I give my sincere gratitude to God Almighty for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Kogi State as Deputy Governor, from the 27th day of January 2012 to the 26th of January 2016.
Special thanks also goes to my boss, His Excellency Captain Idris Wada, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, his wife Hajia Halima Wada and other members of his immediate and extended family. At the risk of being branded obsequious or seen as fawning or genuflecting, I declare that Captain Idris Wada is one of the finest, most decent, purpose driven and God fearing personalities I have ever had the good fortune of working with. He is calm under the most turbulent of weathers and never sees the need to take his pound of flesh even when his traducers are at his mercy. He would also be the first to admit that he is not perfect. But then, who is?
Many are quick to label me ‘the most loyal deputy governor in Nigeria’. For me my loyalty is to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, it is so easy to walk in tandem and plan in sync with Captain Idris Wada. We share the same norms and values as nurtured over the years and passed down to us by our respective fathers who made their mark in public life long before either of us ventured into public service. For this, it was so easy to be truly loyal to my boss. God bless him.
I am exceedingly happy that we left Kogi State a better place than we met it in January 2012. Regardless of what detractors may say, this is the honest truth. Let me illustrate this assertion.
In first 18 months of the Wada Administration, time and resources went into the completion of so many projects inherited from the Government of our predecessor His Excellency Alhaji Ibrahim Idris. These include the Secretariat Building, the Stadium, Lokoja Water works, Hospitals and numerous Road projects. Within the last 30 months, we were able to execute many landmark projects against the backdrop of an ever dwindling revenue profile.
These include:
1. Construction of KOICA Vocational Centre Lokoja
2. Construction of Mega Bus Terminal Felele, Lokoja
3. Ongoing Construction of Kogi Hotels Project
4. Ongoing Construction of 16Km Otokiti/Ganaja Bye Pass
5. Ongoing Construction of Lokoja Township Road
6. Completion of The Diagnostic Centre, Lokoja
7. Renovation of Kogi State Liaison Office/Residence Abuja
8. Renovation of the Kogi State Liaison Office Lagos
9. Ongoing Construction of the 11 Storey Kogi House Abuja
10. Ongoing University Teaching Hospital Ayingba
11. Completion of Deputy Governor’s Office
12. Renovation of Deputy Governor’s Residence
13. Development of the First Waste Dumpsite in Lokoja and purchase of Complimentary Waste Evacuation Equipment
14. Development of City Structure Plans for Lokoja, Okene, Dekina, and Kabba in collaboration with UN HABITAT.
15. Ongoing Rehabilitation 5 Zonal Hospitals at Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Okene and Kabba to mention a few.
On assumption of office in January 2012, Capt Idris Wada commenced the payment of Minimum Wage to State Civil Servants. At the best of times 85% of our revenue was spent on payment of salaries. With abating revenue inflows, the percentage kept on increasing and by April 2015, it crested at over 100%. The total revenue from FAAC, IGR etc that accrued to Kogi State in 2015, was N44.7 billion. (This is equivalent to less than 2 (two) months Internally Generated Revenue in Lagos State). Of this amount about N32billion went to the payment of salaries of the State civil servants. An additional N7billion went for the payment of pensions and subventions to MDAs, the running of Government, fulfilling our obligations to multilateral agencies and responding to security challenges. All outstanding gratuity payments from 1991 to 2001, with the exception of 1993, have been settled. Though an intangible achievement, a huge expenditure went into addressing many security challenges ranging from a very high rate of kidnapping, incursions from insurgents, clashes with Fulani herdsmen to numerous interstate boundary skirmishes as a result of being bound by 9 (nine) other states and the FCT.
For the foregoing reasons, His Excellency Capt Idris Wada has every justification to hold his head high on leaving office. Kogi State was a tough tour of duty; we did our best in laying the foundation for sustainable development. We reinforced the need for an attitudinal change regarding the expectation of a segment of the citizenry from government and its appointees. It is so easy to criticize government from outside. Some of the problems are almost intractable. Most are very knotty as they are endemic, systemic and polemic in nature.
We give thanks and praise to God because before, during and after the elections not a single life was lost as a result of election or campaign related violence. This is a reflection of the attitude and philosophy of Captain Idris Wada. This is a good record to hold and uphold. We had hoped to return back to the saddle of Government or gallop into the sunset depending on the sacred free will of the electorate. However, we are compelled to challenge the results of the election at the Electoral Tribunal not out of desperation to sit tight or cling to office and its accouterments, but as an obligation to posterity and the need to deepen the understanding of our electoral process and laws, charters, canon, caveats and covenants. On a more personal note, a situation, where I do not know who succeeds me in office thereby robbing me of the benefit and joy of shaking his/her hand and handing over notes I had prepared over a four year period, is strange. I am perplexed, troubled and disturbed by this development of which all Nigerians are unaccustomed. The world is watching.
I pray the powers that be look into the Kogi matter and resolve this anomaly, posthaste. The courts still remain the bastion of hope for the oppressed and downtrodden whilst the Supreme Court stands as the last hope for all Nigerians, before and until the judgement of God.
Notwithstanding the circumstances surrounding his emergence, my salutation goes to our new Governor, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello. May God grant him knowledge, wisdom and a deep understanding of human frailties as he administers and superintends over Kogi State. I would also like to greet the Audu and Faleke families. Life is so strange yet we trudge on. May Almighty God reveal His true purpose in your lives in the nick of time. May the soul of His Excellency Prince Abubakar Audu continue to rest in perfect peace.
Finally, I must thank my friend, brother and benefactor Abdulrazaq Isa Kutepa who worked very hard in his quest to become Governor of Kogi State in 2012, but instead nominated me as Deputy Governor, when his plan could not materialize and was offered to nominate the Deputy Governor as a result of his superlative performance at the party primaries. His is a profound uniqueness with an uncommon touch. His relationship with my boss, Captain Idris Wada made my job much easier. May God continue to bless him and grant him peace and joy.
Thank you and God bless you all.
LONG LIVE KOGI STATE
LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
– Architect Abayomi Awoniyi
