Six Months On, Ododo Charts Way Forward in Kogi

Ibrahim Oyewale in this piece analyses what Usman Ododo has been able to do as Governor of Kogi state since he assumed office over six months ago.

The Apex Court’s verdict of August 23, 2024 affirming the victory of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo as the winner  of the November 11th , 2023 governorship election in Kogi State has laid to rest all the disputes and the attendant acrimony that trailed the election in the past few months.

From his emergence as the candidate of the All progressive Congress (APC) and series of other challenges, Ododo became most litigated governor of the state, though never subjected himself to all  these side distractions as he has consistently remained focused to lead Kogi to the next level.

Be that as it may, the preceding month to the final review and judgement delivered by the Supreme Court, many concerns were raised and tension mounted in the land and anxiety pervaded the whole state. Both government and the opposition parties particularly the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) which had dragged Governor Ododo and the APC before the Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal went back to their trenches to strategise towards ensuring victory at the end of the day.

While reacting to the Supreme Court judgement affirming his election, Governor Ododo called on the people of the Confluence State irrespective of political affiliations to join hands with him in order to move the state to another level of economic and infrastructural development.

Speaking at a reception organized for him over his victory at the Supreme Court, Ododo explained that Kogi State is blessed with enormous mineral deposits, stressing that such potentials can only be harnessed to the advantage of the State if the people are united and support the current administration.

His words: “I am calling on every one to join us to develop Kogi State. The State is the only State we can authoritatively claim to be our state. The State is blessed with enormous mineral resources. I am calling on all and sundry to come home and support my administration to serve the state better.

“As a political party, APC has the  philosophy of development and as such my doors are wide open for advise. I need your cooperation and support so that together we can take the state to the promised land where the state will be a centre of attraction to other states in the country”.

Governor Ododo who also appealed to Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu to enable him achieve his laudable programmes for the nation, stated that the President has put measures in place to ensure the country’s economy is revived to end hardship in the nation.

He lauded his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for laying a solid foundation for his lieutenants to serve the people better.

Ododo added that it was not part of his mandate to make noise neither was he  trained to react to the noise makers, but to always feel the pulse of the people and attend to their needs. He therefore promised to prioritize the welfare of the people of Kogi State, saying he has no reason to fail the people that gave him the mandate.

At his inauguration as the fifth democratically elected governor of Kogi State on January 27, 2024, Governor Ododo vowed to fulfil all the electioneering campaigns and pledged to continue from where his predecessor, Yahaya  Bello had stopped. He further pledged to sustain the tempo of the infrastructure development which pushed the last administration a little above previous ones in the recent past. He also vowed to consolidate on all gains to ensure that the state is moved to the next level.

With determination and armed with a clear blueprint of his administration, Ododo stepped into bigger responsibility matching actions with words to transform Kogi State to enviable height. No doubt within the shortest period, he has hit the ground running with glaring positive results. Despite the various challenges confronting the State, the governor has not relented in his concerted efforts to put Kogi State in the global map.

In line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, he has consistently prioritised the welfare of the people of the State particularly the civil servants. Perhaps this might not be unconnected with the new governor’s appellation, the Chief Servant. 

At a parley with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other labour unions in the state recently, the governor noted that the meeting with the labour leaders was to review critical steps so far taken by the state government to address the impact of the economic downturn in the state especially as they affect workers in the public sector.

“We have come to interface with the leadership of the organized labour as usual because this is one of the legacies of our leader, the former Governor of Kogi state laid down for us to continue. We had a very robust conversation with the organized labour, the NLC, the TUC and other unions in the state. This is an opportunity for us to discuss not only the welfare of civil servants, but the affairs of our dear state which we have all been elected by our people to serve”, Governor Ododo said.

The Governor restated his determination to make the welfare of workers a major priority of the administration, stressing that the interface with workers would be a regular part of his engagement with critical stakeholders for the progress and development of the state.

While attesting the the governor’s determination, the State  Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju  Idris Ashiru in a chat with journalists recently stated that the present administration in Kogi State has made significant strides in salary payments, infrastructure development and economic growth within the State.

His words: “Following the victory at the Supreme court in Abuja, I, Asiwaju Idris Ashiru, wants to reiterate that the leadership of the Governor, Usman Ododo has reached noteworthy milestones across the various sectors. The welfare of the worker remains a top priority of the present administration. The governor is committed to ensuring workers’ well being which is evident in the prompt payment of salaries since the invention of this government. These timely payments is attributed to the removal of subsidy which has bolstered the State’s revenue”.

Ashiru also highlighted other administration’s achievements to include  the payment of 100 percent salaries to the Local Government (LGA) workers, teachers and state’s employees and the pensioners and prompt payment of gratuities to the retirees.

Other strides are the ongoing road construction projects throughout the state and the clearing of the vast land for agricultural use across the 21 local government areas. The state government is also partnering with investors in the solid minerals sectors, among others.

