I made sacrifices for Kogi’s unity, development ― Bello

THE Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has said he has made a lot of sacrifices to unite the people of the state irrespective of religious and ethnic divides since assumption of office, noting that if the state was not united, no meaningful development could be achieved.

Bello disclosed this while receiving some members of the aggrieved APC and PDP led by former Chairman Of Dekina Local Government and governorship aspirant for Kogi 2019 Guber polls, Comrade Mohammed Ali.

While receiving the group, the governor noted that age-long practice of nepotism, ethnicity, religious segregation was responsible for the state’s underdevelopment, stressing that he had been able to address the challenges under his administration to regain mutual trust and equal opportunities for all irrespective of existing differences.

The Governor expressed confidence in members of the group, saying they were people who were not in government or enjoyed party patronage on the personal ground in the last three years but were paying their bills themselves.

Adding that they were people who wanted to add values to the system and assured them equal opportunity and level playing ground, Governor Bello them and every citizen of Kogi State to join hands not to only ensure his victory on November 16 but to work on how they can move the state forward.

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Earlier in his address, Hon Mohammed Ali said even though he nursed the ambition of going into the governorship race but decided to withdraw following wide consultations with stakeholders within and outside the state.

He said he held a meeting with his group to discuss on the way forward and they have to realise that among all aspirants and eventual candidates for all parties in the state, Yahaya Bello stood a better chance of emerging governor on November 16 and appealed to the state electorate to give the governor a second chance to consolidate on what he has achieved in the last three years.

Comrade Ali said he and all members of his group within the state have decided to work assiduously for the victory of the Governor without any iota of reservation because Kogi State needs a leader who is detribalised and courageous to dare old order of nepotism, ethnicity and favouritism.

In their separate remarks, former Chairman Of The National Union Of Journalists, Abuja Chapter who is also a former Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the immediately past Governor Capt Idris Wada, Mr Jacob Edi and Elojo Aba said they were convinced on the governor’s stand in uniting the people of the state, bridging ethnic and religious gaps that have existed in the past and modest achievements of his administration, noting they were sure he would do more if given a second term.

Present at the meeting on behalf of the group were former Chairman Of Ijumu Local Government Area, Dr Remi Odutola; Hon Eleojo Aba, former commissioner of finance; Hon Ademu Sani, Joe Mesele, Engr Umar Banatus former NAKOSS President; Former Chairman Of Okehi Local Government Area, Hassan Yusuf; Hon Dan Otubeje; Engr Rahim Abdulkadir; Engr Ernest Balagbogbo; and Arc Suleiman Okene Slender.