Ethnicity, religious inclination, sectionalism buried in Kogi – Bello

Dada Ahmed, Lokoja

The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello says his administration has been able to bury issues bordering on ethnicity, religion, sectionalism and other divisive expressions it inherited when he took over the leadership of the state, seven and a half years ago.

He stated this during the APC governorship campaign at Anyigba, East Senatorial district of the state on Saturday before a mammoth crowd that witnessed the occasion.

Reeling out the achievements of his government, Bello, who went down memory lane, thanked Almighty God for giving him the opportunity to be a the saddle of leadership of the state for the past seven and a half years and also appreciated the people of the state.

He recalled that his administration met a state found in shamble, largely divided along ethnic and religious lines.

The governor, however, expressed delight that his government had been able to close the gap and cement all the fault lines.

He stressed: “Never in our lifetime should we allow those who do not know what governance means to come and reopen the faulty lines.

“The issue of ethnicity has been buried long before today, that is why I feel very much concerned about the dividends of democracy to ensure equity and justice.

“This is the hallmark of my administration and what the APC government in Kogi state believes in.

“We believe in competence and bury mediocrity, sectionalism, man knows man.”

He revealed that more than per cent of those working with him today, he did not know from day one, adding that he did not select them based on ethnicity, tribe or religious sentiment but strictly on how they would be able to touch the life of the people positively.

He said that based on his belief, he ensured equitable distribution of appointments and resources across the board, including the last palliatives.

On the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Bello urged the people to vote for Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo and Joel Oyibo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the sake of continuity in the governance of the state.

Many people who viewed the governor’s speech on television, in their reaction while exchanging views with our correspondent in Lokoja on Sunday, described it as a mini valedictory speech.

Governor Bello is expected to hand over the leadership of the state on January 2024 to the next governor who will be elected on November 11, 2023.