“I also wish to emphasise on the administration’s success in the health infrastructure, coupled with the significant steps taken in the agriculture sector which will provide farmers with improved access to farmlands and assistance from the state government ultimately addressing food security in the state.

“The expansive road network being developed under this administration has also transformed the state greatly and reduced travel times for the residents.

The increase in the road infrastructure also facilitate transportation of the agricultural produce benefiting the local farmers.

“Furthermore, I commended  President Bola Tinubu for his efforts in establishing lasting legacies through economic policies and urge the citizens to continue supporting the President and also call for collective support for the governor to ensure the fulfilment of his promises”, the Commissioner stated.

As part of efforts to enshrine governance in the state, the governor who is  determined to make  Transparency and Accountability the watch words of the present administration has approved to put in place, Open Government Partnership, in order to satisfy the curiosity of the discerning public about governance.

And in a move to remain transparent and accountable, the Kogi State government has inaugurated the steering committee on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to ensure citizens’ participation in governance. At the inauguration of the steering Committee, Secretary to the State government, Mrs. Folashade  Ayoade stated that the Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from national and sub-national governments to promote open government, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. She noted that this is a programme that will place Kogi State on the global map in the areas of transparency, accountability and citizens’ participation.

According to her: “OGP was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic Reformers who are ready to make their government open, accountable and responsive to citizens. So today, we are gathered to reinforce and reiterate governments’ commitment to issues of transparency”.

In his determination  to eradicate all forms of crimes and criminality in Kogi State, the  Governor has launched a security initiative aimed at taming the upsurge in emerging criminal activities in Lokoja, the state capital and major towns in the state .

The operation code-named Metropolitan Quick Response is in partnership with the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police and the joint task force of security agencies in the state.

At the flag-off of the initiative at the Government House in Lokoja, Governor Ododo restated the commitment of his administration to deal decisively with criminal elements in the state, noting that the safety and security of lives and property of the people of Kogi state remains a top priority for the administration. He stressed that nothing will be spared to ensure that the people of the state sleep with their two eyes closed.

“Today, we are flagging off the Metropolitan Quick Response (MQR) to advance our efforts in the safety and security of lives and property in Lokoja Metropolis and beyond. The flag off of the Metropolitan Quick Response operation is part of the evolving security measures to ensure we have a safe environment and to build on the solid foundation of our security architecture in the state.

“As a government, we are resolute in our determination to flush out criminal elements in every nook and cranny of Kogi State. Nothing will be spared to guarantee safety and security in every inch of the state and Kogi state will remain unsafe for criminal elements wherever they may be,” Ododo assured.

The governor called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone found responsible for any form of public misconduct, capable of negatively impacting the prevailing peace and security of lives and property in the state. The governor urged the youth and students in the state not to allow themselves to be used by enemies of the state who he said have no stake in the progress and development of the state.

As part of efforts to tackle insecurity and repositioning security architecture in Kogi State, the State government has also recruited now fewer than 1050 local hunters into Kogi State Vigilance Service, distributed 105 operational vehicles and 42 Motorcycles to the 21 local government areas of the state.

“These operational security vehicles which is the first installment of several hundreds to be provided over the next few weeks will advance the safety and security of lives and property in all parts of the state as it stands as one of our most significant operational response yet to recent upsurge in criminal activities in some parts of the state”, Ododo stated.

Kogi State government has also pledged to continue to prioritise the education sector as part of measures to stamp out poverty in the State. The State Commissioner of Education, Mr Wemi Jones disclosed this while unveiling the Kogi State Scholarship Award 2024 at the Ministry of Education in Lokoja.

He pointed out that Kogi state is one of the very few state governments that have strictly complied with the UNESCO charter that states must, as a matter of priority, earmark 30 per cent of the total earnings to fund the education sector.

While corroborating some of  the achievements, policies and steps taken in the right direction by the present administration, the Special Adviser on Media to the governor, Ismail Isah, in an interview explained that the new administration has reiterated its commitment to continue to deliver policies and programmes that will improve the well-being of the people of the state.

Ismaila stated that the administration of Governor Ododo has made youths and women empowerment a focal point of the development agenda of the government which he noted has culminated in several initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of youths and women.

He added that energetic and brilliant young minds have been appointed to government positions and were already performing exceptionally in their responsibilities and inspiring confidence in the government, noting that those in charge of youths and student affairs were already engaging students and youth groups on the need to key into the policies and programmes of the administration.

The media aide therefore encouraged the youths to be less distracted and focus more on achieving set goals by acquiring new skills through vocational education and digital assets.

He disclosed that payment of WAEC fees under the free education policy of the state, students’ bursary for higher education which has commenced and provision of access to free healthcare for vulnerable persons as well as vocational education, youth and women empowerment programmes are already in the pipeline, stressing that these are some of the signposts of the administration’s focus on women and young people.