What a spectacular year it was. A year with many twists and turns. A year of benumbing politricks and bewildering politics. A year that saw a mercurial phenomenon on top of his game, nay it was an awesome year for Governor Yahaya Bello GYB and the State of Kogi.
How, you may ask? From the high point of GYB’s dogged insistence that Nigeria must interrogate the COVID-19 pandemic and grow indigenous approach to it, to the deployment of the COVID-19 stimulus package into building one of the biggest medical facilities in West Africa. It has been GYB all the way.
From running the most successful Youth centric, Youth centred and all inclusive administration in Nigeria, for which so many Awards adorn his stable, to running the most gender sensitive and inclusive administration in the whole of Africa. It has been GYB all the way.
From surviving a very wicked and most impish and devious machination ditto the rumoured placing of funds meant for Salaries in Kogi State in a profit yielding account in Sterling Bank, to the World Bank rating of Kogi State as top in fiscal and financial discipline in Governance in Nigeria. It has been GYB all the way.
From winning the Sun Newspapers Man of the Year Award to winning the New Telegraph Newspapers Most Youth Friendly Governor of the Year Award. It has been GYB all the way.
From the recognition and award for Outstanding Governor in the Area of Education by the Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ Lagos State Chapter, to the the Award as an Exemplary Leader by the Nigerian Union of Journalists National Chapter, and the Award of the Torchbearer on Security by the Nigerian Union of Journalists Abuja Chapter. It has been GYB all the way.
From taking Kogi State from the State where Boko Haram had her IED making factory to the safest State in the entire North. It has been GYB all the way.
From taking Lokoja the State capital to a new high where Lokoja is no longer just a capital city but indeed one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. It has been GYB all the way.
From clearing the backlog of salaries he inherited upon being sworn in as Governor to not owing Kogi workers, and taking Kogi State to the top of the chart in States that pay Medical and health workers, and indeed her workers as at when due. It has been GYB all the way.
From a State that had no functional Rice Mill to receive raw materials from her numerous Rice Farmers to the State with one of the most functional Rice Mills in Nigeria ditto his Kogi State Agricultural Revolution Scheme. It has been GYB all the way.
From hundreds of thousands, if not millions of unemployable youths across the State to the State with one of the best Skill Acquisition and Informal Education programmatic, creating jobs and making the seemingly unemployable employable. It has been GYB all the way.
From the Kogi State University being one of the least funded Tertiary institution in Nigeria, to the Kogi State University being one of the most funded and improved tertiary institution in the Country. It has been GYB all the way.
From ignoring the many mendacious, malicious and perfidious darts of political opponents and their hirelings, to concentrating on governance, and making Kogi a State with 9 State Borders and the Federal Capital Territory, the second safest State in the entire Country. It has been GYB all the way.
It has been a year of remarkable strides and deafening success by the remarkable servant leader called GYB. It has been a year of infrastructural highs for Kogi. A year of impact and one of monstrous human capital development. It has been a GYB year of phenomenal feats and achievements in Education, Housing, Security et al. And like 2021, the GYB magic will become even more phenomenal in 2022. You can take that to the Bank.
In 2021 GYB shone like a thousand stars in all facets of leadership, little wonder the year 2021 unarguably got him the largest honours and Awards ever to grace the stable of any public office holder in the Country, in one single year. And with his eyes on the ball for national redemption come 2023, 2022 will most definitely be for GYB, Kogi State and the Youth O’clock fervency an OAK (One of A Kind) Year.
Compatriots, I must conclude without an ounce of equivocation that the mercurial phenomenon called GYB will not let you down, he has his eyes on the ball, and for our Dear Country Nigeria, it will be New Deal come 2023, surely.
Happy New Year, and God Bless Nigeria.
Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr.
National Coordinator GOT YOUR BACK NIGERIA.
GYB NIGERIA.
