Presidential Ambition: Yahaya Bello a lonely masquerade
By Shaibu Stephen Ojate
The greatest disservice to mankind is self-deceit. A self-deceit person is directionless and one without a definite destination. A man on self-deceit is very hard to control and those who follow him do that blindly and at their own peril.
I am one person that hardly goes home unless I have serious important thing to do. Base on this, I can say, I visit my home town in Kogi State every 3years. My last visit was prior to the Kogi gubernatorial election and my recent visit was last week when my mum calls me to come home immediately because of the seriousness of my father’s sickness.
Reaching home avails me to critically analyze Yahaya Bello’s presidential ambition aside the social media platform hype, propaganda and criticism. I must therefore say that Governor Yahaya Bello has done well in publicity as his posters and Bill-board littered along the major road from Abuja to Okene and to my home Town in Ihima. In all these posters and bill-boards, what were missing out are the major achievements of Governor Bello in Kogi State. Yahaya Bello’s presidential ambition selling point in most of these posters and Bill-board is the Youthful exuberance of the incumbent Governor and not the infrastructural development in the State. His promoters are not helping by not showcasing his achievements in the Bill-boards.
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When I reached home, it avails me proper to know the view point of the villagers on Yahaya Bello’s presidential ambition. The outcome of my voice pox with the local was not encouraging enough as many of them were very disenchanted on Bello’s administration in the State. They complained of no salary payment and even when they were given, it was mostly a percentage salary paid. An anonymous Teacher on grade level 16 told me point blank that she is presently receiving N30, 000 instead of N150, 000 that she should ordinarily be paid.
The worst hints are the retired civil servants who complained of being neglected after resigning from active service. Many of them are emaciated and sick including the father of this writer. When I investigated further, I was made to know that many had died on account of lack of fund to treat their sicknesses.
The people complained bitterly about Yahaya Bello’s administration lifestyle as no one dares voice out his ill-feeling in the State. They added that where one dares such, the individual is molested and tormented by thugs of Governor Bello.
The general outlook of the people I came across at home most especially my old friends were not appealing to the eye. Those who were naturally plump became tin and skinny. When I interrogated them on what causes their emaciation, they attributed it to the hunger in the land.
They added that many of them were formerly civil servants and salary was their major source of income. With the coming of Governor Bello, many of them got laid off from the civil service. Even those who are presently working had their promotion stagnated since the coming of this administration.
They hinted further that some of them that took to farming to fed for their family got their crops pre-maturely harvested by thief because of too hunger among the general populace. They equally complained about Fulani invasion of farm land that causes the destruction of crops which causes low harvest and eventual hunger in the land.
The general populace was not so moved by Governor Yahaya Bello Presidential ambition because to them, they have nothing to hold onto for his administration in the State. The Youths which he claimed to be their apostle are still jobless at home and no initiative to swipe off mass of unemployed Youths in Kogi State.
The people complained that the political appointees of Kogi central extraction are far away from the people at home and lamented further that the Council chairmen are just a stood in the hand of Governor Bello. They point out further that the elected council chairmen have no say on their administration in their respective local governments as Governor Bello dictates what should be handed over to them in every monthly allocation. They said, the crops of political appointees have not helped matters as many of them are not knowledgeable to distinguish why they were elected in the first place.
From the above tales, the question is? Who are those Youths pushing Governor Bello for President because of his good work in the State? From my careful observation, Governor is presently standing alone and if there were persons with him presently, that should be his political appointees and their family members.
Shaibu Stephen Ojate is a Journalist and public affairs commentator writes from Abuja. He is reachable via whatsapp on 09075716236.
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