The Nation Newspaper

Tag: KOGI

  • It’s Audu versus Wada in Kogi

    It’s Audu versus Wada in Kogi

    Come November 21, voters in Kogi State will choose their governor. Sunday Oguntola looks at the factors for and against the candidates of the two leading parties-the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

    In sporting circles, it will be appropriately dubbed a grudge match. Four years ago, Governor Idris Wada and Prince Audu Abubakar squared off. The big prize at stake was the governorship seat of Kogi State.

    Backed by the then incumbent, Ibrahim Idris, Wada rose to power under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Abubakar, who ran under the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), lost the bid to govern the state he presided over in 1991-1992 and from 1999-2003.

    Four years after, voters in Kogi State are confronted with the two familiar faces again.  The opponents know themselves very well. They are both from Kogi East, which boasts of 54 percent of the state’s population. While Wada is from Dekina, Audu originates from Ogbonicha-Alloma in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Their gladiators and field marshals are also familiar foes.

    But unlike the 2011 elections, so much has changed in the nation and state’s political environment. The PDP is no longer the ruling party at the federal level. Its 16 years rule was interrupted by a hurricane that swept across the federation on March 28.

    The clamour for change brought in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and consigned the PDP to the unfamiliar terrain of opposition politics. Though the PDP is still in charge of the Government House in Kogi State, observers are predicting this might change when the governorship election holds on November 21.

    Changing political climate

    Four years ago, the election would have been a walkover for Wada. He had everything going for him. The PDP was not only in power at the centre but also controlled Kogi State political scene.

    The party won 20 of the 25 House of Assembly seats comfortably. It captured seven out of the nine House of Representatives seats. The three senatorial seats were also in its kitty.

    The governor, seeking for second term, had a godfather in his predecessor, Ibrahim Idris, who mobilised state resources and organisations for his election. The federal government complimented with control of security and electoral bodies.

    But things have since changed drastically. Wada is suddenly like an orphan with no one to look after him. His predecessor is now an ex-governor, who only can muster private resources for him. His party is also writhing in pain at the federal level with crisis of manifold dimensions.

    At the March 28 presidential election, the then APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) polled 264,851 votes to defeat PDP’s Goodluck Jonathan who got 149,987 votes.

    The APC also won all the three Senatorial seats and six out of the nine House of Representatives slots. Of the 25 House of Assembly seats, the PDP is in control of 14 while the APC has 11.

    Clearly, power seems to have changed hands in Kogi State with the PDP only left with the governorship seat. That major shift, many observers say, might be an indication of the way the voters want to go in the state.

    Can Wada be reelected?

    On the surface, Audu looks destined for the prime post. But politics is never an easy game. So much have taken place since the general elections in April. Wada, realising his disadvantageous position, has embarked on vigorous campaigns to underscore why he deserves a second term. He says he has done so much than the opposition is willing to admit.

    He told our correspondent some weeks ago: “We are building an 11-storey Kogi House in Abuja, which is to showcase our pride as a state and generate incomes. We have a land at a prime place in the Federal Capital City and we are at the fifth floor now.

    “We believe it will be a good source of income for the state. We have completed a stadium in Lokoja, which is a FIFA-standard facility. We have the Greater Lokoja Water Project, which is there. We are working on a strong embankment that will protect us from flood.

    “We have built 272 housing units for those affected by flood. We are also building another 500 housing units in Lokoja. We are building a dual carriageway bye-pass across Lokoja to provide new development centres across the capital city.

    “We are overhauling the main Lokoja township road. We are working on over 58 other roads. They are either completed or at advanced stages of completion.

    “We are building a very modern mega transport terminal, the first of its kind in northern Nigeria for vehicles passing through the state. In about two or three months, it should be ready for commissioning.

    “We have built an ultra-modern vocational training centre in Lokoja, which we commissioned some weeks back in partnership with Korea Development Agency. It is the most modern vocational training centre in Nigeria.

    “We now have the capacity to train people, especially the youth in ICT, Motor engineering, agriculture, metal fabrication and others. We are looking at educated but unemployable youths so that they can fend for themselves. We have built so many schools and renovated so many. We are funding the Universities, Colleges of Education and Polytechnics.

    “We have succeeded in reorientation of our youths. Till date, over 10,000 youth have been trained and empowered in our novel youth programme, tagged YAD 4 KOGI.

    “There is also the 250 bed teaching hospital that is ongoing at Ayingba.  The ultramodern diagnostic center at Lokoja is almost completed.

    “Over 300 rural communities have been supplied electricity; they have access to pipe borne water and trunk roads across the state. These are projects that have direct bearings with our people.”

