TheNewsGuru

Tag: Yahaya Bello

  • 2023: Don’t distract me with calls to run for presidency – Yahaya Bello

    2023: Don’t distract me with calls to run for presidency – Yahaya Bello

    Governor Yahaya Bello says he does not want to be distracted by calls for him to contest in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election but he is focused on delivering his mandate of rebuilding Kogi State.

    The governor said his administration’s ability to curb insecurity in Kogi State and massive youth empowerment has been attracting support leading to the calls for him to join the 2023 presidential race, a call he does not want to be distracted with.

    Bello said this on Monday through his Chief Press Secretary, Nnogwu Sani Mohammed at the ongoing security and economic summit of the Northcentral Governors Forum in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

    He, therefore, called for support to deliver his second term mandate of rebuilding Kogi State.

    Bello said the issue of the 2023 presidency should not be put on the front burner and heat the polity and assured that he is focused on his mandate of improved security, economy, and youth employment.

  • 2023: Kogi assembly begs Gov. Yahaya Bello to contest for presidency

    2023: Kogi assembly begs Gov. Yahaya Bello to contest for presidency

    All members of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Wednesday called on the state governor, Yahaya Bello to put his hat in the ring for presidency in 2023.

    The members subsequently passed a vote of confidence on the governor, called on the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, to zone the position of Vice President to the South-Eastern part of the country; for purpose of equity.

    In a motion signed by all the 24 House members and read on the floor by the Majority Leader, Bello Abdullahi said the governor ticked all the right boxes for the presidential seat.

    “That it is in consideration of compelling accomplishment too numerous to mention that this Kogi State House of Assembly, assembled in full plenary, do hereby make and pass a vote of confidence upon his Excellency, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

    “That this Kogi State House of Assembly further makes a call to national service to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and we hereby impress it upon him to run for the Office of the President or Vice President of Nigeria in 2023 – after his current assignment in Kogi State.

    “That this solemn call is first and foremost premised upon and born of our belief that Yahaya Bello is fit and a proper person, with the right mix of youth, experience, and track record to answer same firmly and decisively in 2023 and beyond. “That we make the call, aware that only the North Central and the South East geopolitical zones have not occupied the offices of President and Vice President since the advent of the 4th Republic in 1999.

    “That we must, on behalf of our people, register our pain and frustration with the attitude of some of our compatriots and that this unfortunate attitude was again exemplified within the last two weeks by major leaders of our party, the APC.

    “That we demand, in the interest of equity and justice, that in 2023 General Elections, both the office of President and Vice President of Nigeria must be ceded to North Central and South East geopolitical zones by the rest to peacefully arbitrate or contest for.”

    Also in a similar motion by the member representing Olamaboro state Constituency, Ujah Anthony said it is high time the North Central takes over the presidency.

    “The North Central cannot continue to be the slave partner in Nigeria project, talking about the geopolitical zone to produce the next president who leads Nigeria at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in 2023.

    “That the constitution provides that there should be equality, socio-political justice for all Nigerian’s, particularly section 17, sub section 1 of the 1999 constitution (CFRN) states; “the state social order is founded on ideals of freedom, equity and justice”.

    “Whereas, the counsel here is that all Nigerian political leaders should return to their drawing boards in 2023 and patriotically reverse the injustice and inequality of making Northcentral the footstool of the superstructure of domination at the centre.

    “Whereas available statistics by INEC shows that 81% of the registered voters in the country are youths from 18 to 50 years of age and that these youths have the capacity to make Nigerian attain its set target, hence the resolve that Alh. Yahaya Bello, the youngest Nigerian Governor fits into that bracket of what Nigerian want at the age of 40 in 2015. Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Kolawole Matthew said the House members shall embark on spiritual means known to each members to actualize the presidential ambition for the governor.

    He thereafter pass the resolution of the House to compel the governor to contest for the presidency, which will be communicated to the governor at the next APC state meeting. 24 members of the Assembly are from the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC with a bye- election scheduled for December 5 for Ibaji constituency.

