I’m running Kogi like my private business — Yahaya Bello
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has said that he is directing the affairs of Kogi like his own profit-making enterprise.
Daily Times monitored as Bello said this on Monday night during a Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today.
The governor — who was recently affirmed by the supreme court as the rightful winner of the November 2019 governorship election in the state — said he still uses his personal vehicles despite his status and that he has forfeited all “personal entitlement” and other perks that accompany the office of the governor.
Daily Times had earlier reported that a seven-man panel of the court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, in two judgments, dismissed separate appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and the Socialist Democratic Party, challenging Bello’s victory at the November 16, 2019 poll.
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Monday’s judgment signified an end to legitimately challenge the re-election of Yahaya Bello.
Bello dedicated his victory to the youths and people of his state, saying, “I will never betray the trust that the younger generation and the youths reposed in me in steering the affairs of Kogi State and moving forward. I know today that I am a role model to so many millions. I will try as much as possible to do my best and my best will be good enough for our people.”
The governor used the opportunity to tell the public that he and his State government officials still use their personal vehicles for official duties.
He said, “We are running the government as if we are running a private business for profitability. What do I mean by that? Starting from myself as the executive governor, my deputy, and all other government officials, it will interest you to know that a lot of us are still using our private vehicles.
“A lot of us have forfeit(ed) and forgo(ne) our personal entitlements. Like me personally, a lot of vehicles that I used today are my personal vehicles. I didn’t come into office to meet or inherit some of these things.”
Bello also said, “Go to Kogi State Government House today otherwise referred to as Lugard House. See how it is run today and the look compared to when we came into office. There are several projects going on, I can’t mention all of them, and there are still more coming. In fact, that was what propelled the people of Kogi State to vote for me en masse in a way that has never been this way before.”
