Governor Yahaya Bello has raised an alarm of saboteurs in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Bello made the claim when asked to comment on the alarming debt ratio, the high rate of youth unemployment and the worrying migration of medical workers under the Buhari administration as revealed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday September 21.
He said; “Most times we question and query the statistics because I am most affected sometimes.
For instance, the NBS or in the media or out there, people used to say that Kogi State is owing salaries or not paying salaries.
“Even an elite once put it on his Facebook post that I was owing salaries of 18 or 12 months.
And that person is supposed to be a credible leader in his own right. And within a few hours, he had to put down that information. So, there are information out there that are misleading.
“But that is not to say there are no areas to be improved upon in this government. But the fact is that there are saboteurs. Still, in the midst of all of that, the country is moving on.
The President continues to improve on our infrastructure.“On the issue of National Bureau of Statistics, a federal government agency Mr President inherited but did not rejig appropriately, will not be there to sabotage and dish out numbers.
“And for them to come out clean, they need to show us the methodologies they applied, let us see the processes they applied for them to come up with these numbers.”
Tudun Abiola, the daughter of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola, on Monday slammed her half- sister, Hafsat Abiola-Costello for comparing the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, with their late business mogul.
Abiola-Costello is the Director-General of Bello’s presidential campaign organisation.
The woman, who featured in a programme on Arise TV, likened the governor’s “Hope23” campaign slogan to Abiola’s “Hope’93” symbol.
She added that the duo believed in Nigeria’s unity.
Abiola-Costello said: “These are the same qualities I have seen in Governor Bello. He dared to contest, not minding that he was from a minority tribe in Kogi and won, and he has come out again. My father did the same, when it was believed that a Yoruba man could not be President.”
However, Tudun wondered why her half-sister would drag her father’s legacy into Bello’s campaign.
She asked Abiola-Castello to leave their father out of the issue and concentrate on selling the manifestos of her principal.
She said: “I have come to expect certain things from that individual, but just because it is not surprising, does not mean it was not staggeringly inappropriate.
“I am referring to my half-sister, Hafsat, who is the DG of Yahaya Bello’s campaign, and her comparison to my dad. There were a lot of political players in his team, and not one of them decided to throw their father under the bus for the sake of their principal.
“Come out and talk about your principal, his antecedents and stands for the future of Nigeria and leave daddy out of this. It is not her right, because it is not her name. It is our name. It is the name of future Abiolas yet unborn who should be proud of the legacy. My father was tortured because according to the United Nations, it sees solitary confinement as torture.
“He was tortured and then, he was murdered and has left his legacy only for it to be abused in this fashion.
“And I did say that I was quite consistent. We had another gentleman on the show talking about another person he was campaigning for, and using my dad to score points and I was apoplectic. Everybody should just leave his name out of this. It is especially disgusting, the false equivalence, the cynical expatiation of a genuine struggle.
The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, said on Monday he is ready to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s President in 2023.
The governor, who disclosed this when he featured in a programmed on Arise TV programme, said Nigerians would have a heave of relief when he takes over the country’s leadership in two years time.
He said his achievements in Kogi State are hugely appreciated at the national level.
Bello stressed that he would deploy the leadership qualities that have endeared him to the people of the state in managing the affairs of the country.
He also reaffirmed his opposition to the rotational presidency, saying the best person with the capacity to unite Nigerians should be allowed to occupy the nation’s highest political office in two year’s time.
The governor said: “Almost six years down the line, Kogi is united more than ever before. Now come to 2023, what I have been able to achieve in Kogi State is desired at national level. I’m sure you know we are living in a global village and whatever you do even in your bedroom is noticed out there.
“If Nigerians across board — youth, women, leaders and followers seeing my leadership style, uniting the people, bringing in experts, adding value to governance, prudent and sincere way and manner of utilisation of our resources and getting the results, balancing the equation which is most desired in the country today — if this multitude is yearning and calling me to come and serve this great nation in the year 2023 after President Muhammadu Buhari, I will say, yes I’m ready.
“Serving Nigeria in that greater capacity will serve the interest of the people of Kogi state, Nigerians, Africa and even black race than I remaining the executive governor of Kogi State.
“By the grace of God when I would have been sworn in as the President and Commander-in-Chief taking over from Buhari on May 29, 2023, Nigeria will have a heave of relief.”
Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has said if elected president, he will overhaul Nigeria’s health sector with competitive and timely remuneration for health workers being top priority.
Bello made this known through his Special Assistant on Youths and Students, Ahmadu Jibril, during the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NIMSA) International Health Summit 2021 at the Baze University, Abuja.
He said; “For any country to function, three sectors are very key; One is the health sector, second is the education sector and third is the security sector.
“As a governor, he has been able to manage COVID-19 pandemic in a very miraculous way that we did not die as it was assumed it will be.