  • Davido fetes Yahaya Bello’s children with gifts

    Davido fetes Yahaya Bello’s children with gifts

    Singer Davido has showered the children of Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello with gifts in Dubai.

    Mr Yahaya’s wife Rashida Bello revealed this on her Instagram page with a picture of Davido and her daughters.

    She also prayed that he would go higher than his expectations.

    “@davido we really appreciate your kind gesture you showed to my children. I was highly overwhelmed with the gifts and I pray you go far moresic) higher than your expectations,” she said on Sunday.

    “Continue the good things you are doing we are proud of you.”

  • 2023: Still uncertain if Yahaya Bello will accept pleas from Nigerians to contest for presidency, says aide

    2023: Still uncertain if Yahaya Bello will accept pleas from Nigerians to contest for presidency, says aide

    Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo on Sunday revealed that Governor Yahaya Bello is yet to heed the several calls from Nigerians demanding that he (Bello) should contest the 2023 presidential race.

    In an earlier Twitter post on Saturday, Fanwo had said the desire of Nigerians for a great country aligns with that of Bello, “so we know the deafening calls will bring about a defining moment for our nation.”

    Speaking with TheNewsGuru (TNG) on the likelihood of governor Bello to join the 2023 presidential race, Fanwo said he is uncertain if his sprincipal will accept the call or not.

    His words: “It is a reflection of the fact that Nigerians are calling on him to contest. We don’t know yet if he will accept the call or not. At the appropriate time, he will either accept the call or reject it. But it is good that Nigerians feel he has the right credentials to lead this nation.”

    Fanwo reportedly said all over the six zones in Nigeria, a lot of people have been calling on Bello to run for presidency, stressing that he (Bello) is a unifier who is very capable and qualified and perfectly fits into that bracket of what Nigeria wants.”

    Bello, who is currently serving his second tenure in office, became one of Nigeria’s youngest governors at the age of 40 in 2015.

     

     

     

  • Yahaya Bello dissociates self from ‘bread tax’, says it is wicked, embarrassing

    Yahaya Bello dissociates self from ‘bread tax’, says it is wicked, embarrassing

    The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has dissociated from report that his administration has imposed a tax on individual loaf of bread to be paid by bakeries and bread sellers in the state.

    Edward Onoja, Governor Bello’s Deputy made this known in a statement on Saturday.

    ‘We have just seen a purported consultancy agreement between one of our ministries and a private firm to impose an ill-conceived levy on bread in the state.

    “For the records, neither the Governor nor the state executive council has imagined or proposed such a devilish tax regime, how much less imposing same on any food or essential commodity, not to mention bread which is a table staple and the basic lifeline of many a household,” the statement reads.

    It insisted that such a claim was “in fact, an embarrassment to the state government.”

    The Deputy Governor revealed that his boss directed him to debunk the news to underscore how serious government considered the disinformation.

    READ ALSO Yahaya Bello makes fresh appointments

    “I am directed by His Excellency to give the lie to news of an alleged tax imposed on each loaf of bread to be sold in Kogi State. There is no iota of truth in the claims that we have approved such wickedness, because we have not and cannot.”

    He highlighted Governor Bello’s responses to issues impacting the welfare of his people during the Covid-19 pandemic as proof that such a tax runs counter to everything the administration stands for.

    “It is well-documented in the media that Governor Yahaya Bello has fought powerful forces, more than any other governor perhaps, to keep his people safe. As CoviD-19 ravaged the country and the world he has mobilised them for lifestyle changes that defeated the virus in the state.

    “He spared them lockdowns and the inherent disruptions to their lives and livelihoods characteristic of covid responses in other places. He scrupulously obeyed WHO and NCDC guidelines to provide testing to high risk individuals.”

    Onoja noted that though widely excoriated in those early days Governor Yahaya Bello remained undaunted because of his desire to protect his people at all costs.

    According to him, “today, the result of my Governor’s novel approach to the novel coronavirus are evident for all to see on every daily update given by the federal authorities.

