SAN FRANCISCO, August 21, (THEWILL) – The lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye has stated that it is hypocritical for Governor Yahaya Bello’s declaration of a public holiday over President Muhammadu Buhari’s return from medical vacation in London.
He argued that the if the President’s home state of Katsina did not think it wise to declare a holiday in honour of the President’s return, the Kogi governor’s action amounts to “taking panadol for another man’s headache”.
Melaye who condemned the act in a social media platform ‘Positive thinker,’ expressed worries over the way the state is being governed by the present administration, insisting that the latest action further confirmed Bello’s gross incompetence and outrageous incapacity to lead the people of Kogi.
He posted, “President Buhari must be disgusted with the juvenile and bootlicking attitude of the butterhead governor of Kogi State.
“Kastina State the home state of our beloved president has not declared public holiday,why then is Bello taking panadol for another man’s headache. We love our president in Kogi State no doubt.”
But Bello maintained that the public holiday was declared to celebrate Buhari as an African icon, who went on a medical trip abroad and came back in good health, stressing that those criticising his decision were taking “panadol for our headache”.
Reacting through his Director General on Media and Publicity, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, the governor said: “The holiday was to enable the people of Kogi State celebrate the grace of God for bringing Mr. President back alive.
“It also afforded the people of the state the opportunity to pray and fast for the progress of Nigeria and for Mr President to keep waxing stronger for the task ahead.
“It is unfortunate that those condemning it choose to take panadol for our headache. They should join us to celebrate the Lion of Africa and stop politicising an act of patriotism on the part of the governor.
“Bello had a health and celebratory walk today and visited the Specialist Hospital where he declared free medical care for all patients on admission.
“To the beneficial families, it was a great day. God forbids, if Mr. President had died, many states would have declared many days of mourning. But Kogi only declared one day to thank God for saving our president’s life. Are some people angry that Mr President is back, hale and hearty to continue to fight corruption?”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had described the declaration of the public holiday as an aberration, and the height of lack and loss of ideas.
A statement issued on Monday by the Director of Research and Documentation, Achadu Dicson, lamented that the holiday points to the fact that governance in the state has drifted in the last 17 months and has been brought to its lowest ebb.
PDP noted that this is happening while workers are owed salaries and pensions for as much as 17 months, heavy indebtedness by the state to commercial banks to the tune of N35billion, with nothing to show in terms of infrastructure.
While noting that as a party, the PDP shares in the joy of the health recovery of Mr. President, and has always joined in the prayers for his quick recovery, the loss of man-hour with the declaration of a public holiday is an indication that the state has reached the lowest ebb in terms of governance.
According to the statement, “the recent government action shows that we have entered a one chance administration”, in which the ship of state is heading to no direction.
The PDP in the statement went on to declare that rather than devote energy to pray for Buhari, citizens should pray for God to heal Kogi State, noting that the state has lost focus, and is losing the decency of comity of serious states in the country.
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