GOODWILL MESSAGE BY HIS EXCELLENCY, ALHAJI YAHAYA BELLO, GOVERNOR OF KOGI STATE TO THE 3RD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE CORONATION OF THE ATTAH IGALA, HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, IDAKWO MICHAEL AMEH OBONI II ON 26TH MARCH, 2016 AT THE ROYAL PALACE, IDAH, KOGI STATE

Protocols

AGABA-IDU!

AGABA-IDU!

AGABA-IDU!

Today is indeed a great day in Kogi State. Attah Igala, the biggest masquerade in the land is dancing and the whole world has turned out to marvel at the rare sight. Nigerians from all over the nation, friends and tourists from foreign lands and other categories of people too numerous to mention are in this multitude. I am therefore honoured to be here today and to join this joyous throng in celebrating our royal father, the Monarch of all Igalaland.

His Royal Majesty comes from a most illustrious lineage in the ruling houses of Igalaland. His father, the first Ameh Oboni, exemplified sacrificial and foresighted leadership of the sort that our land desperately needs again. He fought the battles of his people and when the time came he looked into the future and took hard decisions designed to favour generations yet unborn. We are gathered here today mainly as a result of those decisions.

It is the bane of our nation Nigeria, and our state Kogi, that we have had people at the helm of affairs whose only thought is for their own belly. The result has been disastrous as you all know. At the centre the nation is wobbling from the misgovernance of yesterday. In Kogi, the state is tottering from mistakes of the past. If only our past leaders conducted themselves like Ameh Oboni I and superintended our commonwealth for the benefit of posterity!

His Royal Majesty, Ameh Oboni II has the foresight and forthrightness of his father. When we visited the Palace to seek his royal blessings during our gubernatorial campaigns, we probably did not look like much. We were contending with giants but His Royal Majesty saw something in us that others did not. He received us with royal courtesy and utmost civility. He listened to us. Somehow he saw the fire in our eyes and discerned the passion in our souls for a New Direction for Kogi State. We promised him accelerated development for his Kingdom and the rest of Kogi State.

In his royal response, His Royal Majesty addressed us as his children. He charged us to be bold and courageous and to go forth as befits the children of a lion. He told us to expect divine help. We promised to be detribalized. The rest, as they say, is history. We went forth courageously; we entered every part of Kogi and we sold our candidature. In the end, by the uniqueness of what only the Almighty can orchestrate, we are governing today.

We promised Your Royal Majesty that we shall be detribalized and we are making every attempt to live up to that promise. I took the Oath of Office 59 days ago. Immediately after the event I appointed right-hand man, Edward Onoja as my Chief of Staff. Your Royal Majesty, he is one of your subjects from Odidoko – Emonyokwu, Ogugu District, Olamaboro L.G.A of Kogi State. This is the first time a Governor in Kogi State has filled that sensitive position with someone from outside his tribe. Chief Simeon Achuba, our hardworking Deputy Governor, is also from your Kingdom.

In our other appointments and actions in Office we have made sure that there is something for every part of the State. Many more are yet to come. The principles of merit and proportionate equity shall continue to guide us, both in appointments and in execution of projects. I am ready to work with anyone who believes with me that Kogi can be greater and follows my lead in actualizing it.

A legend of Igalaland has it that when another direct descendant of Ameh Oboni the First sits again on the Throne as Attah of Igala, Igalaland will see unprecedented development. Your Royal Majesty, you are that direct descendant. By the grace of God, I am the Governor who will fulfill that prophecy. I promised Your Royal Majesty that we will develop Igalaland as rapidly and as extensively as resources and equity to all parts of Kogi will allow. We have started, and insha Allah, we shall finish as well.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are in Office at a time when the needs of our people require urgent actions. I can tell you that we are deploying action as fast as we can. The Igala people have a saying that, ‘daybreak begins in the morning, not in the evening’. They also say that ‘when the cook does the right things from the very beginning, the food cannot be tasteless’. I agree with both adages. We are resolved to begin early and to take the right actions from the very beginning in order to ensure that as the day progresses on our Administration, the food that we cook for our consumption in Kogi State is both tasty and spicy.

On 24th March, 2016, exactly 57 days of our assuming Office, we paid the second batch of salaries to all civil servants in Kogi State whose nominal roll was forwarded and guaranteed by the heads of their parastatals or offices. That is two months’ salaries in less than two months! The sad thing is that not all MDAs of the Kogi State Civil Service could forward a nominal roll which the heads thereof could guarantee to be free of ghosts. How does a leader not know people who are physically working in his unit? I leave the reasons for such strange occurrences to your imagination.

I can only say that the revelations thrown up so far by our screening exercise to flush out ghost-workers from the Kogi State payroll has more than justified the rationale for it. We will not relent until every ghost-worker has been exorcised from our payroll and their wicked alter egos found and punished. We will succeed better in these and other civil service reforms with the support of Your Royal Majesty and your subjects.

Our aim is to bring target-specific projects to each community and by working hard and relying on the grace of God, we will do so. Our Blueprint Team has sent questionnaires to every nook and cranny of the State. They have toured nearly all the local government areas and engaged political officeholders, traditional rulers, community leaders, women groups, farmers’ cooperatives, youths, students, etc. They are receiving firsthand information on the exact projects needed by almost every community. Anywhere they have not yet reached in the last 3 weeks since they started work, they will reach in the next one or two weeks.

Your Royal Majesty, and Kogi People from every part of the state, we must require that you trust us, that you work with us. We will not try your patience unduly so you will be seeing some quick-wins as we go. However, some things will require a little bit of time to get done, we ask you to give us some time in those circumstances. All in all, we are working to make Government work for each and every one of our people.

I cannot end this speech without condoling again with Your Royal Majesty and the Igala People on the sudden and tragic fall of some of the mightiest Iroko trees in your forests. The deaths of Prince Abubakar Audu and James Ocholi, SAN are two of the worst tragedies to befall Kogi State. One can only imagine the impact on their native Igalaland and people. Again we condole with you. Be assured that we stand with you in faith, both in the day of prayers recently consecrated by Your Royal Majesty and in the trust that we will not see the like again.

AGABA-IDU! Today is your day. We celebrate you. The last three years have been eventful, but you have proven yourself as the father of all across Kogi State and beyond. I felicitate with you on behalf of the people of Kogi State. Your days, by the grace of the Almighty will be many, they will be fruitful and they will be prosperous. Long may you reign on the Throne of your fathers. May your people find peace, unity and unprecedented greatness under you.

May God bless His Royal Majesty, Idakwo Michael, Ameh Oboni the Second!

May God bless the Ancient and Great Igala Kingdom!

May God bless Kogi State!

May God bless Nigeria!

AGABA-IDU!

AGABA-IDU!

AGABA-IDU!

Thank you one and all.