    “Kogi State sits at the bottom of that list, and even those 5 cases allocated to us are controversial at best. To put it mildly, we have had no confirmed case of Covid-19 in Kogi State.

    “About 3 months ago we rolled out the Kogi Care Initiative, for which Council approved N1.56 billion as a post-COVID economic stimulus and recovery programme customised for different sections of our people – the poor, the elderly and the MSMEs.’ He therefore rejected the notion that ‘we can now impose a tax on individual loaves of bread sold in the state.”

    The Deputy Governor said that no extra financial burden will apply for the time being on citizens and assured that “any business which has met the regulatory requirements for doing business in Kogi State including payment of routine tax is entitled to operate freely, and that includes bakeries and bread traders.”

    Onoja therefore urged everyone to disregard the alleged bread tax as not only improbable but impossible in Kogi State under the current administration.

    He also reassured the media and the general public that those behind the rumours would be fished out and punished.

    “We will not tolerate our own officials trying to profiteer off our people in any way, or even acting ill-advisedly in manners that cause them any form of distress.”

  • Gov. Bello suspends management of Kogi Revenue Service

    Gov. Bello suspends management of Kogi Revenue Service

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has suspended the management of the State Internal Revenue Service with immediate effect.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Onogwu Muhammed, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Lokoja.

    Muhammed said that the suspension was due to alleged violation of corporate governance in the service as revealed by its 2019 Audited Financial Report.

    “The decision of the governor was to ensure that the service carry out its activities with excellent corporate governance, utmost transparency and accountability,” he said.

    Muhammed added that the governor also approved the constitution of an interim management committee to oversee the daily affairs of the service.

    The committee will be chaired by the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Idris Asiru, while the state Accountant General, Alhaji Momoh Jibrin, as secretary.

    Other members were the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ibrahim Sani Mohammed, the Auditor General, Alhaji Yakubu Okala and the Auditor-General Local Government Service, Alhaji Usman Ododo.

  • Electoral fraud: Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello writes letter of protest to US over inclusion of his name in visa ban list

    Electoral fraud: Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello writes letter of protest to US over inclusion of his name in visa ban list

    The Kogi State Government has said it protested the visa ban imposed on its officials by the United States over alleged election compromise because the various courts in the land validated the election that brought in Governor Yahaya Bello.

    The US had included Kogi government officials, including the governor Yahaha Bello among those to be affected by the visa ban.

    Kogi has protested the ban in a letter to the Ambassador of the United States of America signed by the Secretary to the Government of Kogi State, Mrs Folashade Arike Ayoade.

    The letter is titled: “Re: Visa Restrictions On Individuals And Inclusion Of The 2019 Kogi State Gubernatorial Elections In US State Department List Of Allegedly Compromised Elections – A Letter Of Protest.”

    In the letter, the governor, Bello said Kogi State Government became aware of a United States Government list of individuals who received US visa restrictions for alleged electoral malpractices through a Press Statement to that effect posted on the US Embassy website.

    According to Bello, in the words of the US, the still-unnamed individuals were cited as guilty of ‘acts of violence, intimidation, or corruption that harmed Nigerians and undermined the democratic process’ and that they were also alleged to ‘have operated with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian people and undermined democratic principles and human rights.’

    He said the US also noted in the statement that the sanctions were derived from unspecified misconducts by the said individuals which extended from the February/March 2019 General Elections in Nigeria through the off-cycle November 2019 gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa to the yet unheld governorship contests in Edo and Ondo States.

    READ ALSO Bello’s re-election will change Kogi’s fortunes – FCT Minister
    He urged the US to note that for the purposes of this protest letter the Kogi government was only interested in the citations to the extent that they were referable to Kogi State and her citizens.

    Bello said in the letter that for the most part, the government conceded that elections in Nigeria were complex affairs which would continue to require improvements for the foreseeable future and that the 2019 Kogi State Gubernatorial Election was also not without its challenges.

    However, the governor said it was crystal clear from critical and composite analyses of the records (official, media, observers, etc) of the November 16, 2019 polls that regrettable incidents were limited to a few polling units, while the overwhelmingly larger portions of the ballot were free, fair and credible.

