BY EVELYN DADU, ABUJA – Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has bagged the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) “Distinguished Role Model” Award in Education.
This was as an elated Bello said that he never knew that his contribution in ensuring quality education in the state was being appreciated and would lead to his being honoured by a respected professional organisation as the NUJ.
The NUJ said Governor Bello recorded outstanding achievements in the education sector in his state in the last four years.
National President of the NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzo, said, while presenting the award to Governor Bello that he was singled out by the Award Committee constituted by the national secretariat of the Union after painstaking assessment of each of the 36 states in the education sector.
Isiguzo explained that the Role Model Award in Education is a special category award, given to Bello for bringing revolution to education in Kogi State.
In the words of Isiguzo; “Apart from recognising political actors that have done well in press freedom, we also took time out to single out political leaders that have by their own actions made enormous contributions across sectors.
“For Governor Yahaya Bello, today, we singled him out because of the massive transformation he has brought to the education sector and we are giving him the role model award in education.
“Governor Yahaya Bello started a university from the scratch, and today, that university is set to kick off. He has transformed the state polytechnic and other institutions”.
The NUJ President also said that these were among other achievements of the governor, which the award Committee took into consideration, including the fact that the teaching staff in Kogi State stood out clearly among their colleagues in other states.
He added; “If you look at the teaching staff in Kogi State and compare them with their contemporaries in other states, the difference is clear.
“Oftentimes, political actors tend to confuse the role of the media. They see us from the point of view of antagonists. We are institutional partners. Where a government has done well, it is our responsibility to acknowledge such achievement; where the government has also not done very well, it is also our responsibility to challenge the same government and say, in this same area, you have not done well.
“So many people may not understand what we are doing today, but it is something that we must have to do because we must encourage the shining examples we have in the present democratic experiment.
“This is why we have gathered here together with my colleagues, and with the endorsement of the national leadership of the union, we have come to present this special recognition to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
Responding, joyful Governor Bello said his administration identified the development of the education sector as the key to high level human capital development needed for the emancipation of the people of the state.
Bello said that he did not know that in carrying out his constitutional responsibilities within available limited resources, he was making serious impact in the educational sector and paving the way for awards.
The governor said; “The transformed education system is the reason our youth are no longer taking to crime.”