     But this is a stark contrast to the perception within and outside the state. The governor is considered laid back and non-performing, an allegation he dismissed as untrue. According to him, he simply believes in working without making noise.

    “I am coming from a private sector background where I believe your work should speak for you. I have immersed myself with working without publicising our achievements with the belief that people will see our works and support us.

    “The fact that I’m governor will not change my person and work belief. But clearly, I’m finding out that is not always the case,” the former Pilot explained.

    Regardless of what he says, many believe he has underperformed and moved Kogi State backward in four years. His opponents point at the issue of unpaid salaries of public primary school teachers. The State Chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Suleiman Abdullahi, said the total bill owed teachers stands at N32billion.

    Of this, he said N23 billion was the outstanding arrears of the new minimum wage while N8.7 billion was unpaid leave grants for four years.

    This outstanding salary, Abdullahi said, was demoralising his colleagues. According to him: “There cannot be commitment from a teacher who is sick and hungry. There cannot be commitment from a teacher who is not sure of what he will be paid and when he will be paid.”

    Charles Ige, a Lokoja-based political commentator also pointed at the dwindling infrastructural fortunes of Kogi State under Wada as minus for his reelection bid. “The roads are failing and the masses cannot point to one thing they are enjoying. Clearly, the governor has failed them and they might want a change at the slightest opportunity,” he said.

    The PDP is also depleted in the state with a gale of defections since President Muhammadu Buhari took over. The ad-hoc delegate ward congress and state party congress created acrimonies that forced some forces out of the party last July. Though Wada’s loyalist, Engineer Sam Ohuetu, emerged the party’s state chairman, many were against his choice and so they left the PDP for the APC.

    In Audu, APC trusts

    But Wada’s greatest headache will be APC’s governorship candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, an old war horse. Abubakar, a former banker, is well tested and acquainted with the state’s political climate. In 1992, he became the first civilian governor of the state under the platform of the defunct Nigerian Republican Convention (NRC).

    He literally transformed the infrastructural landscape of Kogi State to the amazement of all. In 22 months, Audu’s magic wand traversed critical sectors such as housing, health, road construction, health and industry. Under his watch, the state established three different housing schemes for public officers, consisting of over 1,500 housing units in Lokoja.

    There was also the transformation of Lokoja Township with asphalt road, street lights, aesthetic roundabouts, the construction of inter-township and rural roads, over 75 electrification schemes and 50 water projects.

    He also founded Kogi State Polytechnic, a television station, radio station, both AM and FM, a state newspaper and transformed the colonial residence of Lord Lugard into an ultra modern Government House Complex.

    He also embarked on construction of office blocks for ministries as the new state had no office accommodation, the construction of shopping arcade complex to enhance commercial activities among others.

    From 1999-2003, the former governor also spearheaded landmark projects such as construction of a specialist hospital; the five star confluence Beach Hotel, 250 units Housing Estate, a Sport Complex and 25 other medical Institutions.

    He also created a Special Government Girls Secondary School on Student exchange programme, 350 borehole schemes, 300 kilometers of township roads, the procurement of 100 transit buses and completion of 40 rural electrification projects.

    “No one has come close to his achievements in office,” Mohammed Attah, a public commentator stated. “It was under him that the people witnessed real physical projects. We were all amazed that a man could do so much. He was commissioning projects almost on weekly basis.

    “The State became a construction site and life was good for many Kogi indigenes and residents. We were all proud to come from the state. In all fairness, the man did so much and people still talk about him today with nostalgia.”

    Audu has also said he is on a rescue mission from a state he left in 2003 vibrant. He explained he will reverse the 12-year misfortunes foisted on the state by the PDP. Many believe he has the Midas touch to lift Kogi again. That perception and his track record of performance are working well for him.

    Though he has lost out four times in its bid to wrestle power from the PDP, Audu seems to have hit a goldmine in his party structure. The APC is the darling bride of the electorates with its change mantra. Most states in the Federation have since switched to the change option offered by the party. The tsunami effect on Kogi will surely work in favour of Audu.

    He is also seen as a grass mobiliser with heavy war chest to prosecute political battles. With the APC’s influence spreading across the state, observers say Audu might just be on his way back to power.

    But Wada says the PDP is prepared to counter the sweeping effect of change in the state. He said the victory of the APC at the presidential poll in the state was just a fluke that will never take place again.

    According to him “We will come up with appropriate strategies to beat the APC because we are on grounds. PDP is the only party in Kogi State across the nooks and crannies.

