Bello afraid of shrine owners charms

• Pleads for pardon over demolition

From CHRISTIANA EKPA, Lokoja

GOVERNOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has become scared of owners of shrines the state government demolished at the roundabouts in the state capital. He pleaded for pardon from the people, explaining that his plan was strictly to give the state capital a facelift and not to trouble their gods.

Bello, who spoke when a delegation from the Maigarin Lokoja paid him a courtesy visit over the recent election of the new Speaker, Right Honourable Imam Alfa, representing Lokoja 1, said the state capital was wearing the status of a local government headquarters as a result of neglect by previous administrations.

The social media has been washed with speculations that the roundabouts were being demolished to unearth some charms allegedly planted by previous Governors for spiritual cleansing of the State.

He indicated that bogus roundabouts were no longer in vogue in many cities of the world.

“Let me quickly give a little insight into the issue of demolition of roundabouts in the State capital. If you travel round the world not everywhere you see round about again, just go to Abuja you see junctions with many intersections where so many roads come together yet no roundabouts.

“It is not in any way fetish to destroy the roundabout because there are certain thing that are happening there. I don’t believe in that. Roundabouts are not mosques or churches, and if round about is shrine probably the owners of the shrine should pardon me because our State capital must wear a new look.”

He said a lot of developments would come on board despite the meagre resources at his disposal adding with prudent management he will do a lot with it.

He promised to upgrade the Maigarin Lokoja palace to give it the standard befitting of a royal father of his class and status in no distant time.

“When we were campaigning and we visited the Maigarin Lokoja being my first time of visiting I felt so bad because that does not reflect the palace of a paramount ruler of his class. “By the grace of God in no distance time from now we shall give it a befitting look.”

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The Governor went down memory lane to recall his encounter with the Maigarin Lokoja Alhaji Muhammed Kabir Maikarfi III during his campaign when the emir prayed for him adding that Maigarin predicted that he was going to be the next governor and it has come to pass.

“I remember we visited the Maigarin of Lokoja on a certain night during the campaign. He did not only welcome us he prayed for me specially. That day he prophesied that I was going to be the next Governor of Kogi State and God has answered his prayers.”
He said there was no doubt that the inhabitants of Lokoja local Government were indeed historical people of Kogi State and as such whoever identify with them and they identify with him will always cruise to victory.

“I have come to realise that and I quickly came to hide under their canopy and today there is no regret in that.”

He said he would soon embark on the tour of the entire State after which his development plans would be unveiled.

On the emergence of Imam Alfa as the new speaker he said justice would not have been done to have all the heads of the three major arms of Government from the central senatorial district even though destiny had made it so.

Continuing he said he decided to confer with the former speaker Hon Momojimoh Lawal on the possible way out and they both arrived at Imam however he said some intrigues set in but at the end they wish of God has been done.

“Please give the speaker and my Government the support and prayers that you have always offered.

Bello who indicated he was not claiming perfection as that can only be ascribed to God Almighty said they would make mistakes, “allow us to make our mistakes and correct them and don’t crucify us but I can assure you that at the end of our tenure that we are going to achieve more than what our predecessors have achieved put together.”