By Onoja Integrity.
Businessman and philanthropist Idris Kashim Hussein, popularly known as Idrisima, has continued his widespread community development efforts in Kogi East through the Idris HK Foundation, commissioning eleven additional projects in Idah and Igalamela Local Government Areas, drawing massive turnout from grateful residents and traditional leaders.
On Saturday, represented by Theophilus Omale, the foundation officially handed over projects including boreholes at Imere, Amaka, and Ajaka town, three more boreholes in Idah, a transformer, and solar installations at the General Hospital and Daughters of Charity facility in Idah. The events were marked by jubilant crowds celebrating improved access to water and electricity in previously underserved areas.
Speaking to the press in Abuja on Sunday, Idris explained that his drive stems from a deep conviction that personal wealth holds little meaning amid widespread poverty in his home region. He described providing essentials like water, power, roads, and food as sources of profound joy, attributing his resources to divine blessing meant for communal upliftment.
Insisting the initiatives are devoid of political motives, he referenced a 2014 transformer donation made long before any electoral aspirations, adding that any future political engagement would solely aim to unlock greater resources for large-scale capital projects beyond private capacity.
The foundation’s recent outreach extended into Dekina Local Government Area earlier in the month, where Idris personally toured communities to commission completed works and flag off new ones.
The day-long program began at Ogbabo Junction with enthusiastic villagers welcoming the convoy, proceeding to Biraidu where traditional rulers led by the Onu Ojomi and Onu Igbologwu formally adopted him as a son during a kola nut ceremony attended by all district chiefs.
In Emewe Opada, prayers led by Chief Imam Bashiru Amodu accompanied the commissioning of an erosion control project that reconnected the area to the state capital after months of isolation due to gully damage, a intervention Idris financed single-handedly upon learning of the crisis.
Community leaders expressed profound gratitude for the foundation also clearing school fees for three hundred and fifteen students at Ofoji Community Secondary School, with the principal Yahaya Ocheni and student representatives presenting an award of honour highlighting the relief from financial burdens and renewed educational enthusiasm.
Further stops included paying homage to the Ogohi Onu Anyigba at his palace, where Idris apologised for installing a transformer in Obeya Lile community without prior royal notification, explaining his swift response to a social media appeal ending years of darkness. The monarch offered extensive prayers, declaring the entire Igala kingdom indebted. The tour featured the flag-off of electricity extension in Ate Uge with mobilisation pledged by mid-December, and concluded in Etutekpe amid a massive gathering, where Idris committed to facilitating mobile network coverage and settling any remaining student fees.
Throughout the engagements, accompanied by foundation members including Sheikh Ibrahim and Kamar Olachane, Idris thanked Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and Dekina Local Government Chairman John Urah for their leadership, pledging continued collaboration to complement government efforts. Traditional rulers, youth leaders, and residents across the areas showered prayers and accolades, praising the rapid-response model as exemplary for grassroots development.
The sustained interventions underscore Idris’s growing profile as a private-sector driver of social amenities in Kogi East, bridging gaps in basic infrastructure while earning broad communal endorsement independent of political timelines.
