From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The National Co-ordinator “Got Your Back Nigeria”, Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr, for the presidential ambition of Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has said that the media awards received so far by the governor have smoothened his way for the presidential race come 2023.
Prof Nwaokobia in a press statement titled “2023: Between Politics, Prophesies, Prognostications And The GYB Magic” said Governor Yahaya Bello remains the best candidate for the job because he will not let Nigerians down when elected president.
Part of the statement reads: ‘From winning the Sun Newspapers Man of the Year Award to winning the New Telegraph Newspapers Most Youth Friendly Governor of the Year Award. GYB stands profound.
‘From the recognition and award for Outstanding Governor in the Area of Education by the Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ Lagos State Chapter to the Award as an Exemplary Leader by the Nigerian Union of Journalists National Chapter, and the Award of the Torchbearer on Security by the Nigerian Union of Journalists Abuja Chapter. The GYB magic resonates.
‘From taking Kogi State from the state where Boko Haram had her IED making factory to the safest state in the entire North. GYB has been phenomenal.
‘From taking Lokoja the state capital to a new high where Lokoja is no longer just a capital city but indeed one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. GYB stands out.
‘From clearing the backlog of salaries he inherited upon being sworn in as Governor to not owing Kogi workers, and taking Kogi State to the top of the chart in states that pay Medical and health workers, and indeed her workers as at when due. The cap fits GYB.
‘From a state that had no functional Rice Mill to receive raw materials from her numerous Rice Farmers to the state with one of the most functional Rice Mills in Nigeria ditto his Kogi State Agricultural Revolution Scheme. The GYB magic is amazing.
‘From hundreds of thousands, if not millions of unemployable youths across the state to the state with one of the best Skill Acquisition and Informal Education programmatic, creating jobs and making the seemingly unemployable employable. It has been GYB and no other.
‘From the Kogi State University, being one of the least funded Tertiary institutions in Nigeria, to the Kogi State University, being one of the most funded and improved tertiary institutions in the country, GYB is the way to go.
‘The Youth O’clock vision and agenda for 2023 is rooted in the remarkable strides and the deafening success of the outstanding servant-leader called GYB. It stands on the infrastructural highs of Kogi under GYB. Indeed GYB’s impact on the sociopolitical stage and his monstrous human capital development in the state of Kogi is testamentary. GYB’s feats are phenomenal and his achievements in Education, Housing, Security et al profound.
‘Compatriots, I must conclude that the mercurial phenomenon called GYB will not let you down when elected President, he has his eyes on the ball, and for our Dear Country, Nigeria, it will be a New Deal of effective, efficient and effectual leadership come 2023. I assure you.
‘When you see the many double mouthing Pharisees seeking the high office of President come 2023, please ask them what they intend to do with Security (you know the GYB scorecard on Security). Ask them what they intend to do with Education, Economy, Job Creation, National Unity and Cohesion, Infrastructure amongst others. And tell them that GYB’s phenomenal feats are his trump card, not blackmail, perfidy and falsehood.
‘Tell those seeking the office of president to campaign on their merit, tell them to learn from GYB and his team, and predicate the politics of 2023 on issues. And tell them, the youths want debate on issues, that Nigerians crave a new republic of issues based politics, and that going forward is the only acceptable minimum.
‘Tell the cynics that whilst they continue to make hysteria, apologies to Rev Jesse Jackson, GYB will continue to make history, as we are committed to redefining the fabrics of our politics with competency and capacity rather than mudslinging, falsehood, perfidy, deceit and tommy-rot.
‘In the days and weeks ahead Nigerians craving for a New Deal in leadership will identify and align with none but the phenomenal history maker called GYB as the great strides and feats of his watch over Kogi State shall reach even greater heights. With GYB a more prosperous united Nigeria is assured.
‘The space is thick and tense, and the clock is ticking. Career politicians and pundits are busy drawing the charts. The clergy are putting God’s name to the Aspirants of their choice. As political groups, civil society organizations and Youth movements prognosticate. The music and the song is the quest for the best man for the high office of President come 2023.
‘There are Aspirants and there is an Aspirant. We have seen the names of Atiku Abubakar, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Sam Ohuabunwa, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Pius Anyim, Rochas Okorocha, Aminu Tambuwal, Bukola Saraki, Dave Umahi, Kingsley Moghalu et al visibly seeking the top job come 2023.
‘And there is Governor Yahaya Bello GYB with structures everywhere and groupings across the nation, saying it is Youth O’clock, and there are millions of men and women aligning with the Phenomenon that the youngest serving Governor in today’s Nigeria is.
‘GYB is currently the candidate running on the card of performance, on competency and on capacity. In the present equation, the GYB magic resonates.
‘There are those who seek the high office of President because they consider it the only stuff lacking in their CV. Some seek power for the fun of it. Some simply because ‘…it is an age-long ambition’, and some because they seek to continue the pillaging of our collective patrimony. Not knowing how best to kick start their quest for the top job, they are busy talking about GYB and never talking about themselves.
‘They are busy throwing mud at GYB and never telling the people what they have in stock for Nigeria. So interesting they have made the Phenomenal History maker called GYB, their politics.
‘The clergy cutting across the two major faiths have in so many ways called for a new generation of leaders. We have seen a boisterous band of the Christian Clergy, as well as the Muslim clergy, endorse the candidacy of GYB.
‘Today GYB has the largest number of Support Groups of all the people seeking the high office of President come 2023. And today GYB is the most honoured political operator in Nigeria, winning not less than 20 phenomenal awards last year alone. GYB is the goldfish that has no hiding place. And GYB is the man for the top job.
‘The youths across the country pushing the Youth O’clock fervency and the GYB candidacy must rise to the challenge and tell the present crop of politicians that Youth is not a minus but a plus.
‘We must sing the praise of young people doing profound in our political firmament, and GYB is chief. We must also inform everyone that Youth O’clock is not about alienation but a call to inclusive, effective, efficient and effectual leadership. And that in GYB the Youths have found unequalled competency and capacity, and that supporting GYB for the High Office of President is imperative and patriotic.
‘Beyond the politics, prophesies and the prognostications of now, Kogi State under GYB tops the good governance chart in so many areas, and you wonder how Kogi State which is the only state in Nigeria that has as much as 10 Borders (9 states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja) is so profound. Also, note that Kogi State is one of the largest states in terms of landmass. Kogi is mini Nigeria (it is multi-religious, multilingual and multi-ethnic). And Kogi State under the watch of Governor Yahaya Bello GYB is a testimony of responsible and responsive leadership. The records are so glaring, the blind can see.
‘From the high point of GYB’s dogged insistence that Nigeria must interrogate the COVID-19 pandemic and grow indigenous approach to it, to the deployment of the COVID-19 stimulus package into building one of the biggest medical facilities in West Africa. GYB stands tall.
‘From running the most successful youth-centric, youth-centred and all-inclusive administration in Nigeria, for which so many Awards adorn his stable, to running the most gender-sensitive and inclusive administration in the whole of Africa. GYB is the man.
‘From surviving a very wicked and most impish and devious machination ditto the rumoured placing of funds meant for Salaries in Kogi State in a profit yielding account in Sterling Bank, to the World Bank rating of Kogi State as the top in the fiscal and financial discipline in Governance in Nigeria. GYB is a homo sequendum.’
