Bello: Adolescent governance ends in Kogi – Okutepa, SAN

Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN
@jibrinSAN

Today marked the end of adolescent governance in Kogi State at least for now. Yahaya Adoza Bello, whom God gave power to on a platter of gold in 2015 or so following the death of Prince Abubakar Audu, became so power drunk and ruled Kogi State like personal estate. He invented many unreasonable lies in governance, and the development of the state was never his business.

His tatata brand of democracy brought him back to power in 2019. Thank God Yahaya Bello can not be governor of Kogi State for the third term even though his annointed town man whom he forced on Kogi State and our people will by law take oath today, the immunity enjoyed by Yahaya Bello is gone for good.

Yahaya Bello must be held to account for all the atrocities he committed against the people of Kogi State. He must be held accountable for all murders he directly or indirectly committed against Kogi people.The reign of Yahaya Bello in Kogi State witnessed the most oppressive and thug ladden government where so many lost their lives. It was genocide personified.

There is nothing to celebrate Yahaya Bello for in Kogi State for his eight years of ruthless governance. Development of Kogi State existed only in the imagination of emperor Yahaya Bello and his co-travellers of adolescent governance.

The only visible achievements of Yahaya Bello in his eight years in power are creation of poverty, non-payment of salaries and allowances for civil servants, underdevelopment of Kogi state, lack of social amenities in Kogi state, promotion of ethnic agenda and appointments and annihilation of the majority and turning Kogi East and West into minority, abuse of power, branding those not supporting his bad governance as thugs, intimidation of all departments of government in the state.

In fact, Yahaya Bello was so brutal that he did not know that his immunity was not a license for misbehaviour. He deposed some royal fathers and appointed their replacement without regard for law and order. He talked down on our revered royal fathers as if they were his mates. He was so drunken with power that he did not know his limits of power. He was reckless in the extreme and disrespecting traditional institutions.

As Yahaya Bello loses immunity today, let his atrocities while in power not go unpunished. EFCC and other security agencies must hold Yahaya Bello accountable for all the human and material resources of Kogi State he wasted in his eight years of misadventures and misgovernance of Kogi State.

Yahaya Bello must account for all the resources of Kogi State. Let me welcome Yahaya Bello to the reality of life that nothing last for ever. Today marked the end of your immunity, and you should know that you shall reap the fruits of what you sowed while in power.

Jibrin Okutepa is a foremost lawyer and Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN. He wrote on his verified X handle