Kogi Deputy Governor highlights Governor Bello's guiding principles in emotional Facebook post »

The Deputy Governor of Kogi, Chief Edward Onoja, held readers spellbound with an emotional post on his Facebook page, describing the core values of the New Direction in Kogi State, Nigeria under Governor Yahaya Bello. He identified character, capacity, and competency as essential considerations for Governor Bello, and emphasized that bigotry is a distant phenomenon in the governor’s template.

The deeply emotive piece highlights the values of inclusion, merit, and equity that are central to the New Direction’s vision for Kogi State, and how two people divinely baked are providing a reference template of loyalty in friendship.

Chief Edward stressed that the values inherent in Governor Yahaya Bello’s cabinet are not merely external virtues put on display to impress people, but come from deep within the man and have been his guiding principles in life and business long before he assumed office.

He highlighted Governor Yahaya Bello’s Fairplus Group, a pan-Nigerian conglomerate, which employs people from all over the country, and how merit rules in the Banking and Petroleum sectors where he himself was trained.

Chief Edward also debunked an accusation that people throw at them, claiming that they love other tribes in Kogi more than their own.

“One funny accusation people throw at the two of us is that we love other tribes in Kogi more than our own. They say our ‘EBIGO’ and ‘Enemuneme’ philosophy has made His Excellency to do more for Igala, Okun and other people than his native Ebira while Igala people say Edward Onoja prefers to help Okun, Ebira and others more than them”

“Of course, that’s not true”, stressing that Governor Yahaya Bello “is Governor of all Kogites and must apply equity to all and I am his loyal lieutenant. Two of us love our respective tribes but we have a duty to love all Kogites as equally as possible and that is what we do.”

He further explained that they have a duty to love all Kogites equally, and the New Direction Blueprint proclaims itself as “a roadmap for accelerated and proportional development of Kogi State in all her constituencies” not a skewed developmental agenda that places one ethnic group above others.

The Deputy Governor also spoke about the role of religion in the Governor’s administration, highlighting the harmonious coexistence between the two major religions, Islam and Christianity, and how Kogi State has surpassed the 35% gender inclusion benchmark in both elected and appointed offices.

Chief Edward spoke glowingly of his boss and how the Governor’s legacy will not just be the infrastructure he has built but a people and State held together by bonds of oneness that are stronger than any steel specification.

From the reactions of his numerous fans, it is clear that people across ethnic groups in Kogi State are pleased with the Deputy Governor and the Captain of the New Direction, Governor Yahaya Bello.

According to Hassan Ahmed, “It’s time for us to repay you for the good job you did for our brother, GYB.”

Another fan, Jimoh Audu, described Chief Edward as a man who is “truly endowed with the knowledge and experience to carry on the good legacies of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello.”

In the words of Oguche Unekwu Grace, “I see an all-inclusive government, irrespective of one’s ethnicity, religion, gender, and people living with special needs. Ride on, CEDO, you are on the right track to success.”

Another fan, Ekpa Shedrack said: “Capacity, character and competence. Three criteria to further consolidate GYB’s achievements. CEDO is the one the cap fits.”

Like Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Chief Edward Onoja is ready to serve all of Kogi and its people and seeks support to keep the flag of the New Direction flying.

Deeply musing