    “We are in all wards and I have things to show people that we have done within their communities.  The victory of the APC in the presidential was a one-off. We defeated the APC in the House of Assembly elections that came after the presidential elections and we are determined to repeat that victory come November.”

    The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Kogi State, Prince Bode Ogunmola, said APC’s choice of Audu as its governorship candidate was a blessing in disguise.

    He said the November 21 election was already a done deal for the PDP, saying it would defeat Audu at the poll.

    Ogunmola pointed out that the PDP has been beating Audu since 2003, assuring that the forthcoming election will not be an exception.

    He described the choice of the ex-governor as the biggest blunder of all times, insisting the PDP has been the acceptable choice of the Kogi people.

    Audu, on his part, is confident Kogi voters will key into the change sweeping across the nation. He said Wada and the PDP have destroyed the state, which he said is in need on urgent rescue.

  • INEC begins CVR in Kogi, Bayelsa today

    head of the governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the two states.

    The registration, according to the commission, would begin today and end on September 7.

    The governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states will hold on November 21 and December 5.

    The CVR will take place at the local government area level. It will also begin daily (during the scheduled six days of the registration) from 8a.m. to 4p.m.

    INEC, in its in house bulletin, said: “The six-day exercise will afford three groups of eligible registrants to register to vote.”

    The commission explained that the registration is for those who were eligible but did not register before the 2015 general elections.

    INEC added that it is also for “those who are eligible but whose names are not in the Voters’ Register” and “those who have attained the age of 18 years since the last Voter Registration exercise”.

     

  • Kogi: PDP must conduct fair primary, says Echocho

    The Isah Jubril (Echocho) Campaign Organisation yesterday warned that anything short of a credible primary by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State will spell doom for the party.

    In a statement by its Director-General, Fehinti Dada, the organisation urged the electoral committee members to be fair to all aspirants.

    It said there was an attempt by a Southwest PDP governor to convince other aspirants to step down for Governor Idris Wada instead of canvassing a level-playing field for the emergence of an acceptable candidate.

    The organisation alleged that over 90 per cent of the ad hoc delegates were allegedly hand-picked by the governor’s aides, like commissioners, special advisers, acting council chairmen, among others.

    It also claimed that the list of delegates had been compromised, saying: “It is our candid advice that the 21 local governments’ Returning Officers to be used in conducting the ward congress must be recruited directly by the electoral committee without being tele-guided by anybody.”

    The organisation noted that without transparency, the congress and primary “will confine PDP to the dustbin”.

    “We want to remind the National Headquarters of our great party that Kogi is the only state in the entire Northcentral that remains in the hand of PDP.  The Party must, therefore, not do anything that will jeopardise our chances of retaining the State in this crucial election,” the organisation said.

    It expressed confidence that Echocho will emerge victorious in a transparent and fair electoral process because he is loved and accepted in Kogi.

    “We are not in doubt of his victory at the polls going by his pedigree and acceptability by the entire citizens of Kogi State. We want to appeal to the conscience of the Electoral Committee Members therefore, to conduct this exercise with an unbiased mind and shun monetary inducement from the sinking Governor.

    “The concocted list …must be jettisoned so as to allay the fears of our teeming party supporters that the PDP will win the forthcoming elections in Kogi State,” the statement added.

     

     

  • Suspected lunatic destroys ATMs in Kogi

    An unidentified man suspected to be insane yesterday damaged two Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at a first generation bank on Ganaja Road, in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

    The incident took many of the bank’s customers by surprise.

    The man was mistaken for a robber.

    The attack damaged the two ATM machines and frustrated the customers.

    The branch manager, simply identified as Mr. Emmanuel, declined speaking with the press on the matter.

    An eyewitness said the incident happened about 9.30am when a young man stormed the bank with a wooden hammer, in an effort to access the ATMs.

    Confirming the incident, the Police spokesman Collins ‘Sola Adebayor, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the unidentified suspect was shot in the leg.

    He promised to make available details of the incident as soon as investigation was concluded.

     

  • Dangote builds N160m skill centre in Kogi

    Dangote builds N160m skill centre in Kogi

    The Dangote Group is building an automation skill development centre valued at N160million in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

    A statement by the group in Abuja at the weekend said the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, told the government and people of Kogi State that “the state-of-the-art centre is meant to support the development initiatives of the government.”

    He said it would revive and develop technical skills, as well as provide jobs for youths.

    Dangote, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Obajana Cement Plant, Mr. J.V. Gungune, said such centre became necessary in view of the fact that “the Federal Government under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has prioritised technical skill development and empowerment for youths.”

