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By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has been nominated by the UK-based media group, TheNigerian News, as the winner of the prestigious ‘Politician of the Year award for his inspirational leadership.

According to the Editor of the Nigerian News, Toby Prince, Governor Bello had demonstrated exemplary leadership skills in handling insecurity, unemployment, poverty, infrastructure deficit and many other sectors in the state.

He said the impact of his administration in these areas endeared him to the medium’s 10-man award committee.

Also pencilled down for other prestigious awards for their service to the people are Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Mr Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, the Director General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, Prof Saad A. Ahmed, the Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre Abuja among others.

The award ceremony while feature lecture titled, ‘Identifying Genuine Spirit of Excellence and Patriotism Towards A Greater Nigeria’ which will be delivered by Chief Audu Ogbeh, the former Minister of Agriculture.

It will be chaired by Senator George Akume, the Honourable Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs. Royal fathers billed to grace the occasion include; the Emir of Kano, the Olu of Warri, Emir of Keffi and the Shehu of Borno.

A statement by TheNigerian News reads, “Governor Bello’s radical innovations have since cast him in the mould of those leadership postulations which early thinkers propounded,” the statement said.

“Under the New Direction Agenda, he has signposted a new trajectory and leadership model which has navigated the state for the overall benefit of the people. Bello has run an all-inclusive dispensation where holistic synergy has been deployed to move the state forward. These days, mobile young men and women are the ones running the affairs of the state unlike in the past when they were mere hallelujah boys for the political operators.

“We recall that Governor Bello met an over-bloated civil service in the state populated by a chunk of ghost workers feeding fat on the lean resources of the state. He corrected the ills, shunting out a significant number of ghost workers.

“Today, the Governor who had difficulty in paying workers’ salaries initially now pays without breaking a sweat. Impressively also, he enunciated radical measures to shore up the internally generated revenue of the state through the State Internal Revenue Agency. No wonder he is high for a national assignment in no distant future”.

The company said Bello will be recognised at an event to make its sixth anniversary on October 13th at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.