FGYB vs EFCC: Governor Bello’s Undoubted contribution to Education in Kogi »

By Williams Charles Oluwatoyin

Over the past few days, drama have engulfed the political space of Kogi state and by extension, Nigeria over the remarkable theartrical performance presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in their plot to allegedly bring to book the Immediate-past governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on claims of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).

While many pundits and commentators have argued back and forth over what is constitutional, legal and rational many others have toed the path of emotions and hateful vituperations against the person involved in the debacle. Many have maligned and dragged in the mud the person of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, several of which were a sting on his bold and daring attributes of which characterised his eight years of leadership in the confluence state.

As fondly called “the White Lion” showed daring capacity in leadership, took bold steps, changed age long narratives and put his heart into every battle he encountered, emerging victorious in several. Remarkably, were his efforts to tackle the issues of insecurity, ethnic and religious disparities, political instability, decay in the health sector and most importantly changing the narratives in the education sector.

The New Direction Government under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Bello took the entire education sector to the new level through a sheer determination and resilience to improve on the standard of education at the Primary, secondary and tertiary education level. When it comes to policies, the governor historically increased the budgetary allocation of the sector to 30% a feet which surpassed the globally recommended percentage by UNESCO. The paltry sum that was initially allocated could neither fend nor cater for the infrastructural needs in the sector even at the Basic level.

The same Yahaya Bello that many were trying to make a laughing stock established two new higher institutions of learning in Kogi state I.e Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara and the Kogi State University, Kabba both of which got the nod of the National University Commission (NUC) within the shortest time frame. Defending such audacious move, Yahaya Bello said that his interest was to get more Kogi’s young people an opportunity to earn a higher education considering the fact that they were often disadvantaged when the apply to neighbouring higher institutions.

With regards to infrastructural development, the entire higher institutions in the state had a touch of facelift with a mix of special infrastructural interventions by the state government and TETFUND projects scattered all across and everywhere. From Prince Audu Abubakar University (PAAU) Anyingba to Confluence University of Science and Technology, Kogi State University Kabba, Kogi State Polytechnic, Nursing School Obangede and other higher institutions in the state, the story is the same. The focus of the immediate past government on raising the bar of education through massive boost in infrastructure was highly noticeable and commendable.

Model schools of Science and Technology were yet another conception of former Governor Bello’s leadership. The vision was primarily to raise young enthusiast who are very vast in the core areas of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Withe the implementation of this model already in the pipeline with well equipped Model schools in Lokoja, Adankolo, Okebunkun, Ogaminana, government’s vision of actualising a science and technological education for young students is a done deal.

Most remarkably, the former governor in the span of eight years ensured that all of the higher institution in the state had full accreditation by their respective regulatory bodies in a bid to ensure that standard of learning were adequately maintained. This was achievable because the former governor not only gave the motivational gesture but also the material support to help each and every institution prepare and get the best outcome. The last in the line of accreditation was the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute which the then governor even under very tight conditions gave an approval and released funds for the institution to undergo its long awaited accreditation.

In as much as the EFCC is charged with the mandate of investigating and prosecuting financial crimes at all levels, the dramatic intonation and its flagrant abuse of judicial orders brings some sort of suspicions that their move has a political undertone. Several judicial pundits and other well meaning individuals have raised eyebrows on the actions of the commission and their intention to ridicule the person and legacies of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

Certainly, not the same Yahaya Bello many individuals have made frantic efforts to dent his legacies, but failed again and again. Initially, one would decide to close ears to such frivolities but again, I reckon that moments like these are perfect for the heralding of the good gesture. For a man who changed the tides of the education sector in the state, EFCC’s drama and brouhaha would not make us forget his contributions and indelible footprints.