  • Kogi 2015: Audu emerges APC candidate

    •El-Rufai to PDP: pack your load

    Prince Abubakar Audu yesterday emerged the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 21 governorship election.

    He defeated 27 aspirants in a keenly- contested primary election.

    Audu led by 1,109 votes, followed by Yahaya Bello (Fairplus), who polled 703. Senator Abatemi Usman came third with 400 votes.

    The primaries at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja started at noon on Saturday when the accreditation of delegates began. Voting started at 8pm and ended at 5am yesterday. Counting of votes was concluded about 11am.

    There were 3,458 delegates, with 3,044 screened and accredited for the primary election under a seven-man Electoral Committee led by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

    The governor hailed the aspirants for their commitment and urged them to support the winner, “who emerged from a free, fair and transparent election.”

    Audu praised the Electoral Committee members for their transparency. He promised not to disappoint the party.

    The APC standard-bearer hailed other aspirants for their “large heartedness” and his closest rival for his doggedness and commitment.

    Embracing Bello, Audu expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the primaries and thanked everybody, saying a lot had been achieved from the process.

    He said: “I have realised that the age of Methuselah cannot be compared with the wisdom of Solomon. With this man (Bello), in the next four years, the party and Kogi State have nothing to fear.”

    Bello said the election was transparent, free and fair. He promised that they would close ranks in the interest of the party.

  • Who gets Kogi APC ticket?

    Who gets Kogi APC ticket?

    No fewer than 28 aspirants are warming up for Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries scheduled for Lokoja, the state capital, tomorrow. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the contenders and pretenders and their chances at the shadow poll. 

    Kogi State is a unique state. Ethnicity plays a big role in deciding who takes the driver’s seat.  That is why politicians from Central and West senatorial districts are championing the agitation for power shift. The clamour underscores their  protest against perceived exclusion from political control. But, Kogi East, which accounts for 54 per cent of the state’s population, has described the claim as frivolous. According to the stakeholders from the zone, the claim is devoid of rationality and tantamount to twisting the truth to win emotional support for their cause.

    Ahead of the primaries, many Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains have defected to the APC. Their defection followed the defeat of the PDP during the last parliamentary elections. Many stakeholders have also alleged that the governor, Captain Idris Wada, has performed poorly. But, the governor has refuted the claim, saying that he has lived up to expectation.

    No fewer than 28 aspirants are struggling for the ticket. They purchased nomination forms, following the release of the election time table for by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Thus, it is a crowded race for the Lugard House. According to observers, the APC primaries will decide the future of the party and the second term ambition of Governor Wada.

    The aspirants include Prince Abubakar Audu, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, Alhaji Sueiman Baba Ali, Dr. Tim Diche, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Hon. Clarence Olafemi, and George Olumoroti, an engineer. Others are Alhaji Ado Gamji, Babatunde Irukera, Chief Lanre Ipinmisho, Mallam Yakuku Mohammed, Senator Alex Kadiri, Aliyu Jiya, Senator Nicholas Ugbane, Gen. Salihu Atawodi, and Mr. Rotimi Obadofin.

     

    Audu

    He is the first elected governor of the state. He ruled the state twice, but under different constitutions. Audu ruled between 1992 and 1993 on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC) and between 1999 and 2003 as a chieftain of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). According to the 1999 Constitution, he is entitled to a second term.   Audu worked assiduously for the development of the state. But, in the last 12 years, the state, which is blessed with natural endowment and human capital, has been a shadow of itself.  When the former governor picked his nomination form, he promised to restore the pride of the state by putting in place first class infrastructure and attract more investments. Many people believe that he is competent. During his first term, he facilitated the take off of the Obajana Cement factory.

    Audu is Kogi APC leader. He worked hard to deliver the state to President Buhari in the last election. According to his supporters, his frustration with the state of affairs motivated him to enter the race. His performances in office between1999-2003 remained his biggest selling point, Last week, many stakeholders from 21 local governments endorsed him in Lokoja.

    Another key factor that may work in favour of the Igala prince is the failure of aspirants from the west and central districts to produce a consensus candidate.

    The APC leadership may have tacitly endorsed him. Last week, a top chieftain said:”no coach changes a winning captain in the middle of a match.” His dynamism and experience in politics and business, his formidable structure and  followership are great assets.

