Forum of Special Advisers tour reveals giant strides of Yahaya Bello in Kogi »

Considering the abundant human and natural resources that Kogi State is reputed to have, the state may not have measured up to her reputation, but for Yahaya Adoza Bello. Kogi was unrefined and lacked the basic infrastructure befitting of a confluence state before the incumbent governor came into power on January 26th, 2016.

The giant strides of the governor has practically led to the rebuilding of Kogi State away from what many believed to be ‘civil servants’ state. It should be acknowledged at this point that despite her meager share from the statutory federal allocations and an almost paltry internally generated revenue, Yahaya Bello is succeeding in achieving much with the meager resources.

These noble achievements are what the governor’s Special Advisers under the aegis of Special Advisers Forum sought to bring to the fore through what they termed ‘GYB Legacy Project Tour’ across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Chairman of the forum and Special Adviser to Governor Bello on Project Monitoring, Hon. Usman Ochidi, said the essence of the tour was to project the infrastructural performance of the governor in all sectors. He described Governor Bello as a silent achiever whose main focus is to attend to the needs of the people through providing solid infrastructures without noise.
He however said that the forum decided to make these achievements known so the world can give a fair appraisal.

The Forum’s tour which began today in Kogi Central confirms that the electoral promise of Bello to revolutionize infrastructure in Kogi state is currently being fulfilled.

The Vice Chancellor of the recently established Confluence University of Science and Technology, Professor Salau Sadiku, was the first point of call for the forum, during the visit he described Governor Yahaya Bello as a result oriented leader who conceived the idea of a science and tech university and pushed for its establishment within one year, with full accreditation and recognition from relevant stakeholders like NUC, TETFUND, JAMB and others. He said ‘with the speed of spirits’, the governor began an aggressive infrastructural drive despite the meager resources available to the state. “As at today, government has completed and put to use, the University Auditorium, 7 new classrooms, university library, administrative block, university clinic, academic staff offices, laboratories, hostel blocks amongst others.

“The recent advertisement of contract for the construction of Senate building, three engineering building and medical building will in no distance, place the university in the league of prominent universities in the Nigerian”, Prof Sadiku said.

The university which is barely nine months into operation has 240 students running 11 different course with NUC approval. A feat that many describe as unprecedented in the educational history of the state.
With this, Governor Yahaya Bello has attended significantly to the academic, job security and economic development needs of the state, all in one swoop.

A similar feat is also being replicated at the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Obangede. This school, formerly refered to as a glorified secondary school before the intervention of governor Yahaya Bello.

The Provost of the institution, Mrs. Hannah Abraham said the governor has continued to invest in the infrastructure turnaround of the school, thereby helping management to secure accreditation of several courses, admit more students and also to produce quality products that are adjudged to be among the best in the country.

Basic education sector is not also not left out of the infrastructure turnaround in the state. Several primary schools visited by the Forum revealed that construction/renovation were carried out with the provision of recreational facilities and other modern learning materials like desktops computers to many of the schools.

It was gathered also that Governor Bello directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic planning as well as the Ministry of Education to ensure that the budget allocation for education was increased to 20 percent of the total budgetary allocation from 2021 fiscal year and beyond.

Roads.

From Osara through Ebogogo-Ipaku, all the way through Inoziomi-Kuroko-eika down to Obangede-Uhodo the GYB legacy projects in road infrastructure were visible.
It is also on record that Governor Bello also constructed the Agasa junction-Obehira Ihima road, Ozuwaya road, Barki market road, Okeneba road, Total junction-Ohinoyi palace road. The ongoing Okenkwe makaranta road, Eyinare street road, Uruvukura-Ahogede-Idozumi road amongst several others.

The construction of these rural roads, along with the massive erosion control work at Obangede junction, according to Aisha Muritala, Mariam Shaibu, and Ojo Obeiba and other road users is a relief to the people as they have now eased traveling and doing business.

Reference Hospital

The Forum also visited the ongoing ultramodern Reference Hospital in Okene. Described as the first referral hospital in Nigeria, the site contractor, Ziyad Raheem said the hospital is a tertiary facility where they’ll render specialize care.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Pharmacist Clement Hamidu added that this is the first time a governor in Nigeria is combining the 6Cs of health care which are care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. He added that when completed, the hospital will be equipped to conduct cardiovascular surgery, neuro surgery and will be equipped with equipments, some of which will be first in Africa.

Ohinoyi Palace

The construction of a befitting palace for the paramount ruler of the Ebira kingdom is one of the legacy projects that has won Governor Yahaya Bello encomiums from several quarters.

The current Ohinoyi, HRM, Ado Ibrahim operates from his private residence due to the lack of a fitting official residence over the years. Having a strong respect for traditional institutions in the state, Governor Yahaya Bello has thought it expedient to build an official residence for the Ohinoyi, a palace that many describe as ‘Maitama in Okene’.

Several stakeholders visited in the first day of tour by the Forum of Special Advisers including the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, HRM, Ado Ibrahim, the Adeika of Eika, HRH, Abubakar Jatto, Chairman of Okene LGA, Hon. Abubakar Yusuf, revealed that the people are full of appreciation and are proud to have a young Governor who is doing well especially in the areas of infrastructure and security. Mostly refered to as “Architect of Development”, Governor Yahaya Bello continues to cross all t’s in revolutionizing Kogi with quality infrastructure, a model that the people now describe as the “GYB Standard”.

The tour is expected to continue to other parts of the state.