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Kogi Governorship: “We will resist any ragtag stooge” Igala Youths send clear message to Bello
Igala Youths in the Eastern and Central Senatorial District have vowed to resist imposition of Ododo Ahmed Usman, a cousin of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State.
In a statement by the Speaker of the group that operates under the aegis of Igala Youths Leaders Association, IYLA, Dr. Ojoachele Akor Felix, which was obtained by CAPITAL POST on Tuesday, declared Yahaya Bello a complete tribal bigot, and a failure, adding that his stooge which he want to force down the throat of Kogi people was part of catastrophe rocking Kogi State.
The statement read on full:
“Governance is all about the well-being of the people. But in kogi state, under GYB, it’s a tale of terror, horror, impunity, and the use of brute force against a section of the public with perceived political difference.
“We have seen this perfidious and Janus-faced trends played out by Yahaya Bello as Kogi state governor since assumption of office; January 27, 2016.
“It might interest the public to note that Yahaya Bello never won election in the state but was forcefully imposed on the good people of the state against their wishes by the power that be after the passing away of former governor, Prince Abubakar Audu, who was coasting home to victory.
“This singular misnomer paved the way for Bello’s emergence as the new Adolf Hitler of the state.
“His draconian hammer nailed the civil servants in his two years through endless screenings, shattering homes with salary reductions and abuse of human dignity.
“This was followed by shoddy, nepotic, sectional, and ethnic appraisal and reappraisal that saw his kinsmen as the leading and highly placed civil servants in Kogi state while reducing Igala and others, creating one of the most notorious artificial redundancy with the ensuing punitive approaches.
“Several lives were lost and families rendered hopeless and homeless through his nihilistic and anti-peoples policies in the state.
“In 2019, even when there was nothing to celebrate in his first tenure, Yahaya Bello contested for the renewal of his term of office in what could be described as one of the most catastrophic elections in the history of the state and Nigeria.
“Yahaya Bello came down hard with iron darts on the leading Igala aspirants, frustrating and destroying their chances of winning the primary election that produced him as sole candidate afterward!
“The Igala people watched with keen interest and kept mute while it lasted.
“The governorship election eventually came and Yahaya Bello showed the Hitler in him with all manner of attacks, killing and maiming our people. Houses were burnt down and the lives of our people became nothing to him, but as mere flies!
“He rigged the election in the central by manipulating the entire processes in his favour. Alas, Okene got the highest number of cooked-up votes in that election with fictitious cog undesirably colluding in naked and self styled assault.
“While INEC looked the other way in collusion, the security agencies were also in cahoots with the devious games that played out.
“Bello won the election with blood stains on his hands begging and crying for justice, sadly never to come till eternity.
“In the face of this, GYB has shown himself more of a crude and queer reprobate than an unrepentant stubborn fellow.
“Having mastered the cynically crooked and shadily propelled political dubiety, Yahaya Bello started the obvious naked show of shame, treating our people with disdain and resentiments.
“The bastardization and balkanisation of traditional stools across the state took turns in one of the most horrible dimensions with common Madaki from the central being awarded First and Second Class Statuses with impunity!
“His penchant for hatred for Igala people was loud and could be felt through his body language, actions, and deeds in all facets of the economy.
“We watched this and kept mute still.
“When he invited President Muhammadu Buhari to the state for project commissioning, there was none in Igala land to be commissioned despite the fact that he had since begun to draw the 13 percent derivations on Ibaji Oil from FAAC on a monthly basis.
“In the wake of the 2023 general election, it was gathered that he was going to hand over power to his kinsmen.
“In what looks like a scripted drama on April 14, 2023, Bello displayed his pernicious ignorance by threatening party members to vote his cousin, a questionably and opaque retired Auditor-General of Local Hovernments; Ahmed Usman Ododo, as preferred candidate. He ensured that his threats actually became laws in the state.
‘At this juncture, we believe that what is true about GYB’s notorious government in Kogi State is equally true, mutatis mutandi, of an Ododo good governance in the state.”
The stated their positions:
‘That the APC has failed woefully in kogi state within the last 8 years of GYB’s obnoxious and suffocative sectional and debilitating government.
“That GYB has declared war against the Igala nation and should be ready to prosecute same without any further delay.
“That as the majority ethnic group in Kogi state, we won’t allow political maggoteries to hold us by the jugular in the name of power sharing as we will resist this with our votes against the APC in the November 2023 election.
“INEC and other government agencies must exercise restraints in their criminal roles to suppress the resolve of the Igala people.
“GYB cannot and will never be allowed to impose his ragtag stooge on the good people of Kogi state with his pharisaical dissimulation and clairvoyance that is akin to the devil’s punch.
“We call on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, call Bello to order as we shall resist him and his APC house of commotion.”
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, in partnership with Niger State Government, is pleased to announce the commencement of flight services to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport Minna, the capital city of Niger State from Lagos and Abuja, effective April 23, 2025.
Overland Airways will operate three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Lagos-Minna route and three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Abuja-Minna route. These flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft.