     

    Abatemi-Usman

    He hails from a reputable political family, his father having served as the deputy governor of Kwara State in the Second Republic. Between 2011 and 2015, he represented Kogi Central on the platform of the PDP. Abatemi-Usman is sociable, amiable and easy-going. But, he is not perceived as a formidable candidate.  Many believed that he won the senatorial election in 2011 as a compromise candidate, following a major disagreement that threatened to tear the party apart in the zone. One major setback for the former legislator is that he recently defected to the APC. There is no evidence that he has the backing of his district. During the week, the district endorsed Gamji, an oil magnet and philanthropist, as a consensus candidate. Abatemi-Usman cried foul, saying that the move was not popular. His supporters, who are agitating for power shift, however, believe that he has a chance.

     

    Baba Ali

    Baba Ali was a commissioner in the defunct Audu administration. Many were surprised when he picked the nomination form because they thought that he was working for his former boss. A party chieftain said his approach and divided loyalty may have struck a wrong chord in the among the political leaders. But, his supporters believe otherwise. According to them, he has the right under the constitution to run.

    A party source said that party leaders would have supported Ali for parliamentary ambition, if he had indicated his interest. That, to them, would have groomed him for the number one seat. The feeling is that he may not be able to withstand the arsenal of his uncle, Audu, at the primaries. Besides, foes have made efforts to blackmail him by boxing him into an identity crisis. Ali has not done much to effectively dispel the rumour that his father is from Bida, Niger State, and only his mother hails from Kogi. In 1999, some people protested against his nomination for a position in the State Executive Council, based on his identity. Another factor that may work against him is lack of financial muscle and limited political experience.

    But, party members said that he is a likeable personality and hardworking politician who has shunned avarice. Politically, he is very promising. A source said that he may step down for Audu.

     

    Diche

    He is an economist and a risk manager. He is a former local government chairman. Diche failed in his bid to represent his constituency in the House of Representatives before dumping the PDP.  According to sources, he relies on the goodwill of his former colleagues. However, this is debatable. Many former council chairmen who left the PDP for the APC appear to be working for Audu. If Diche fails to get the ticket, it will not draw the curtain on his political career. He may be a candidate for the future.

     

    Bello

    Bello is a graduate of Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the Chairman of Kogi Youth Arise Forum. He has a huge financial war chest and connection with big party wigs. But, to his surprise, the party leaders refused to endorse him. Instead, the leaders, led by ,Senator Ohiare picked Sanusi as a consensus candidate. Bello’s popularity is restricted to his district. he needs to extend his tentacles to other zones.  only central senatorial districts. A source said that he may dump the APC for the Accord, if he fails to get the ticket. But, his supporters said the rumour is baseless.

     

    Olafemi

    Olafemi, fondly called Obembe by admirers, is one of the popular politicians from Okun. In the House of Assembly, he was a star legislator. He was the Minority Leader, and later,  the Speaker. He was also the Acting Governor. He is a respected gladiator from Kogi West. Olafemi is very close to the PDP chieftain, Jibrin Isah Echocho, who is running for governor. Many PDP chieftains have penciled down his name as the running mate before he dumped the party.  Therefore, he has more political enemies in the PDP. They believe he has destroyed their plan to pull the rug off the governor’s feet.

    Olafemi faces some odds at the primary election, despite his popularity. He hails from Mopa Moro, a small local government. He is very popular at home. Yet, he failed to emerge as the consensus candidate of the marginalised Okun. Other aspirants do not see him as the  arrowhead of the minority Yoruba, which is always fighting for relevance. However, he may emerge as the APC running mate.

     

     Olumoroti

    Olumoroti is a mechanical engineering graduate of Yaba College of Technology. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Calabar. He has many things going for him. He has the experience, energy and money. He is young and promising. The Kabba-born politician worked with Exxon/Mobil in Lagos. He is without any dent.

     

    Gamji

    He is a new comer into the political arena. Two weeks ago, he picked his nomination form. But, to the surprise of other aspirants, he emerged as the consensus candidate of the Central District. His rivals are bitter. Thus, they have resorted to blackmail. His endorsement has implications. If he fails to get the ticket, the leaders may tip him for running mate.

     

    Irukera

    He is a prince from Egbe. The son of the Elegbe of Egbeland, Yagba West Local Council, entered the race few weeks ago. His posters are attractive. But, no major stakeholder is associated with his aspiration. He told reporters in Lokoja that power should shift to foster equity and justice. He described himself as the man whom the cap fits. But, he has a bright prospect in politics. Many youths see him as a man of the future.

  • Onukaba: Kogi suffers from bad leadership

    Onukaba: Kogi suffers from bad leadership

    Veteran journalist and one-time Senior Special Assistant to Vice President on Media Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State. He spoke with TONY AKOWE in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on the problems confronting the state and how he intends to solve them, if elected as governor. 

