It is no longer news that the governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who hitherto was seen in the political circle as providential, thus politically inept, a small fry, a greenhorn and a tenderfoot, has proven his critics wrong, proving himself to be not just a young kingmaker and a political juggernaut but also, a bulldozing gladiator and a force to be reckoned with in politics.
The past few weeks have seen this new “kid” in the block dazzling his critics, uprooting, disparaging and dismantling the structures of a renowned Nigerian’s south west political schemer and strategist of all time, Olushola Mimiko, a man dubbed as the Iroko of the south west politics.
The choice of the name Iroko to describe this strong political tactician may not be unconnected to an interesting characteristic of the tree, rot resistance. Iroko is very durable, and is resistant to both rot and insect attack. Indeed Olusegun Mimiko has from his days at the Labour party being a force to be reckoned with. He has been defiant to all political maneuvers aimed at getting rid of him and making him irrelevant; consequently, he has proven indefatigable and unbeatably impervious, a nightmare to politician’s foes. Haven demystified and deflated such credentials by this 41 years old unassuming politician, It is now proven that, political sagacity does not come with your long foray in political warfare but with brains, intelligence and zeal, attributes the Kogi state governor has displayed lately.


Following the young governor’s activities of late, it is apparently perceptible that Yahaya Bello is a very practical politician, who matches words with appropriate proportion of actions. Everywhere he went and everything he does, there is pragmatism in his approaches. While others who partook in the falling of the Iroko, either delegated responsibilities, or worked through proxies, or from the comfort of their offices at Abuja, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was the GOC commanding the political infantries and combatants that wrecked the havoc to the core of the Iroko’s trunk . He was on ground in Ondo state to garner support for Rotimi Akeredolu, moving from enclaves to enclaves. The most interesting and calculative tactical manover and moves he deployed was to identify with the sizable number of non-indigenes of Ondo state that formed a larger percentage of the voting population, having he had one-on-one contact with them, with the intent of capturing the core of their hearts.
His pragmatism can also be seen in many instances, one of such was demonstrated sometime last week when the young governor led security operatives to dislodge trailers that barricaded the Lokoja-Abuja road, causing heavy traffic logjam, due to a fracas between the Nigeria army operatives and tanker drivers. Entreaties were made by serving Generals in the army and very influential personalities which fell on deaf ears until the governor, upon the request of the warring trailer drivers arrived the scene. He didn’t leave the scene until around 11pm when all issues were resolved and all gridlocks removed and traffic restored.

Before his assumption to office, it was a truism that Kogi state civil service was one of the most fantastically corrupt civil services in the country. Its workforce is ghost worker laden to the tone of 40%. Attempts made by previous administrations to right this trend has always gone over the bar and met stiff resistant. The processes are either intentionally scuttled, compromised or government lacking the political will to implement submitted report. Upon assumption into office, the first step of the governor was to make sure, these ghosts are sent back to their graves to rest in peace. Initially, it felt like it would be business as usual, but for the determination and doggedness, the process would have been jettisoned owing to pressure emanating from various quarters to outright condemnation and attack on the governor’s personality by perceived beneficiaries of the long term largess. Kogi state wouldn’t have had it better. Within a short while, it is expected that the practical steps and approach of this young governor, would begin to yield positively for the people of Kogi state. At the moment as I write, the young governor has ordered the payment of all outstanding salaries owned civil servants as promised by him that he would not carry over any payment into the incoming year.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. states “One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.”
Succinctly put, age in politics is a serious and important yardstick for performance and achieving results. There is the power to go the extra mile, there is the ability to think outside the box, the brain is fully functional at its maximum and there is the adventure or venturing to do things in a different way. It is believed that only unserious people would do a process over and over failing expecting different results. Except there is a daring breakaway from the past logics that have failed, there can be no forward movement. It takes a daring and adventurous young man to get result in the multi-tasking society that we are in and that’s why the young governor is faing the tide. No wonder shakepsre said, there is a tide “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures”

This is a metaphorical expression, the use of which we often find in literature and everyday life. In our lives, we get ebbs and flows; however, we, sometimes, are unable to recognize whether the tide is an opportunity or an obstacle. It is up to us how we avail it as an opportunity or an obstacle. An elderly person can give this wise suggestion to the younger ones, as it contains beauty of thought about availing themselves of the opportunity. It only takes a young man to take action because he has the strength and abilities.

It takes courage and strength to face the tide, if Kogi must progress, it needs to support this 41 years old. He has the “can-do” mien. He leads from the front and not the back.
His unscheduled visits to many of the states ministries and parastatals, presents a man who does not sit down in his office and work by the reports submitted to his desk by his appointees. Rather he goes out to inspect and supervises so as to rake in, first hand information about happing in his domain.

Finally, the 41 year old governor has a penchant for the people of Kogi state. Wherever he finds himself, he puts off the toga of executiveness then mingles with his people. No wonder, during the Edo gubernatorial elections held in the month of September, Yahaya Bello was often times found in the cluster of his people at Igarra, Auchi, Uromi etc. He repeated, the same act was repeated during the Ondo election that found the young governor yet again in the midst of his people in areas like Owo. It takes one who has the love of his people and humility bto seek out for them wherever he finds himself.
For the first time since the creation of Kogi state, Kogi just got it self a complete leader, the onus lies on the people to give him the much needed support to him so he can deliver, because he has all the impetus to do so, like he has replicated in Edo and Ondo respectfully.



Williams Charles Oluwatoyin
Is a Media and Communications Consultant.
wlmcharles@yahoo.co.uk

Let us see how he's going to win his own election in Kogi State. Yaya Bello is just an opportunist.