As a governor he has been able to construct three ultra-modern hospitals, as a governor he is working on establishing the largest diagnostics Center in Nigeria, in West Africa.
“If as a governor he has improved and increased the salaries and wages of our medical doctors in the State, how much more should we expect if he answers the clarion call of Nigerians.
“My governor has identified the three cardinal ways we can improve on the quality of health of the nation.
“One is the manpower, I stand bold to say that Kogi is one of the states paying Medical Doctors’ salaries in the country.
Secondly, is infrastructure. My governor out of his love and passion for the healthcare sector, has established three ultramodern hospitals, we call it reference hospitals across the three senatorial districts.
“And the insurance policies that enables civil servants enjoy medical services. These are part of the things we have been enjoying in Kogi State.”
Nigerian footballer and former Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi, has said that there is a need for youth leadership in Nigeria.
He stated this while on a courtesy visit to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Sunday in Abuja.
Obi said that it was time for the Youths to come out and take leadership positions across all boards for the betterment of Nigeria.
He pledged support for Bello’s political aspirations, adding that youths should be given a chance to get the change Nigerians clamour for.
He also lauded Bello for his achievement in Kogi in the areas of security, healthcare, infrastructure, education and agriculture.
The soccer star noted that such efforts when impacted at a higher level would bring further development for Nigeria.
“It is an honour for me to finally meet his Excellency personally after all the good things I have heard and read about him from not just the people of Kogi State but from Nigerians.
“My main aim is to come here to show my appreciation and to thank him for all the things he has been doing for the people and also to support him in whatever future political positions he wants to go into.
“I will like to be there to support him, to be there by his side through this journey for him to achieve whatever he wants which is for the betterment of Nigeria.
“What better person to lead the youths than him, because he has been doing all these good works and that is why I am here to see whatever way I can come in.
“To get the youths together to know and see how we can make things better for our country and how we can align to achieve all that”, Obi said.
Responding, Bello thanked Obi for the visit and his pledge to support the course for youth leadership.
He reiterated that it was time for the youths to take the opportunity that had presented itself.
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has urged Nigerians to eschew violence and promote peace, saying political elites are united and do not exchange blows.
Bello made the call on Wednesday in Abuja when he received members of the Ex-Agitators Forum from the Niger Delta on a solidarity visit to him for his achievements in security and unity in Kogi.
“I do not think you have ever seen our leaders exchanging blows during our meetings. We, as elites, are united, some only create the fights for you, and you fight yourselves. God forbid, I will not belong to that,” he said.
He noted Nigeria could only be fixed if everybody, irrespective of ethnic origin, religious and political views, came together
Bello also urged youths to resist being used in perpetrating criminal activities, especially by those who do not have the interest of Nigeria but to stand up to become part of the leadership process at all levels.
He said; “Let us come together as Nigerians, whether you are from Niger-Delta, whether you are from East, North, West, South, or not, let us come together.
“Enough of this divide and rule, enough of this ethnic sentiment, enough of these religious sentiments.
“The time has come to produce the next leaders across the board; leadership at top levels comprising of all these ethnic groups and religions.”
He urged the Nigerian youths to be wary of selfish politicians, “who do not have the interest of Nigeria at heart to use these sentiments to divide us and take our resources away, and crumbs are thrown at us.
“Nigeria is blessed; all it takes is good leadership to harness these blessings”.
The governor added that the Kogi strategy would bring the desired change and solution to the country’s challenges if copied across the board.
Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, says he will in due time, answer the call of Nigerians for him to run for President in 2023.
He made this known on Friday night while speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
Bello said; “Nigerians, the youth and women, and all Nigerians, including very objective elites are asking me to run for President in 2023.
“And I believe it is high time that we look into capacity, who can do the job, who is going to unify this country. And I think they are seeing something in me that they are asking me to come and unite and fix this country.
My answer will be in the affirmative in a few time from now.
“I want to urge each and every one of us that are urging me to come to be patient. It’s a work in progress. And by the grace of God, I am not going to disappoint you when the time comes for me to give a response to that.”
All Nigerians are asking me to run for President in 2023. My answer will be in affirmative in a few time from now. – Yahaya Bello, Kogi State Governor#PoliticsToday#CTVTweetspic.twitter.com/WMClqhu3MQ
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, has said the best way to restructure the country is to allow Nigerian youths to take over the leadership of the country.
He made the comment on Friday during a Channels TV programme, ‘Politics Today’, while reacting to the recent resolve by the Southern Governors.
Recall that 17 southern governors under the aegis of Southern Nigerian Governors Forum, SNGF, on Tuesday, unanimously called for the restructuring of the country to put the current agitation for secession to an end.
The governors while deliberating on the current security situation in the region, also banned open grazing to end the incessant crisis between Fulani herdsmen and farmers.
Bello faulted the move for restructuring, stating that the governors are also contributors to the bad governance in the country.
He said: “My definition of restructuring is allowing the younger generation to take over the leadership of this country.