    Many people have argued that Kogi State is moving backward, instead of developing. What do you think is responsible for this?

    The answer is bad leadership. From Abubakar Audu through Ibrahim Idris to Idris Wada, Kogi State has had the misfortune of being led by the wrong people; people without vision, people who were clearly ill-prepared for the office, people who believe that being governor gives them an opportunity to primitively accumulate wealth and promote nepotism. This is why we have to be careful this time. We must pick a candidate with the right credentials, including integrity, vision and capacity to deliver. Kogi needs good governance. Kogi needs development. I believe that Kogi needs me to pull it out of this sorry state.

    Kogi is blessed with a lot of resources, but it still rely on handouts from Abuja. How best do you think this should be handled?

    Kogi needs to grow its internally generated revenue to a level where it can take care of all recurrent expenditure. In my policy document titled “Re-inventing Kogi State”, I have promised innovative and creative ways of raising revenue without over-burdening the people. We shall also block all loopholes and leakages in the revenue collection process. We shall invest in revenue collection through better remuneration, training and incentives. Within the first two years of my administration, we will triple the current N600 million monthly IGR.

    Kogi State is today hugely divided along ethnic line. What plans do you have in place to unite the divided state?

    I will be governor of all Kogites. The resources of the state will be used for the benefit of the entire people of Kogi State. Yes, the ethnic divide is there and that is because there has not been fairness and equity in appointments and resources allocation in the state. The architect of that lopsidedness in appointments and resources allocation is Abubakar Audu. Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada have faithfully kept the tradition of marginalization. This is not right. It has to change. The government I hope to lead will be fair and equitable to all Kogites.

    How do you intend to tackle insecurity?

    Insecurity is not peculiar to Kogi State. There is insecurity generally in the country. It is being fueled mostly by youth unemployment. My administration will work closely with the police to secure the state. We will assist the state police with patrol vehicles and communication equipment. We will ensure that security vote is used to secure the lives and property of the people of the state. We will improve on intelligence gathering and have a data of known criminals in the community so that they can be easily monitored. We will have zero tolerance for crimes and anti-social behaviour.

    In the face of dwindling revenue, how do you intend to fight the infrastructure battle?

    No better illustration of the rot in Kogi State than the state of its roads. Yet, the state government claims to have spent billions of naira on roads in the state. You are right. Kogi roads look like roads in a war-ravaged territory. We will make sure that there is value for money in our infrastructural projects. Previous governments have often used such projects as conduit pipes. For example, the so-called Greater Lokoja Water Scheme has been awarded, reviewed and reawarded several times by Ibrahim Idris and Wada administrations. Yet, Lokoja has no water for people to drink.

    How do you plan to tap the natural resources that are abundant in Kogi?

    My policy document has a list of about 25 mineral resources available in Kogi State, showing available reserve and where they can be found. We will partner with the Federal Government to ensure that these blocs are leased to those who have the financial resources and technical expertise to develop them. We will also work closely with the Federal Government to resuscitate Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron Ore Mining Company. These two companies can create jobs and generate wealth for our people.

    Could you shed light on your blue print on agriculture?

    My administration will prioritize and reposition agriculture, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Solid Minerals to create jobs and generate wealth for our people. We will encourage young people to go into various aspects of agriculture by providing inputs, tools, incentives and loans.

    What plans do you have for the infrastructural development?

    We will carry out a thorough audit of the workers in the state to ensure that the 28,000-35,000 workforce on the state payroll are real. We cannot be squandering state resources on ghost workers. I believe that after conducting personnel audit, we may be able to save a big chunk for capital projects. No state government can develop spending 80 per cent of its revenue on recurrent expenditure. It is the era of small and efficient public service.

    With the current salary wage bill of N3billion, will you consider downsizing or retrenchment of workers, if that appears to be the only way out?

    We will right-size to put round pegs in round holes. We will rid the state of ghost workers. I suspect that the N3 billion monthly wage bill is fraudulently padded. Using modern ICT tools, such as biometrics, it won’t be difficult to know the true workers from ghosts.

    Kogi State is known to have too many redundant local government workers who all they do is collect salary at the end of the month. Over 80% of these workers stay for months without reporting at their duty stations, what plan do you have in place considering how unsustainable this trend is?

    That is very true. I believe that a well conducted personnel audit will expose the redundant workers either at the state or local government level. Kogi State under my leadership will not be paying people who are idle.

     

  • ‘I ‘ll turn Kogi around’

    ‘I ‘ll turn Kogi around’

    Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain George-Olumoroti Olusola, in this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, explains why he wants to govern the Northcentral state. 

