2023: Indentifying with Bello will rubbish your ‘hard earned good image’ Okai warns Kanu, Okocha, others

Comrade Usman Austin Okai, PDP National Youth Frontier Coordinator, has warned the Nigeria’s football legends, Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo that their hard earned image would be rubbished if they identified themselves with Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

In a statement which he personally signed and made available to CAPITAL POST on Sunday in Lokoja, the social critics says millions of naira are being spent in a desperate attempt for Governor Yahaya Bello to get his bad image laundered for his presidential bid.

This, he says included the millions of naira meant for civil servants’ salaries and the development of infrastructure being spent on unpopular entertainers and ex-footballers, thinking he will be popular and his image redeemed.

Okai made this observation at the backdrop of recent invitation and visit of ex-footballers by the Governor to the state for a novelty football match among others, saying even if he wakes Diego Maradona, his image is already consigned to the dustbin of history.

He frowned against the attitude of ex-footballers whose good legacies speaks for them, saying associating with Kogi Governor will deem their hard earned reputation before many Nigerians.

“This strategy will not work for Bello, saying his reputation is damaged beyond image laundering and repairs.

Austin Okai says poverty is now walking round naked in the state, as civil servants are permanently in a hopeless situation amid decayed critical infrastructure in Kogi State.

The PDP National Youth Frontier Coordinator maintained that the State is on backward movement, wondering how Yahaya Bello feels in dragging the state backward with his clueless attitude, and not ready to improve his behaviour, challenging him to wake up and complete some of Capt Wada projects he left abandoned.

“Projects like remodelling of Kogi Hotels in Lokoja,Kogi House in Abuja which were almost 80 % at completion stage before the former Kogi Governor,,Capt Idris Wada left office.’

Okai further lambasted Yahaya Bello for abandoning Lokoja township roads from Baracks road to néw market, saying Governor Bello is truly clueless and squandering State resources on needless adventures.

He asked the ex- international stars to rather set up a relief fund for Kogi workers rather than coming to collect the meagre resources meant for workers’ salaries and pensioners entitlements.

For a State like Kogi that is on life support with the dearth of social and infrastructural development, it will be pathetic for ex-footballers with series of business interests both nationally and internationally to take Kogi Governor serious.

“This is a deliberate onslaught against the good people of Kogi state as the ex-stars are well informed about the ugly development and dearth of leadership in Kogi State, yet they have decided to come and contribute to the rot in the state.

“It is unfortunate that with their calibre and exposure, they can stoop so low to an overzealous leader’s request to a non priority areas like a novelty match, accusing them of spending Kogi funds on scarce dollars to bring Bonferere Joe battling with old age.”