Only tyrant will tag President Buhari a ‘dictator’ — Yahaya Bello

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, in this interview with State House Correspondents, speaks about the just concluded governorship, the reconciliation efforts in the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures on corruption in his State among others.

How far have you gone with the issue of reconciling all parties?

Kogi State as you know was slightly divided before now, but upon assumption of office and until the last general elections, I have been making every effort to ensure that there is reconciliation and bringing everybody on board. That was what resulted in the massive victory of the last general elections. Leaders and stakeholders of the state have been called upon to join in the new direction of the administration. So, we are moving on perfectly.

How do you see the tag of President Muhammadu Buhari as a dictator by a national daily newspaper?

Mr President is the most democratic president I have ever seen. This is the first time we are seeing a former military head of state that is so democratic to the extent of allowing things happening in his home front to be democratized not to talk of things happening in the country.

Whoever is tagging him to be a dictator, I think that person wished to be a dictator himself not Mr President.

What is your take on the decision of National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), to score the conduct of the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states low, saying the “unthinkable happened”?

Mr NSA, General  Monguno, must have been quoted out of context. I can say that because the last general elections reflected the wishes of the people.

When you said unthinkable happened in Kogi State, of course, my coming to power in Kogi from the very onset, the unthinkable happened and God brought me on board. When you talk of unthinkable, of course, this is the first time the so-called minority will contest an election in Kogi State and win with wide margin. It is unthinkable because this is the first time we are reducing the tempo of ethnicity in Kogi State. It is unthinkable because this is the first time we are running a very transparent and digitalised government, where we are raising the revenue, blocking every loophole. It is unthinkable because this is the first time a governor is appointing a chief of staff from a different ethnic group. It is unthinkable because this is the first time after 28 years a Muslim governor is building a chapel in Government House in Kogi State. So, there are a lot of good unthinkables, the NSA must have been misquoted out of context.

How do you receive the news from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), listing Kogi State as the most corrupt state in the country?

You have to look and read the details of that report before you can judge. We shouldn’t just listen to somebody and quote him out of context. Like I said, Kogi State before now, with regard to civil servants, before you become a permanent secretary, you must pay through your nos. But this time around, it has been merit-based.

Before you become local government chairman, or let’s take it from the political aspect, I am the leader of the APC in Kogi State, no single person obtains form or become whatever and will claim or claiming to have paid one dime to any political leader. It is out of blocking the loopholes and leakages that we have been able to raise the revenue of Kogi State from pittance of N300 million to over N1 billion on monthly basis. If you look at the percentage, then you can be the judge. So, if anybody is saying Kogi State is the most corrupt state, then that person must have his facts wrong.

Kogi state is the most prized state in the country and it is out of fighting corruption as well. The little resources we have, we are managing it such that we are developing the state and fighting insecurity. If corruption is that prevalent, then that wouldn’t have happened.

What will be the focus of your government in the second term?

I will focus on human capital development, continue on infrastructure development and the trajectory we are in now to ensure that Kogi State is taken to the next level.