On Saturday January 27th, 2024 marked the end of the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello, and a transition to his successor, Ahmed Usman Ododo. The Bello-led New Direction administration has had an eventful two-term run piloting the affairs of the state between 2016-2024.
ebirareporters.com takes it back into the archive, revisiting SOME out of the many events and happenings within the period in review; thus, narrowed down to the top 100 events and happenings in the administration of Yahaya Bello since his emergence.
1. Inauguration: Without a deputy, Governor Bello was first sworn-in at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja January 27th, 2016. The event was coordinated by a three-man inauguration committee constituted by the Governor and chaired by former Senator, Dino Melaye. The other two members were, Late Suleiman Kokori Abdul, and Benjamin Ikani Okolo. Read his inauguration speech here
2. Deputy: On February 8th, 2016, he sent the name of a two-term state lawmaker and Deputy Speaker, Simon Achuba (Ibaji LGA) to the State House of Assembly for confirmation as his Deputy.
3. February 12, 2016th; the then Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo announced that Bello rejected his first security vote of N150million, saying he will put his people first.
4. Governor Bello ordered his first dismissal when he fired the state Accountant-General, Permanent Secretaries and Directors of Local Governments on February 15th, 2016.
5. The then Speaker of the House of Assembly, Momohjimoh Lawal (PDP) was impeached by five out of twenty members of the assembly. The motion of impeachment was raised by Friday Sanni Makama on the basis that Governor Bello and Lawal hailed from same local government. Umar Ahmed Imam replaced Lawal as Speaker.
6. The Governorship election petition tribunal commenced sitting on different petitions instituted against the emergence of Bello by former Governor, Idris Wada; James Faleke and others on February 23rd, 2016. Bello won all his court cases.
7. March 15th, 2016: Kogi State Polytechnic shut down indefinitely after a female student was stabbed to death by a commercial motorcyclist, leading to crises, rampages and destruction of properties.
8. The Kogi State Police Command on March 22nd, 2016 arrested a former chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area of the state, Funsho Olumoko, over alleged attempt to attack and prevent the First Lady, Hajia Rashidat Bello from commissioning a health care project in Ekinrin Adde.
9. April 3rd, 2016; Governor Bello made his first homecoming trip to Okene after emerging Governor of the state. Read his homecoming speech here
10. April 8th, 2016; a former governorship aspirant, Prince Rotimi Obadofin died.
11. April 13th, 2016; the Kogi State University (now Prince Abubakar Audu University) Anyigba embarked on a “no pay no work” strike. The strike was re-occurrent and lasted for months.
12. The government in May 2016, began a screening and verification exercise for all the workers. The screening exercise, remarked as the greatest undoing of the Bello led administration was first led by Brig.Gen Paul Okuntimo rtd.
13. May 22nd, 2016; the then Obaro of Kabba, Oba Michael Folorunsho Olobayo was announced dead.
14. June 1st, 2016; Bello appointed his first set of Commissioners numbering fifteen, and the following day, he appointed first batch of nine Special advisers.
15. July 30th, 2016; a prison break occurred at the Koton-karfe prison where thirteen inmates escaped. Six of the escapees were later rearrested the following day.
16. August 2nd, 2016 Kogi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Chinese firm, CCDCC for the construction of an industrial park and international resort centre in Lokoja. On the day of the flag-off of construction, the contract was terminated.
17. December 8th, 2016; Tim Nda Diche resigned as Commissioner.
18. February 27th, 2017; Nigerian Army paraded Boko Haram suspects in Kogi state.
19. February 28th, 2017; A commission of Inquiry set-up by the state government, summoned former Governor, Idris Wada to answer queries on the distribution of N2bn Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF) from the Central Bank of Nigeria; N20bn Kogi State Bond and the application of the proceed thereof; SUBEB expense administration from 1st January 2012 – 26th January 2016; and Govt House expenses for the said period.
20. March 6th, 2017; a stalwart of the APC, Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba died in an auto-crash along Akure road.
21. March 14th, 2017; Governor Bello appointed veteran Actress Mercy Johnson Okojie, and 53 others as Special Assistants.
22. March 15th, 2017; Bello demolished houses and mosques belonging to criminals in Okene.
23. March 29th, 2017; Former President, Buhari appointed Professor Stephen Ocheni to fill the ministerial slot of Kogi state erstwhile made vacant by the death of Late James Ocholi.
