2016: Kogi and Wada’s 2nd Term Challenge

Come January 2016, the first term of Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State, will come to an end. Therefore, barring all unforeseen circum­stances, governorship election is expected to hold in Kogi State, be­tween October and November this year. Our Assistant Editor, Ismail Omipidan, who has been following developments in the State, reports on Wada’s second term challenge.

Kogi, like Benue State, is a very unique state, where one tribe, which is in the majority, always produces the governor. Like all the other previous governors of the State, incumbent Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State, is also an Igala, the dominant tribe in the State.

It is therefore unlikely, at least for now, for any other tribe to win Governorship election in the State, other than the Igala tribe. The only time it will happen, if it will ever happen, Daily Sun’s investigations reveal, is when the two other prominent tribes, the Yorubas, otherwise known as the Okuns, and the Igbiras join forces, with an­other sizeable group from within the Igala tribe, who may decide for one reason or the other, to revolt against their tribe.

At the inception of the current demo­cratic dispensation, which kicked off in 1999, the then opposition All Peoples Party (APP), won the State, through Prince Abubakar Audu.

But by 2003, he lost a re-election, not necessarily because his performance in office was below passmark, but largely because the citizens of the State, felt they could no longer stand his perceived “arro­gance.” Since then, PDP has been produc­ing the State’s governor, and since then too, till date, Prince Audu, has been looking for another opportunity to return to power in Kogi State. But each time he tried, he was rejected at the polls. Will he be rejected again this time around? It seems only time will tell.

However, Daily Sun’s investigations further revealed that from 1999 to date, no time had the people of Kogi State and other Nigerians who pass through the State, be­ing the major link between north and south, ever enjoyed relative peace, like they have today, in the current Wada’s administration.

Before Wada’s assumption of office in January 2012, the State, Daily Sun recalls was notorious for ethnic and tribal clashes, youth restiveness and political thug­gery and political violence of very high magnitude. But today, all that seem to have disappeared, following the riot act read by Wada, in that direction upon assumption of office.

In fact, what later became a popular campaign mantra for former President Goodluck Jonathan, to with “my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian,” was first mouthed by Wada.

In a recent encounter with Daily Sun in Kogi State, while explaining how he tack­led the issue of youth restiveness and po­litical violence in the State, Wada, revealed that he had from the onset made the people of the State know that he was a different kind of a politician, and that his decision to match his words with action upon assump­tion of office, helped his government in no small way in arresting the menace.

Hear him: “We were determined during the electioneering not to be involved in thuggery. We made very clear statements everywhere we went that our political aspiration is not worth the loss of life of any individual or person. And that nobody should fight for us to have votes. They should just allow us to canvass for votes in the most civilised and peaceful way by talking about issues and the programmes and projects that we would bring on board if and when we get elected.

“I think people trusted our sincerity and that posture that we would not tolerate thuggery. And when we came in, we mobil­ised the security agencies to handle those who were identified with such practice or of violent dispositions and once we made example of few people, with the support of the security agencies, the posture of our government and the grace of almighty God, we have been able to control incidence of political violence in the State.”

Explaining further, on what became of the youths who were hitherto willing tools in the hands of politicians in the State, with violent tendencies, the State’s Information Commissioner, Hajia Zainab Suleiman- Okino, offers some insight.

According to her, desirous of the need to build in the youths of Kogi State, the requisite skills that are required to make them more productive and active partici­pants in the socio-economic activities in the State, the government set up a youth development initiative, which is coordi­nated by YAD4KOGI, which means Youth Advancement Programme for Kogi.

By doing this, she continued, the govern­ment was also keeping the youths engaged and active so they are dissuaded from negative dispositions such as thuggery, restiveness and other criminal acts.

“The government’s youth develop­ment initiative, is coordinated by YAD­4KOGI, which is responsible for setting up guidelines for and conducting selection of youths from across the 21 Local Govern­ment Areas for a close camping where they are given intensive orientation and training for about a month before they are released to take up roles in public works and earn allowances from the government. Upon completion of their internship period, members of the YAD4KOGI get financial assistance from the government to start any trade of their choice.

“So far, this youth empowerment scheme has trained and engaged over 10,000 young people in the State. The government also provides grants to indigent graduates who desire to set up businesses as well as schol­arships to indigent students in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” Hajia Suleiman- Okino, added.

For those who have encountered Wada before, he readily comes across as one man not disposed to the desperation and intrigues, with which an average Nigerian politician wants to cling to power, at all cost. This perhaps may have explained the huge success his administration have recorded in terms of enthroning a peaceful atmosphere in Kogi State, which invariably makes it possible for other things follow.

Peace, is intangible, no doubt, but be­yond bringing about peaceful atmosphere, what are the other things that probably may have happened in the life of the administra­tion, that makes the man at the helms of affair, deserving of a second term in office?

Again, the State’s spokesperson, Hajia Suleiman-Okino, offers some explanation. She told Daily Sun that if making the State a peace haven, is anything to go by, she believes that that alone should be a strong qualification for her Principal to deserve a second term in office, since according to her; no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere of violence.

First, she said, in Nigeria, it is rare to find a governor, who after assuming office, would want to touch on on-going projects of his predecessors. But for Wada, the Information Commissioner said, it was a different story. He made it a point of duty to complete all projects started by his im­mediate predecessor and the one before it.

Two, the governor has scored many firsts as far as governance in Kogi State, was concerned. It is on record that the administration was the first in the history of Kogi State to procure buses, for inter-city transport.

She further said that until the administra­tion came on board about four years ago, none of the previous administrations ever thought of ways of decongesting Lokoja city, which is the State’s capital.

“The government has done the mapping of the city with proper layout of different segments of the city. For instance, there are new layouts along Lokoja-Okene road like the place where we have the permanent site of the Federal University in the State. Government has also mapped out industrial areas and other new residential areas along the Ganaja by-pass as you saw during your last visit to the State capital.

“The State government is also doing the Geographical Information System of the State capital, with a view to restoring order in land allocation and housing development in the Lokoja. This would give government clear satellite imagery of Lokoja and the neighbouring locations so government can build better houses in the city. These places have been well structured and clearly identified as places where people can build either as developers or private individu­als who can own their houses and live in decent locations rather than build houses on hills.

“As we speak, work has started on the various roads across the city centre. That small road leading to the city, that you were used to, will soon become a four lane road.

“Also, the embankment for shoreline protection at Kpata/Kabawa by the River Niger, have since commenced. The govern­ment has also started the dualisation of Lokoja township road.

“Some of the rural roads constructed by the administration include those linking Odolu-Akpanya, Kpata-Kpale, Eehewu- Atakpa, Shintaku-Gbobe, Mozum-Keteshi- Landu-Odugbo, Etutakpe-Oganenugwu, Elubi-etiaja-Ajakagwa-Ufuaga and Ogbabo-Ojoto road.

“The present administration has also addressed with passionate commitment, the provision of potable water. So far, over 300 motorized boreholes have been sunk in over 270 rural communities evenly spread across the three senatorial districts of the State. So with all these and many which time and space would not permit me to mention, would you say our governor does not deserve a second term?

“I believe he does, with all sense of de­cency. And I am sure when the time comes, Kogi people will vote for Wada to continue for another four years, so as to secure their future and that of their unborn children,” the State’s Information Commissioner, added.

Source