Yahaya Bello: Another Deserved Accolade for the Peace-loving Unifier, by Nafisat Bello

Nigeria is a conglomerate of nations with different peoples, cultures, religions, tribes, perceptions and views with diverse expectations. Successive governments, in their bid to bring peace and unity among citizens, introduced different policies some of which have endured till today. Nigeria’s national symbols exist to bind the citizens together, the national youth service corps allows inter-tribal marriages, the unity schools are also there for youngsters to learn languages other than their mother tongue and be familiar with other people’s cultures.

Just like Nigeria, the Confluence State, Kogi, is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse states in the country. Disunity, mistrust, domination etc are some of the words used to define the state prior to January 2016.

Governor Yahaya Bello has however in a about six years of excellent stewardship changed the narrative and rebranded the image of Kogi from that of a state divided against itself to that of a state with unity of purpose where Kogites now see one another as one people with shared destiny. Governor Bello has not only united his people along the familiar fault lines of religion and ethnicity, he has also brought the state to the front burner of national discourse and made it a force to reckon with across the country.

By intervening on national issues and providing solutions to problems that threaten our corporate existence – like the case of northern meat and tomato sellers embarking on strike and stopping the supply of their goods to the southern part of the country over the tension generated by the activities of Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu – , the governor has proven himself the be a patriot who sees his role beyond the confines of the Confluence State.

It was on the basis of his pedigree as a unifier and patriot that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, recently conferred the State Honour, Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS), on Governor Bello.

While receiving the honour in Port Harcourt, Bello said he was delighted to be honoured by the Government and People of Rivers State, stating that such recognition was a demonstration of Nigeria’s unity across regions and tribe which he has continuously fought for.

“I am happy to accept the state honour of GSSRS which Your Excellency and the people of Rivers State have so generously deemed fit to confer on me,” Governor Bello said.

Prior to the GSSRS award, Bello had received merit awards and titles from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), various groups and media organisations for pursuing the path of peace and prosperity in the course of his two terms as governor.

How Governor Bello Restored Peace and Unity in Kogi

To bring an end to the needless, agelong, ethnic rivalry, disunity and religious tension the state was known for, Bello invented the EBIGO Policy, meaning Ebira, Igala and Okun. The policy emphasises the equitable distribution of amenities and balance in appointments in such a way that no part of the state is short-changed in favour of another. Realising that the unfair distribution of appointments and amenities, which previous administrations were known for, was the major cause of ethnic tension and mutual suspicion, Bello took a bold step to fix the problem and that has so far proven to be a masterstroke.

Kogi state is blessed with a lot of Muslims and Christians. That is why each time a Muslim emerges governor, a Christian is often his deputy. But there has been a befitting Mosque for Muslims to worship in the Government House for decades but over the years, the agitation by Christians to have a worthy chapel in the place has fallen on the deaf ears of successive governors until Bello came. In his trademark determination to give the Christians a sense of belonging, the governor awarded the contract and supervised the construction of a deserving chapel in the Government House to the delight of Kogites and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Governor Bello is the first in the history of the state to appoint a Chief of Staff from outside of his tribe. Though Edward Onoja who served in that position in his first term is now the Deputy Governor, the governor made a big statement with that appointment. With that appointment, not only Ebira big shots had access to the governor, all Kogites who had something meaningful to say could see him and suggest ways of moving the state forward.

During the peak of the tension between herders and farmers in parts of the country, Kogi was the only state in the North Central that didn’t experience the wanton killings and that was due to the superb crisis management skill of Governor Bello. The governor not only invited more herders into the state at a time they were being chased away from surrounding states, he also created an enabling environment for them to thrive without disturbing the peace and livelihoods of farmers. It takes a genius to strike this delicate balance and make both farmers and herders happy at the same time!

Unity and peace of any entity are fundamental conditions precedent for its stability, security and socio-economic development. And to achieve these fundamental conditions, the political leadership of the state must rise above primordial sentiments of race, ethnicity and religion in the administration of their peoples.

Governor Bello’s open minded approach to life and his large hearted, magnanimous approach to governance has to be a standard for everyone to emulate.