“In some quarters where the restructuring is sounding so loud, looking at history and performances, how have they been able to perform when they were given positions of authority in this country?
“Those of us that are still in authority today, how have we been able to implement programs that can benefit the lives of the people?
How much have we taken the people seriously, how much have we accounted for what we have been entrusted with?”
He said Kogi would not respond to the second wave of the virus with “mass hysteria”.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has discouraged the use of COVID-19 vaccine, claiming that the jabs are meant to kill people.
The Nigerian government had said it was expecting at least 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech approved COVID-19 vaccines to come in by the end of January 2021.
According to Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), provisions have been made for President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to receive the vaccine on live television.
Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, while addressing journalists in Abuja after meeting with President Buhari last week, said he and his colleagues would also take the vaccine on live television.
Yahaya Bello
He said, “We too will like to demonstrate to our citizens that we believe that the vaccines would work.
“Don’t forget, we have a lot of experience on this. The Governors Forum managed the polio vaccines administration in the country and we have garnered a lot of experience.”
But in a viral video, Bello condemned the use of the vaccine, saying it was produced to kill people.
Speaking to a crowd of people, the Kogi governor doubted the authenticity of the vaccine, saying there is no cure for HIV and many other diseases troubling mankind.
He however did not provide any evidence to support his claims that the vaccine could be dangerous to the health.
Bello said, “Vaccines are being produced in less than one year of COVID-19. There is no vaccine yet for HIV, malaria, cancer, headache and for several other diseases that are killing us. They want to use the (COVID-19) vaccines to introduce the disease that will kill you and us. God forbid.
“We should draw our minds back to what happened in Kano during (sic) the Pfizer polio vaccines that crippled and killed our children. We have learned our lessons.
“If they say they are taking the vaccines in public, allow them to take their vaccines. Don’t say I said you should not take it but if you want to take it, open your eyes before you take the vaccines.”
This is not the first time the governor would be making controversial assertions about the virus or the potency of the vaccine.
In a Channel’s TV programme last December, Bello also questioned the need for Nigeria to procure COVID-19 vaccine.
“What is applicable over there may not work in Nigeria. We don’t need to participate in this marketing of COVID-19 vaccine. We should channel the money we want to use to buy the vaccines to other things. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) should give the right advice to the president,” he said.
Also, in his New Year broadcast, Bello said it would be irresponsible of his government to see COVID-19 as a definer of 2020.
He said Kogi would not respond to the second wave of the virus with “mass hysteria”.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 1,449 people have died of COVID-19 complications across the country.
While the country has recorded 112,004 cases of the disease, 89,939 people have recovered from it.
Kogi is one of the states where COVID-19 figures are believed to be highly questionable as the governor has insisted that there is no coronavirus in the state.
Following the take-off of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), in Osara Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, the governor of the state has expressed his desire that it will someday rival the great technological institutions of the planet.
“Nothing is impossible and we do not think small here. CUSTECH will achieve globally renowned recognition in the STEM and Artificial Intelligence,” he said.
The obviously elated Governor was speaking during a brief chat with TOS TV NETWORK. “If MIT and Stanford can do it from their humble beginnings, I have no doubt that CUSTECH will do it. I will lay strong foundations and it will practically grow on autopilot afterward. Just mark my words. It may take time but it will happen.” The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, also said: “CUSTECH will focus on the development of human resources for the state and the country that is proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).”
Bello disclosed also disclosed that the newly appointed pioneer principal officers met his administration’s rule of applying equity to every part of the state, noting that the new management was a ‘true confluence of diversity’. He further explained that the major sections of the state were well-represented.
Yahaya Bello
“In addition to the clear application of merit to each appointment, we made sure that members of the management team also represent a true confluence of diversity within our context in Kogi. We are as ethnically and religiously diverse as Nigeria itself and must apply State Character akin to the Federal Character principles incumbent in federal appointments,” he said.
He insisted that the widespread distrust which existed between the various ethnic groups before his arrival at Government House, Lokoja was traceable in large part to deliberate circumvention of this unspoken rule of fairness in the past.
Professor Salawu Sadiku, an Ebira man from the Central Senatorial District is assisted by the Registrar, Ms. Hudson Olufunke, an Okun from the Western axis with the Bursar, Mr. Alaji John, coming from the Kogi East Senatorial District. The Librarian, Mr. Salifu Jeremiah, the Director of Works and Physical Planning, Arch. Usman Muhammed Ahmed, and Mr. Muhammed Asuku Audu who is the Director of Academic Planning completed the mix.
Hyped respect for religious and ethnic identity may appear archaic to some, but it is still the reality of Nigeria that most conflicts are founded on a perceived disregard of these principles in the distribution of public patronage. Governor Bello obviously does not want to be classed among Governors who enabled deep-rooted distrust among the tribes of Kogi by nepotism.
The appointments take effect from December 17, 2020.
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