    Why are you in the race for Kogi State governor?

    I was motivated to contest for the position of the governor of Kogi State because of its visible problems. Having seen the blessings that accrue to Kogi terms of the natural resources and human capital, today we ranked about the 34th poorest state in the country. This means our resources have not been adequately harnessed and there is so much poverty in the land. That is why I am motivated to come out to help the situation. I believe we need to do things differently, put in fresh ideas that can move the state forward. There is the need to harness the natural resources for the benefit of our people.

    How formidable is your structure?

    This is a structure that I have built since 2007, under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). I obtained form too in the same year for the position of the governor, I was screened and cleared. But the leadership of the party prevailed on us to step down for Prince Abubakar Audu which we did. As a loyal party man, I have remained with the party, helping the party in whatever capacity. In the last election, we demonstrated it by winning three senatorial seats and six out of the nine House of Representatives seats. We won 11 out of the House of Assembly seats. So, the structure is formidable. In Kogi west, where I come from, where I have always been known to belong to the progressives, I have been playing my part in ensuring that the party is a force to reckon with.

    What are your plans for the state, if elected?

    My plan for the state includes investing aggressively in agriculture. Kogi State today, about 70 per cent of its population work force is agrarian. But, this is a sector that had been largely neglected by subsequent governments since 1999. Kogi State that used to be the food basket of the nation is now the importer of food. Again, because of the impact of the ozone layer, it is really difficult for farmers to go to the farms in the morning without the necessary support. The administration under my supervision is going to provide farm implements and equipment for all farmers in all the local governments. We are going to procure fertilizers and ensure that we eliminate middlemen and allow the product to get directly to the farmers. We will ensure that the farmers have direct access to the equipment. In addition, we are going to establish a revolving soft loan for the farmers. This is going to motivate farmers, who are the largest number of our work force. The education sector is another critical area to look into. It has been neglected by successive governments. There is no single secondary school that is comparable in terms of quality or standard to the Kings College in Lagos State. We used to have good secondary schools in Kogi. So, we are going to invest largely in education. We are going to revive it by ensuring that we rehabilitate the structures that have collapsed. We will motivate the teachers, who are currently spending more time at home due to strikes. This is because the current government has refused to implement the elongated salary structure agreed upon with the governors’ forum.

    What will you do about this, if elected?

    Our primary school teachers have been at home in the last eight months for lack of implementation of good condition of service. We are going to ensure that we implement the elongated salary structure. I have plans under my administration to explore the tourism potential of Kogi State. Kogi State has so many histories behind it, being the first administrative seat in Nigeria, where Lord Lugard resided. It is the place where Nigeria was pronounced as a country. We have so many structures behind us; we have the only cemetery that housed the European armies who fought in the world wars, in Lokoja. We have other exiting tourism attractions, but this has largely been neglected. We are going create awareness about these and invest in them. We are going to invest in the cargo handling capacity in the Ajaokuta and Jetties. We thank God that the Federal Government is dredging the Niger Delta, which is going to be of help in the development of our state. The state government is going to invest, to ensure the cargo handling equipment is useful to our people. We will get the public/private partnership to harness the natural resources that the state is blessed with. The Ajaokuta Steel Complex which government has invested a lot in will get our support, but for the past 32 years the project has been abandoned. My plan is to do position paper and present it to the Federal Government for a consortium arrangement that is going to be tripartite in nature. This will include the federal, state and private investors to bring it back to life. This will create about 10,000 direct employment for Nigerians and indirect employment of about 90,000. Many industries will spring up immediately, if this is done. We are targeting 100,000 jobs directly or indirectly. This will also help the state to improve the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Another area we want to pursue is the power generation. Kogi State has large deposit of coal in Kabba area, Koto Karifi in the western part of the state. The coals are unexplored and we know that part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda is to improve power generation at reasonable cost.

    How can your party have a rancour free primary?

    I am a team player and I have always advocated to the leadership of the party, to ensure that we have a free and fair primary. The choice of the party is paramount to me. I have always worked for the party as an individual; I have also worked for the party in cooperative terms. During the general election, we worked so hard for all the successes we recorded for the President. We are committed to ensuring that the party takes over Kogi State, because of the strategic role Kogi has continued to play in the national economy. We are committed to ensure that Kogi State is taken over by our party; we are appealing and praying that the primary is going to be free and fair. That all the other aspirants are going to work with whoever emerges.

    Are you not worried that the Igalla people have been the ones dominating the state?

