It is
no longer news that the governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who
hitherto was seen in the political circle as providential, thus politically
inept, a small fry, a greenhorn and a tenderfoot, has proven his critics wrong,
proving himself to be not just a young kingmaker and a political juggernaut but
also, a bulldozing gladiator and a force to be reckoned with in politics.
The
past few weeks have seen this new “kid” in the block dazzling his critics, uprooting,
disparaging and dismantling the structures of a renowned Nigerian’s south west
political schemer and strategist of all time, Olushola Mimiko, a man dubbed as the
Iroko of the south west politics.
The
choice of the name Iroko to describe this strong political tactician may not be
unconnected to an interesting characteristic of the tree, rot resistance. Iroko
is very durable, and is resistant to both rot and insect attack. Indeed Olusegun
Mimiko has from his days at the Labour party being a force to be reckoned with.
He has been defiant to all political maneuvers aimed at getting rid of him and
making him irrelevant; consequently, he has proven indefatigable and unbeatably
impervious, a nightmare to politician’s foes. Haven demystified and deflated
such credentials by this 41 years old unassuming politician, It is now proven
that, political sagacity does not come with your long foray in political
warfare but with brains, intelligence and zeal, attributes the Kogi state
governor has displayed lately.
Following
the young governor’s activities of late, it is apparently perceptible that
Yahaya Bello is a very practical politician, who matches words with appropriate
proportion of actions. Everywhere he went and everything he does, there is
pragmatism in his approaches. While others who partook in the falling of the
Iroko, either delegated responsibilities, or worked through proxies, or from
the comfort of their offices at Abuja, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was the GOC
commanding the political infantries and combatants that wrecked the havoc to
the core of the Iroko’s trunk . He was
on ground in Ondo state to garner support for Rotimi Akeredolu, moving from
enclaves to enclaves. The most interesting and calculative tactical manover and
moves he deployed was to identify with the sizable number of non-indigenes of
Ondo state that formed a larger percentage of the voting population, having he
had one-on-one contact with them, with the intent of capturing the core of
their hearts.
His
pragmatism can also be seen in many instances, one of such was demonstrated
sometime last week when the young governor led security operatives to dislodge
trailers that barricaded the Lokoja-Abuja road, causing heavy traffic logjam,
due to a fracas between the Nigeria
army operatives and tanker drivers. Entreaties were made by serving Generals in
the army and very influential personalities which fell on deaf ears until the
governor, upon the request of the warring trailer drivers arrived the scene. He
didn’t leave the scene until around 11pm when all issues were resolved and all
gridlocks removed and traffic restored.
Before his assumption to office,
it was a truism that Kogi state civil service was one of the most fantastically
corrupt civil services in the country. Its workforce is ghost worker laden to
the tone of 40%. Attempts made by previous administrations to right this trend
has always gone over the bar and met stiff resistant. The processes are either intentionally
scuttled, compromised or government lacking the political will to implement
submitted report. Upon assumption into office, the first step of the governor
was to make sure, these ghosts are sent back to their graves to rest in peace.
Initially, it felt like it would be business as usual, but for the determination
and doggedness, the process would have been jettisoned owing to pressure emanating
from various quarters to outright condemnation and attack on the governor’s
personality by perceived beneficiaries of the long term largess. Kogi state
wouldn’t have had it better. Within a short while, it is expected that the
practical steps and approach of this young governor, would begin to yield
positively for the people of Kogi state. At the moment as I write, the young
governor has ordered the payment of all outstanding salaries owned civil
servants as promised by him that he would not carry over any payment into the
incoming year.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. states “One of the great liabilities
of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great
periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of status quo and
its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through
revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to
adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.”
Succinctly put, age in politics is
a serious and important yardstick for performance and achieving results. There
is the power to go the extra mile, there is the ability to think outside the
box, the brain is fully functional at its maximum and there is the adventure or
venturing to do things in a different way. It is believed that only unserious
people would do a process over and over failing expecting different results. Except
there is a daring breakaway from the past logics that have failed, there can be
no forward movement. It takes a daring and adventurous young man to get result
in the multi-tasking society that we are in and that’s why the young governor
is faing the tide. No wonder shakepsre said, there is a tide “There is a tide
in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted,
all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a
full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or
lose our ventures”
This is a metaphorical expression,
the use of which we often find in literature and everyday life. In our lives,
we get ebbs and flows; however, we, sometimes, are unable to recognize whether
the tide is an opportunity or an obstacle. It is up to us how we avail it as an
opportunity or an obstacle. An elderly person can give this wise suggestion to
the younger ones, as it contains beauty of thought about availing themselves of
the opportunity. It only takes a young man to take action because he has the
strength and abilities.
It takes courage and strength to
face the tide, if Kogi must progress, it needs to support this 41 years old. He
has the “can-do” mien. He leads from the front and not the back.
His unscheduled visits to many of
the states ministries and parastatals, presents a man who does not sit down in
his office and work by the reports submitted to his desk by his appointees.
Rather he goes out to inspect and supervises so as to rake in, first hand
information about happing in his domain.
Finally, the 41 year old governor
has a penchant for the people of Kogi state. Wherever he finds himself, he puts
off the toga of executiveness then mingles with his people. No wonder, during
the Edo gubernatorial elections held in the
month of September, Yahaya Bello was often times found in the cluster of his
people at Igarra, Auchi, Uromi etc. He repeated, the same act was repeated
during the Ondo election that found the young governor yet again in the midst
of his people in areas like Owo. It takes one who has the love of his people and
humility bto seek out for them wherever he finds himself.
For the first time since the
creation of Kogi state, Kogi just got it self a complete leader, the onus lies
on the people to give him the much needed support to him so he can deliver,
because he has all the impetus to do so, like he has replicated in Edo and Ondo
respectfully.
Williams Charles Oluwatoyin
Is a Media and Communications
Consultant.
wlmcharles@yahoo.co.uk
