Former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, has bagged the Kogi Central Journalists Guild (KOCJG) Lifetime Achiever Award for his contributions to the development and unity of the state.
Presenting the letter of nomination to the former governor, KOCJG president, Muhammad AbdulSalam, said Bello would be formally presented the award at an elaborate ceremony slated for December 2025.
Abdulsalam said the award was a mark of the guild’s appreciation for the former governor’s historic contributions which he said would remain unmatched for generations.
AbdulSalam said God used Yahaya Bello to remove the shackles of slavery from the necks of Ebira people, likening this feat to that of historical defenders of Ebiraland such as Achegidi Okino, Ohindase Avogude and Adayi Apata Ihima who fought Fulani jihadists in their time.
“Before Bello’s emergence as governor in 2016, the Ebira people had suffered decades of marginalisation and political neglect since the creation of Kogi State in 1991.
“Your Excellency , you came at a time when Ebiraland was yearning for power, when our people were seen as nothing but slaves in their own state,” Abdulsalam stated.
He further praised the former governor for his role in fostering ethnic harmony through the EBIGO initiative, which was designed to unify the state’s three major ethnic groups, the Ebiras, Igalas, and Okuns.
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