said individual’s home country or asked someone else who has done so.

This is the riddle of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State? If he is as messianic a figure as people present him, why are there so few Kogi citizens praising him for his accomplishments?
Many Nigerians have seen the video clip of Governor Bello rebuking Chinese contractors over a shabby assignment. He hadn’t held back as he asked them, thrusting the microphone in their faces if such shabbiness was allowed back in China. A heartwarming video for some, a scripted narrative for others. But in the face of Bello’s desire to be Nigeria’s next president, it is important to know whether he has done anything in Kogi State worth replicating on the national stage.

From inquiry and research, Bello has two selling points: the appointment of women into political/administrative offices and a penchant for projects completed before you can say, Jack Robinson. Other than these, Bello is alleged to be as removed from Kogi State as, say, the Governor of California.

Road projects are an easy sell for many governors. You only need to shell out a bit of money and contractors will build roads where even angels dare not tread. For Bello, the narrative is reportedly different. According to sources, the self-titled White Lion is in the business of renovating (rather than constructing) roads.

What about focused educational projects? What about the salaries of civil servants and pensioners? If sources are to be believed, here is one of the chinks in the Governor’s armour?

So is Governor Bello qualified to be Nigeria’s president? Who better to ask than the people of Kogi State?