Gov Yahaya Bello doesn't deserve best security governor – PDP youth leader

Popular Kogi state socio-political activist and the national coordinator of Peoples Democratic Party Youth Forum, Comrade Austin Okai has slammed Ibrahim Kpotum Idris for mulling the idea of presenting Best Security award to Yahaya Bello at a time kidnappers and armed robbers are holding the state hostage amount to mockery of the good people of Kogi state.

According to Okai, the people of Kogi state sleep with one eyes open and for IGP Idris to present the security award to Governor Bello is questionable, laughable and mockery of the death

Comrade Austin Okai in a press statement made available to newsmen expressed disappointment with IGP as he believes the award will make Governor Bello seat back instead of standing up to the challenges of leadership.

PDP youth leader says Gov Yahaya Bello doesn't deserve best security governor

Okai said: “Last week Mrs Blessing Abraham was kidnapped along Obajana road and the next day her corpse was dumped by the kidnappers.A Kano based business tycoon, Alhaji Ismaila Zubairu was kidnapped in Okene, Alhaji Aminco, who hails from Okene, was murdered by some hoodlums and his body dumped beside a cemetery in Okene. Another person, Mr Oboju was also killed by an unknown gun man along total filling station yesterday evening, also in Okene.

“Last month, almost eight commuters were kidnapped along Ajaokuta, Itobe road among is Hassan Ado, the former PDP chairman Dekina local government area. Kogi state people sleep with one eyes open and for the inspector general of police to come and give security award to the governor that is doing badly is questionable, laughable and mockery of the death .

“Kogi liberation forum to give award to Bello and the said award will be presented by the Inspector General of police is tantamount to compromising the security of the state in the hands of a group of individual. Inspector General of Police shouldn't allow himself to be used to score cheap political goal or for the sake of political propaganda as an independent security body charged with securing the country.”

He added: “Award at a time that the people of Kogi state are losing family members to the deadly action of kidnapping, armed robbery, murder activities in the state amount to mockery, families are mourning their love ones who died in the hands of kidnappers, the daredevil activities reigning in Kogi state as a result of insecurity in the state amount to ridiculing the good people of kogi state

‎”What is expected of the IG is to encourage the governor and the commissioner of police in Kogi state to beem more searchlight on the soft target and ensure the proper policing of Kogi state not coming to mislead the governor, giving him this award will make him to seat back instead of stand up to the challenges of leadership

“This bad precedence by overzealous and self-seeking groups if not nip in the bud will further mortgage the security of Kogi state and the country in general in the few hands of miscreants who actions are stooge like and discourage adequate policing in Nigeria.”

Okai concluded: “Come to think of it, how come is policy top hierarchy has become an institution that mediate between phony groups and some state government, particularly that of Kogi were the governor is unpopular as a result of anti-peoples policies, may be the award is for militarising the seat of government and made himself inaccessible to the people along with frequent harassments.

“Could the award be for hauling innocent, hapless and armless‎ civil servants whose salaries are outstanding for the past one year into police custody all in the name of staff verification and endless screening exercise that have shown all traits of failure in all its ramifications.”

But in a swift response, Kingsley Fanwo, chief press secretary to Governor Bello, said the award doesn’t go to people who completely eradicate crimes in the society because the society will never be totally free of crimes and criminalities.

He said: "The award is a special recognition of what the Governor has been doing so far to ensure security of lives and property in the state. Before Governor Yahaya Bello came in, Kogi was almost a failed state. Arms proliferation, youth unemployment, political thuggery, the nodal nature of the state and many other factors combined to make Kogi the centre of crime.

"Governor Yahaya Bello came with a blueprint to develop the state and make it rise up to fulfilling the aspirations of her people. He knows this can’t be achieved in an unsecured environment, hence the need to beef up security. The Governor changed the security architecture of the state, launched the Operation Total Freedom, provided patrol vans and modern technological gadgets to law enforcement agencies and returned the confidence of the people in their police.

!No security measure can be effective without the cooperation of the people. Statistically, we have improved tremendously and dramatically. That is not to say we still not contend with few incidents of insecurity. In Kogi under Governor Yahaya Bello, every life counts. We are moving forward."