Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has expressed his plan to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration after leaving office as governor.
Bello who stated this while answering questions during an interactive session with journalists at the 3rd annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political & Crime Correspondents/Editors in Abuja on Saturday, said he has no political ambition, except helping President Tinubu to succeed.
According to the Kogi governor, all Nigerians would have succeeded if President Tinubu succeeded in his administration.
“I thank God for my successes and achievements as governor of Kogi.
“I know where I met the state and I am happy for where I have taken the state to.
“I believe that the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, will build on the solid foundation we have laid down for Kogi.”
Governor Bello however expressed confidence in the November 11 2033 governorship election in the state, noting that it will be a landslide victory for the APC.
While commenting on a question on ensuring that all members remained in the APC fold in the state, Bello said that the APC remained solid in Kogi.
“Our unity is why APC wins in Kogi and will continue to win. Our party is one. You cannot satisfy everyone.
“However, there are internal mechanisms in the APC to resolve issues and we always utilise that,” he stated.
The state’s Commissioner of Information, Kingsley Fanwo who spoke earlier on the topic titled: “Unity in Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Religious Society, the Kogi Story” said any candidate campaigning based on ethnic sentiments, is incompetent.
Fanwo maintained that the state would continue to prioritise merit and not ethnicity to enable it to continue to grow.
Similarly, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Chris Isiguzo in his paper “Off Season Elections, Journalists as Responsible Watchdogs, tasked members with responsible and ethical journalism.
Isiguzo said restated the need for journalists to ensure transparency, check all facts and verify all information in their reportage.
The NUJ boss also noted that off-season elections presented challenges and opportunities for journalists to fulfil their role as responsible watchdogs of society.
“I encourage all of us to approach the job with a sense of duty, knowing that the quality of our reporting can influence the future of our nation,” he stated.
Also presenting a paper on “Debt Burden, Transparency and Accountability in Governance: Kogi’s Success Story”, the state Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiru Idris, noted that the Yahaya Bello administration put in place deliberate policies to entrench good governance through accountability, transparency and reduction in the debt burden of the state.
“Kogi has commenced preparation of the 32-year development plan, critical to the realisation of Governor Bello’s vision of all-round development of the state.
“The development plan when completed will be a focal point for development partners’ interventions,” he added.
The State Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones who spoke on “Building a Viable Economy Through Strategic Investment in Education, said that the state had not only given free education but had made it compulsory.
“The budgetary allocation to the education sector in Kogi rose from 13 per cent in 2017 to 15 per cent in 2019 and 30 per cent in 2022, higher than the UNESCO recommended benchmark of 26 per cent,” he said.
