Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has felicitated with the people of the state and Nigerians on the celebration of Democracy Day.
Speaking through the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, Bello also congratulated the people on the attainment of 19 years of the Fourth Republic.
According to the governor, “Although the quality of leadership and the nation’s fortunes during the period should definitely have been better, Nigerians should nevertheless be proud that the country continues to extend her longest period of multi-party Democracy since Independence.”
He noted that during this period, the country had successfully transmitted power through the ballot box, from government to government, and from one party to another in a record 4 times.
Bello described successful transitions as one of the most critical incidents of a deepening Democracy, stating that “beyond the chronological significance, Democracy Day, 2018 must be seen as a reminder that Democracy is work in progress and though much work remains undone in the nation’s quest for greatness, plenty has also been achieved.”
He noted that because of the inherited challenges, the last 3 years under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari had been the most challenging and as well as the most rewarding period of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
Further noting that the two and a half years of his Administration had been dedicated to carrying out needed reforms, the governor admitted that his task in cleaning up the Civil Service and Pensions administration in the state would have been faster, if he had inherited structures from previous administrations.
He pointed out that those states in the federation which had seen incremental development during the Fourth Republic were those where visionary administrators worked hard to lay enduring foundations for their successors to build upon.
The Governor promised Kogites that success would be much easier for those who will succeed him in office in the fulness of time as he was working hard to put the state on autopilot towards rapid development through the automation of government processes and institutions.
Bello reiterated his commitment to actualising the New Direction Blueprint of his administration and institutionalising the benefits for the present generation of Kogites and for posterity.
He listed Security, Education, Health, Infrastructure, Youth Empowerment and Agriculture as sectors in which he was already posting strong results.
Bello promised that at the 3rd Anniversary in office, there would be massive commissioning of projects as many of the Administration’s legacy projects currently under construction would have been completed.
The Governor saluted the indefatigable spirit and unbeatable resilience of Nigerians, particularly the good citizens of Kogi State, which has enabled them to weather many storms and defeat crafty schemes aimed at derailing the nation’s democracy.
The Nigerian people, he concluded, remain the true heroes of the nation’s Democracy.