24. April 26th, 2017; the state held her first-ever entertainment summit, an initiative of Mercy Johnson Okojie.
25. June 21st, 2017; 188,580 electorates signed a recall register form and initiated a petition for the recalling of Senator Dino Melaye from the Senate.
26. July 8th, 2017; Governor Bello commissioned a Military Forward Operation Base in Okene.
27. July 19th, 2017; The Governor banned ASUU from the state-owned university in Anyigba.
28. July 26th, 2017: Police arrested five suspects in connection with the kidnap of Governor Bello’s mother in May 2014.
29. August 3rd, 2017: Umar Ahmed Imam resigned as Kogi Assembly speaker, giving way for Kolawole Matthew to emerge as his replacement.
30. August 20th, 2017; Kogi declared public holiday to welcome President Buhari back to the country from his medical treatment abroad.
31. September 14th, 2017; Government declared curfew in Okehi Local Government to curtail the unrest that trailed the arrest of one Isah Lukman by the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad. Lukman was later declared dead from bullet wounds in custody.
32. September 15th, 2017: Yahaya Bello became the first Governor to ever commission a project at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna.
33. December 31st, 2017: Justice Aromeh Benson Akogu, the Kabba Resident High Court Judge handling the case of attempted assassination of Sen. Dino Melaye died during crossover service.
34. January 4th, 2018; Fifty-four hours after receiving a sack letter from the Kogi State Government, a director in the Kogi State civil service, Mr Alphonsis Ameh died from heart attack.
35. January 22nd, 2018; Kogi Doctor, Victor Ahmed Idowu died after contracting Lassa Fever.
36. February 8th, 2018: Governor initiated state allowance for NYSC corps members serving in the state.
37. First ever Kogi investment summit commenced on February 13th, 2018 and ended the following day with seven MOUs signed.
38. February 27th, 2018; Kogi government signed MoU with NNPC on biofuel project
39. March 3rd, 2018; An empowerment programme by Senator Ahmed Ogembe was disrupted by hoodlums. A week after, seven suspects were arrested and arraigned before a magistrate court in Lokoja.
40. Federal lawmaker, Buba Jibril died on March 30th, 2018.
41. Bello flagged of Okene Waterworks project on April 7th, 2018 with a 72-day completion timeline.
42. March 15th, 2018; Gov. Bello fulfilled promised to fund the completion of a 2000-capacity mosque in Adankolo, Lokoja.
43. March 30th, 2018; Governor Bello had an accident while alighting from his vehicle and nursed his foot for about three weeks.
44. April 6th, 2018, the Confluence Beach Lokoja was handed over to Capital Boutique in a concession agreement with the government.
45. Deputy Governor Edward Onoja on April 11th 2018 slammed a N100 million suit on Daily Post journalist over false ghastly accident report.
46. INEC announced result of Dino Melaye’s recall exercise on April 29th, 2018; he was returned elected.
47. May 10th, 2018; The payment of teacher’s salary was transferred to SUBEB
48. Kogi elder statesman, Idris King died on May 27th, 2018.
49. After getting ousted as State Party chairman of APC, Haddy Ametuo dragged the party to court on June 3rd, 2018. The following day, the Abdullahi Bello-led committee was inaugurated.
50. June 5th, 2018: Kogi announced the establishment of a recycling plant in Lokoja. Few days after, the state signed new laws to road traffic and water sectors.
51. June 12th, 2018; Police paraded an internet fraudster posing as Yahaya Bello in Imo state.
52. June 14th, 2018: The state had a major cholera outbreak which killed five and left about 30 hospitalised.
53. August 9th, 2018: Kogi govt announced plans to build a sugarcane refinery
54. Governor Bello’s convoy was involved in an accident in Abuja on September 18th, 2018.
55. September 20th, 2018; a trigger-happy security guard attached to Governor Bello’s aide, Kabiru Onyene Jatto, killed a young man in an accidental discharge.
56. Governor Bello presented staff of office to Oba Solomon Owoniyi as Obaro of Kabba on October 21st, 2018.
57. November 15th, 2018; Kogi Assembly passed the State Youth Development Commission Bill.
58. November 16th, 2018; A popular masquerade custodian, Yusuf Otaru was assassinated in Okene, and Kogi govt placed N100 million bounty on killers.
59. Court restrained Bello from removing Late Justice Nasir Ajanah as Chief Judge on December 13th, 2018.
60. January 7th, 2019; Bello’s Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti Onyegbule resigned, and a day after, Onogwu Muhammed was appointed to replace.
