The Kogi State government has increased its monthly Internally Generated Revenue from N350 million to N1 billion, it was learnt yesterday.
Governor Yahaya Bello spoke at the weekend in Lokoja, at the Kogi Mega Youth Dialogue meeting: “2019 Election: Setting the Youth Agenda”, organised by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.
He scored his administration high in security, job creation and infrastructural development.
Bello, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Edward Onoja, said his administration had been able to foster unity among various ethnic, religious and political groups.
He said his administration created over 25,000 direct and indirect jobs under the state empowerment programmes in agriculture, and over 2,000 youths were employed in the State Vigilante Services.
His words: “Our government is too focused to be distracted. The propaganda by the failed and expired politicians is a free advertisement for us to promote our administration.
“The health indices of our people have improved tremendously; child mortality and morbidity rate has reduced significantly. We have spent about N250 million to enhance the health of our people through various healthcare intervention programmes.
“We have earmarked N1 billion in the 2018 budget for numerous women intervention programmes.”
Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development Sani Salisu lauded Bello for his vision for youths which he said had made them the cynosure of attention as far as youth inclusiveness in governance is concerned.
Chairman of NYCN Oladele Nihi hailed Bello for re-writing the history of youths in Kogi, saying that “over 90 per cent of the government appointees were below 40 years, with 99 per cent of them frequent on the social media”.
He appealed to the governor to give youths the opportunity to represent the state in elective positions in 2019 election.