    It is true that since 1991 when the state was created, and lately since 1999 that this democracy started, it has always been the Igalla ruling the state. I am not a strong advocate of power shift, but I believe that the best candidate will emerge. In last election, it clearly shows that 50 percent of the votes came from Kogi West and Central. If we have the system that can guarantee free and fair election like we had in the last election, I can tell you that from Kogi West and Central, they can win. They have 12 local governments out of 21, Kogi east has nine. So, in a free and fair primary under the supervision of the national body, if the west and central work together, they can always deliver a candidate that will win the election.     

  • ‘I’m governor Kogi needs’

    Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant  Yahaya Bello spoke with reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, on his  ambition, blueprint for development, chances at the primaries and other issues.

    What is your position on zoning or power shift in Kogi State?

    Let me point out from the onset that I am from Kogi Central, which has not produced a governor since the creation of the state. But, that is not the issue. If my desire is to serve only one section of the state, then, I could have as well settle, for an office within that geographical area. It is important that party members and the electorate in general clearly understand the issue. The issue is to chart a new direction Kogi State and its people. The issue is about education, health, job creation with youth empowerment, infrastructure development as well as public service and pension reforms. All this I have clearly expounded in my blueprint and these things are not for Kogi Central alone as the people of Kogi East and Kogi West also suffer the same deprivation that is widespread in the state. So, that makes me the unique aspirant in this case because I have the blueprint for development and I do not have to dwell on geo-ethnic politics when I am resolute of the overall development of the state.

     What makes your blueprint  different from the programmes of other aspirants?

    I think series of failed promises have made skeptics out our people and they are right to be skeptical. What I will say however is to refer everyone to study the blueprint and see that it is not like the type they are used to. Each of the priority areas listed were well articulated. An example is when we say education for all, we go the additional length to explain how this would be financed. The solution and strategy we will apply are not abstract, but concrete. Even for the previous documents that were not fully or properly implemented, you discover that the problem is that of lack of will to do things that will improve the quality of life of the people. That is what is different about the blueprint that I have put forward. When you study it you can see the will and the determination to make it work. Kogi State cannot continue to be like something out the stone age when other states of Nigeria are working towards becoming like the developed economies.

    What is your chance at the shadow poll??

    I should not be the one to rate myself. I don’t even see this as a popularity contest. To me it is more like aspirants going for a job interview. The delegates, who represent party members in the state, are the kind of the interview panel. So, what we are doing is to show our competence for the job and the feedback my campaign has been getting are reassuring. I was even briefed about an unofficial sample that put my projected votes at the primary at 68 per cent to 76 per cent so when I get such feedback it becomes a reminder that this is not about me but about Kogi people who are ready for change and a new direction. It tells me what we have tabled before the people tallies with what they want. So anyone who can correctly gauge the mood of the people can accurately speak about my chances.

    You mean you are ahead of Prince Abubakar Audu, who is perceived as the front runner?

    There are almost 30 aspirants so I am not zeroing in on an individual. As a well brought up Nigerian I respect elders so I will rather stick to the issues.

    When you said respecting elders was that an inference at Prince Abubakar…

    I have said it has to be about issues, about Kogi state, not individuals, not even about me but what I am offering. Almost all the other APC aspirants are older than me so I assert again that I respect elders. If I attach any importance to my youthfulness it will be the fact that I feel the pains of Kogi youths because we are contemporaries who have been failed in the past by the older people who have been running the affairs of the state or those who have had the opportunity to run the state. That is not dismissing the fact that my age also naturally makes it easier for me to sync with other young leaders across the world in our quest to develop Kogi state. I know that being of the contemporary age makes my idea to be contemporary in nature and relevant to the present needs of the state. But I will leave the other aspirants to discuss this thing about age while my campaign continues to convince Kogi people about what they can achieve by giving the right man the job.

    What feelers are you getting from the party’s leadership in Kogi State?

    The attitude of the party towards candidates has been that of neutrality as would be expected and I think that is what leaders should do. They should create a level playing field and I hope this remains so even during the primary itself. It is up to individual party members acting through delegates to the congress to now begin to decide that I am the best man for the job.

    What gives you this confidence?

    Let us not forget that I am an active and loyal party member. I have consistently toed, party line. I have been APC from inception. You see more than half of the other aspirants were either PDP members before moving to the APC after earlier failing to secure tickets there in the past or they have decamped to the PDP at some point before porting back to what is today the APC. So, I believe any party member who had studied the past trend in other states would know that anyone who has been in the PDP before will in the future defect back to the PDP with their mandate after he has won the election. This is an additional reason for me to ensuring that the APC is not shortchanged like that.