61. February 2nd, 2019; Former Vice-President, Osinbajo survived helicopter crash in Kabba
62. February 15th, 2019; Senator Ogembe survived ghastly accident
63. February 23rd, 2019: Bello’s aide, Kabiru Onyene Jatto escaped assassination with bullet wounds
64. March 30th, 2019; President Buhari declined assent to Ajaokuta steel bill.
65. April 20th, 2019; The Chief Imam of Ebiraland, Alhaji Musa Galadima died.
66. June 8th, 2019; Kogi established lassa fever treatment centre.
67. July 19, 2019; Okene Administrator, Abdulrazaq Muhammad escaped assassination attempt along Itakpe-Eika road.
68. October 14th, 2019: Natasha Akpoti drags Bello to court over alleged double INEC PVC registration.
69. October 16th, 2019; Bello promoted his former DG Protocol, Abdulkareem Asuku to his Chief of Staff.
70. November 4th, 2019 ICPC arrested Kogi government officials over N68m school feeding fraud.
71. November 5th, 2019; Cultists clash at the state university with a death toll of 13 students.
72. November 6th, 2019; Bello’s former deputy, Achuba drags him to court over unpaid entitlements.
73. November 18th, 2019: Petrol tanker accident claimed five lives in Felele, Lokoja.
74. November 29th, 2019; Bello launched tetanus eradication campaign. On the same day, armed robbers in NYSC uniform attacked Ifeanyi Ubah FC players at Kabba junction.
75. December 1st, 2019; Smart Adeyemi unseated Dino Melaye to emerge Kogi West Senator
76. December 8th, 2019; PDP Women Leader, Salome Abuh was burnt to death in electoral violence
77. December 24th, 2019: Governor Bello lost elder sister, Hajia Rabiat Bello to death.
78. January 6th, 2020: Mercy Johnson in partnership with the state government, released the movie, “Inikpi” starring herself, Sam Dede, Rasheed Balogun, Odunlade and others.
79. February 3rd, 2020: Bello visited Russian ambassador to discuss resuscitation of Ajaokuta Steel Company
80. March 15th, 2020: Governor Bello’s mother died at the age of 101.
81. April 15th, 2020: Police arrested commissioner for Tourism, Paul Ebije over alleged diversion of N69 million
82. May 20th, 2020: The governor freed 51 prison inmates and reduced the sentences of 36 others.
83. July 15th, 2020; Kogi born flying officer and first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile died.
84. August 29th, 2020: HRM Michael Idakwo Ameh Oboni, the Attah Igala died.
85. August 31st, 2020: Supreme Court affirmed reelection of Governor Bello in different suits instituted by Musa Wada, Natasha Akpoti and others.
86. September 4th, 2020: Kogi govt sealed off all branches of Union Bank in the state over tax evasion offences.
87. September 22nd, 2020; Yahaya Bello fired the Internal Revenue Chairman, Aliyu Inda Salami
88. November 5th, 2020; Court ordered government to pay N180m entitlements to impeached deputy governor, Simon Achuba
89. November 10, 2020; NUC approved the establishment of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara.
90. November 14th, 2020; Suleiman Kokori died.
91. January 18th, 2021: Dangote completed Nigeria’s longest concrete road in Kabba, Kogi state.
92. February 8th, 2021: Alhaji Yakubu Yusuf, the Ohi of Okene died.
93. May 2nd, 2021: Gunmen kidnapped Yagba west council chairman, Pius Kolawole.
94. December 29th, 2022; President Buhari visited Kogi to commission projects; defied the bomb blast at the azad palace earlier that day to commission Reference Hospital Okene.
95. January 7th, 2023; Kogi govt issued query on the Ohinoyi over his absence at the welcoming of President Buhari.
96. October 29th, 2023; Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr. Ado Ibrahim CON died at 94.
97. January 8th, 2024; Yahaya Bello dethroned Ohimege-Igu Koto-karfe, Obobanyi Ihima, and Olu Magongo.
98. January 25th, 2024; Bello installed a new Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alh. Ahmed Tijani Anaje
99. January 26th, 2024; Kogi govt honoured 79 personalities with state awards, an initiative of Yahaya Bello.
100. January 27th, Yahaya Bello handed over to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Did you remember any of these events?
Which other one did you remember? Tell us in the comment section.