    READ ALSO Kogi fingers external collaborators in Tawari attacks
    He said the political parties which alleged electoral malpractices went to court to contest the outcome of the polls and lost, as the court said the outcome of the polls were in line with the Nigerian constitution and the electoral act.

  • Gov. Bello restates commitment to development of education sector

    Gov. Bello restates commitment to development of education sector

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has expressed his administration’s commitment to the development of the education sector as the key to high-level human capital development needed for emancipation of the people.

    Bello made pledge in his remarks on Thursday at the inauguration of the reconstructed 30-bed capacity Hajia Hauwau Bello Health Centre, a Security House, perimeter fencing and renovated lecture theatre at Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.

    The governor said that, even though he considered the economy sector to be important, it was no secret that he held the education sector in high esteem in view of its foremost position in development.

    “Quality and affordable education is the key to high level of human capital development, which is in turn the access code to unlocking keys needed for breakthrough in all other sectors,” he said.

    The governor said that, in spite of the distractions arising from the court cases over his re-election, his government had successfully completed the legal and regulatory frameworks for establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara.

    “In the same vein, we have also upgraded the college of Agriculture, Ochaja, to a Diploma awarding institute in order to provide career prospects for students.

    “As a government, we shall continue to nurse Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, for maximum functionality as well as all the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state,” he said.

    Bello, who also confirmed Dr Salisu Ogbo Usman as substantive rector of the polytechnic, praised the rector’s development initiatives which had transformed the institution.

    He commended what he described as the creativity, competence, resourcefulness, foresight and capacity of the rector, adding that under straining financial circumstances, he had turned lemon into lemonade within a short time.

    “This can-do attitude; the attitude of it-is-doable; the attitude of it is possible; the attitude of we will get there; we will get the job done is the soul and spirit of our new Direction Agenda,” the governor said.

    Earlier, Usman commended the governor for finding him worthy and giving the Polytecnic the enablement to execute the projects.

    He said that the education sector under the Bello’s administration had recorded monumental growth in policy direction and infrastructure, due to the governor’s resolve to alter the negative narratives of the past.

  • Kogi: PDP reacts over Supreme Court verdict affirming Bello’s election

    Kogi: PDP reacts over Supreme Court verdict affirming Bello’s election

    The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi Chapter, says it has accepted in good faith, decision of the Supreme Court dismissing its appeal against election of Gov. Yahaya Bello.

    The Party, in a statement by the state Publicity Secretary, Bode Ogunmola, on Monday in Lokoja, said it accepted in good faith the ruling of the Apex Court and left the “final judgment in the hands of God.”

    It commended the party’s flagbearers in the Nov. 16, 2019 Governorship Election, Mr Musa Wada, and his running mate, Mr Sam Aro, for their perseverance.

    “While the higher court in the land has given its verdict, the PDP has no choice than to accept it and go ahead to appreciate the resilience of members and the teeming supporters of the party,” the party said.

    The party also appreciated its legal team and paid tribute to all those who either died, got maimed or injured during the election.

    “We thank God for the grace and the courage to go this far. We believe that He has the ultimate say,” the party said.

    The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeals by Musa Wada of the PDP and Natasha Akpoti of Social Democratic Party (SDP) challenging Bello’s re-election for lacking in merit.

  • Supreme Court upholds Gov Yahaya Bello’s victory

    Supreme Court upholds Gov Yahaya Bello’s victory

    The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal of the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Musa Wada and his party against the election of Mr Yahaya Bello as Governor of Kogi.

    The apex court in a unanimous judgment dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit and upheld the concurrent decisions of the Court of Appeal and the majority judgment of the Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

    The lead judgment read by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, held that the appellants were unable to prove allegations of electoral malpractices in the November 16 governorship election.

    The apex court held that failure of the appellants to call polling units agents was fatal to their case, adding that the appellants merely dumped documents that could not be attached probate value.

    Set to deliver Judgment in SDP’s appeal.