Yahaya Bello: Eulogies for a quintessential leader at 49 Birthday- By Halima Alfa Gaya
Birthday all over the world is a period of celebrating the addition of another year by an individual and his well wishers. But for a leader, it is a period where his followers take various turns in praising and thanking God for the life and leadership of that leader.
As today marks the attainment of another important year in the life of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, a man variously described by his political disciples and critics alike as the white lion, the father of modern day development of Kogi state, the best transactional leader the state has yet produced and above all, the man who through his leadership has fought the symmetric and asymmetric battle of Kogi state to a standstill in the last eight years and many more attributes that cannot be exhaustively mentioned who clocks 49 years today.
The life of His Excellency, Yahaya Bello at 49 is worthy of been celebrated by all. This is because of the many achievements he has achieved both for himself, his family, the good people of Kogi state, and humanity in general.
As we celebrate this very young but important political figure who has for the past ten years bestride the political scene of our country as a colossus, we must reflects on the many positives in his life so far. Based on data and evidence on ground, the entrance of Yahaya Bello to the political scene of Kogi state was likened to a political hurricane metaphor because it changed the political space of the state with his new direction political philosophy because he was one leader who came to power prepared for the job.
The Yahaya Bello political hurricane reversed the downward spiral and circle the state had witnessed since it was created by the military regime of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in 1991. Make no mistake about it, among the plethora of both military and democratically elected leaders of the state, his administration was one which signalled the beginning of the end to all the political vices witnessed in the state since it was created and this accolades can never be denied him.
Today this young but astute and courageous politician and leader can be described as a leader who is an institution of his own because he has through his leadership which many see as dealing in hope aggradized rather than aggravated many followers to his political party.
His political philosophy that endeared him to many includes his penchant for making sure that he creates a new Kogi state where everyone no matter how small, rich or poor, from the smallest to the biggest ethnic group is not denied the opportunity to live up to the promise of his talent but assisted to achieve the best of his talent.
He is a politician who in his leadership made sure that the state demolished the barriers to it’s growth by eliminating the tired and retarding leadership recruitment process in the state which emphasis tribe, religion and political zone as the basis of being successful in the political scene of the state.
Yahaya Bello in his leadership gave us Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo who is now the governor of the state working assiduously to satisfy the yearnings of the people.
The achievement of the present governor has indeed proved the doubting Thomas wrong because the performances of his Excellency, Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo so far has vindicated Yahaya Bello whom many before the last Guber election in the state asserts as a parochial leader.
The political upheavals been orchestrated by enemies of the state within and outside has calmed with the people now living with joy and thanksgiving to him for the gift of the present governor.
Today to the surprise of his political enemies Yahaya Bello is now described by his people as the “KASHIM SHETTIMA OF KOGI STATE” who in his wisdom recruited Professor Zulum, the present governor of Borno state who is performing wonders developing the state.
Many are also using this birthday of Yahaya Bello in celebrating his political wisdom of allowing the present governor a free hand to administer the state by not following the steps of many former governor who are not toying this line.
Yahaya Bello is the leader who created many strong institutions rather than strong men to give Kogi state a new direction. He created the conference state university and decentralized the Kogi state university in Ayangba in other to give other zones a sense of belonging. Now everybody acknowledges the vision of our leader Yahaya Bello because he had deliberately made the state knowledge economy for the good of all.
A humble man and a father who respects elders and this I witnessed with him calling me severally not with my name but “Mummy”. I am today proud of him because he is my son in whom I am well pleased. His present challenges which is ephemeral will pass away because difficulties and disappointments are bound to happen to a common man, but we are smiling and taking as a price he as a leader is paying for serving us with dignity and uprightness. He shall prevail because the people of Kogi state are behind him. HAPPY 49 BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, OUR LEADER AND BENEFACTOR AND MANY HAPPY RETURN.
Barr Halima Alfa Gaya Phd,
Abuja
