Governor Bello's Trip And Matters Arising
It is to be expected that Governor Sani Abubakar Bello’s journey abroad should raise dust amongst the polity in a country where people bank on rumour to take actions. However, as a Nigerlite, I am highly worried and concerned about the way and manner social media commentators and others have taken special interest in condemning the governor’s visit abroad without ascertaining the purpose of the journey.
For example, some of the questions one would expect to be asked by analyst could include, why did the governor travel in the first place and is his journey a personal one or an official one? And if it should turn out that the journey is for official purposes the primary thing to do is get the facts straight and analyse the prospects or otherwise of the said journey for the state.
Governor Bello’s recent visit to the London raised several arguments as to the purpose of his journey. Some group opined that he travelled for medical check-up, another group submits that he is a friend of Mikel Obi of Chelsea and that he had travelled abroad to watch Chelsea football Match against Arsenal, another group said that he travelled to take care of his private business while yet another group asserted that his journey was to woo investors to the state. The truth is that in politics people will always prefer their own versions of any story hence the repulsive attitudes of analyst of whatever truth that may ensue from the government quarter.
Even if the governor is a friend of Mikel Obi would he foolishly abandon state affairs to go and watch him play football? What would his people say of him as their leader? Again, would the governor equally abandon state matters to travel abroad to attend to his private business issue and the State Assembly would grant him permission to do that to the detriment of the millions of people that have trusted him with their lives? If the first two groups’ position about the governor’s journey cannot be considered then it means that the public has only two options left on which to bank their analysis on and it is that, Governor Bello’s travel may have to do with his routinely medical check-up and secondly to woo investors to the state. These two options are probable because the State House of Assembly is required to grant permission to the governor before he leaves the state and the Legislature cannot assent to a frivolous request by the governor to go and watch his friend Obi play football. It is therefore laughable how our people think sometimes. Our peoples’ penchant to generate humour even in very difficult situation compels one to want to join in the hysteria.
Finally, it is important that we criticise our government for quality result and responsible government but we wouldn’t be achieving much if our actions are based on malice or are purposefully design to ridicule our leaders who cannot do anything without our contributions as citizens. We cannot achieve much if we continue to propound pessimistic agenda because the state belongs to us all and together we must build it with hope and trust in our leaders for it is our trust that will inspire them to do for us the wishes of our hearts. We must be objective at all times in providing advice to our leaders because one way or the other our voices and silence counts.
Fodio, Wrote in from Minna