Flights will depart Lagos to Minna at 8am and Minna to Lagos at 3pm. Flights from Minna to Abuja will depart at 9:30am while Abuja to Minna will depart at 2pm.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: ‘We are excited to commence flight services to Minna from Abuja the Federal Capital and Lagos the Commercial hub of Nigeria. This flight services will facilitate trade, tourism and economic activities in Niger State and its environs and support the Government of Niger State in its quest to attract more direct investments and improve the livelihood of citizens of the State. We thank particularly His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the Executive Governor of the Niger State for his passionate commitment to the growth and development of the State and for making the dream of a connected Niger State come true.”
The Niger State Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the New Niger Development Project (NNDP), jointly stated, “It has been an uphill journey to bring the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport to fruition—from its construction to its operationalization. Today, we are immensely proud to see this dream become a reality. We are honoured to have Overland Airways as the pioneer airline for this project, setting the foundation for expanded air travel connectivity in Niger State. Mr. Governor is particularly proud of this achievement, which aligns with his vision of modernizing infrastructure and boosting economic development in Niger State.”
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the New Niger Aviation, Alhaji Liman Katamba Kutigi, says: “This partnership with Overland Airways will ensure regular and robust flight services from Abuja and Lagos to Minna, Niger State. We are thrilled to partner with Overland Airways, which has a reputation for excellent customer service and reliability, and look forward to working together to reposition the aviation sector and economy of Niger State.”
“Known as the Power State, Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria by landmass and host of major hydroelectric power dams and other businesses, requires reliable air services to drive its economic development and Overland Airways is uniquely positioned to meet this need”, says Capt. Boyo.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Industry leaders have identified important measures to secure telecommunications infrastructures in the country and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected.
They argued that as much as the effective implementation of the Executive Order on the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is important, the Order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators.
Speaking at the 7th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) Summit on CNII implementation held Thursday in Lagos, the industry leaders highlighted pressing issues such as infrastructure vandalism, unauthorized installations, and cable theft, while proposing actionable solutions to safeguard the country’s critical national infrastructure.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and installation to prevent vandalism and theft.
He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers and poles, attributing the problem to poor maintenance practices. “When properly installed, these components are difficult to remove. However, due to negligence, they are often left unsecured, making them easy targets for theft,” he said.
Adebayo also pointed out that community resistance to infrastructure projects has significantly hindered progress. He recounted instances where local communities prevented trucks from accessing sites due to previous unaddressed damages caused by contractors.
“A diesel supplier was blocked from entering an estate because a previous contractor had damaged their property and failed to make repairs. This lack of accountability breeds distrust and delays crucial projects,” he explained.
He urged stakeholders to foster better relationships with communities to prevent such conflicts.
Another critical issue Adebayo identified was the unauthorized installation of infrastructure without government approval, leading to inadvertent damage during road construction projects.
“Government agencies often damage unregistered infrastructure simply because they were not documented in official records. Proper approvals and collaboration with authorities will ensure accountability and protection of critical infrastructure,” he noted.
He called for improved industry coordination to resolve these challenges internally before seeking external solutions that are promised by the CNII provisions.
Echoing these concerns, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasised the need for standardisation and better coordination among stakeholders.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges go beyond technical issues, extending into environmental and moral concerns.
“We are dealing with a moral challenge. An engineer who switched from diesel to gas generators encountered a new problem—workers began stealing engine oil instead, as they could no longer siphon diesel. These issues require both technical and ethical solutions,” he explained.
Emoekpere argued that standardisation is the key to long-term sustainability. “If infrastructure is deployed in a suboptimal manner, failure is inevitable. We need to establish proper standards that all stakeholders—government, private sector, and the public—can align with,” he stated.
He also emphasized that Nigeria has strong policies, such as local content policies, but implementation remains a major challenge. “We must move beyond discussions and focus on actionable steps, follow-ups, and policy enforcement,” he added.
The importance of addressing cable theft and vandalism was further stressed by Wale Owoeye, CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited.
He described the alarming frequency of cable cuts, which disrupt network operations and drive up maintenance costs.
“Cable theft is a serious issue. Airtel representatives told me they experience a cable cut every six minutes. The assumption that all black cables contain valuable copper leads to reckless vandalism,” he explained.
To combat this growing problem, Owoeye proposed three key approaches, including reorientation, enforcement, and proactive measures.
“We need to engage local communities in their native languages, educating them on the consequences of vandalism. Strict legal penalties, including long-term imprisonment, should be enforced to deter offenders,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for preventive strategies rather than reactive responses. “Prevention is always more effective and cost-efficient than restoration,” he noted.
As a proactive measure, Owoeye proposed the creation of a dedicated fund to support advocacy and awareness campaigns across Nigeria.
To demonstrate his commitment, he pledged to contribute N500,000 quarterly as a seed fund and encouraged other industry players to follow suit.
“This is like planting a seed. With collective effort, we can grow it into a sustainable solution for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure,” he said.
The speakers collectively emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collaboration among industry players, government agencies, and local communities.
They called for a concerted effort to enforce policies, engage stakeholders, and implement practical solutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunication infrastructure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
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