By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Governor Yahaya Bello of kogi state.
Governor Yahaha Bello of kogi state has predicted that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu would be elected as the next president of Nigeria come February 25.
He made the prediction on Thursday in Lokoja while speaking at The NUJ Symposium organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists,Kogi State Council to x-ray the achievements of his administration.
The state NUJ Chairnman, Alhaji Momohjimoh Adeiza reading his speech at the occasion.
The symposium has as theme: “A peep into Yahaya Bello’s seven years as governor of kogi state and the implications for future administrations.”
Bello, however, urged the people to make the electíon a seamless exercise in the interest of peace and development of the country.
He said:” Let me use this opportunity to appeal to all Nigerians that,we should not fall to the trap of few selfish individuals who want to plung this country into chaos.
President,NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzo.
“Electíon will hold as the president has assured Nigerians, that everyone would be secured,let us ensure that what we are enjoying today may not be adequate but we should not destroy the modest achievements we have recorded under this governnent.
Some of the Journalists at the event.
“We should not by our action truncate this republic, let us remain calm,the situation is just temporal,a few days to come,by the special grace of God,we are going have a new president-elected and other elective positions will be occupied and situation will stabilise.
“It is normal that when end time of an administrator is coming to an end, we will have these little skirmishes,let us not blow them out of proportion.
“This next election,by the special grace of God,our own leader,our father, the Jagaban of universe, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, will be elected the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Let us not make mistake,he has done it before in Lagos State and he will do it again in Nigeria and Nigeria will be the pride of Africa.
The governor,who commended the Journalists in the state for their support to his administration also expressed delight over the new partnership between his governnent and then which he promised would be a continuous process till the end of his governnent.
Earlier in his goodwill message,the President of NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzo, commended Bello for ensuring good government in the state, describing him as a “Shining star” in administration of human resources and infrastructural development.
He commended NUJ in the state for organising the event, adding that the symposium received the endorsement of the national body of the union.
In his speech,the state Chairman of the union, Alhaji Mimohjimoh Adeiza, catalogued the achievements of Bello-led administration, especially in education and health among other feats.
He recalled that the emergence of the governor, though came with the unusualness and provoked caster nation and disquietude in the country with the attendant constitutional logjam,”Yahaya Bello became governor and created more history,he was an answer to prayer for me state.”in
He itemised the achievements of the present administration in the state to include; the estàblishnent if Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara which he noted, promised to be an architectoral masterpiece of a citadel of learning, being the first specialised university in north central Nigeria.
The others achievements ,he added is the Reference hospital, Okene, the best of its kind in terms of latest scientific eeuipmemt in West Africa, massive investment in education, the construction of fly over bridge in Lokoja,the first of its kind in the state among others.
In his paper delivered at the occasion, the quest lecturer, Mr Okoliko Emmanuel Ojonugwa, expressed delight in the significant changes in the infrastructure under the leadership of Governor Bello cutting across the three Senatorial districts of the state.
He urged Journalists to carry out their duties and constitutional responsiblities without fear or favour and to always keep government and their officials on their toes to deliver the goods of their offices to the public.
He said that ” the era of barking or attacking journalism is no longer popular, rather, development but people-oriented journalism, where government , civil society organisations and Journalists collaborate to deepen democracy.
Our Correspondent reports that many Journalists and members of the state executive council among other top personalities attended the one day
The symposium cane to an end with a dinner to mark the celebration of the 50th birthday of the President of NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzo.
Speaking at the dinner, the state Chairman of NUJ.commended members for their support for the success of both the symposium and birthday.
NUJ president cutting his 50th birthday cake, flanked by his colleagues.
