Immediate past governor of Kogi State, Capt. Idris Wada, has admonished Kogi people to use the occasion of the Eid el Fitri celebrations to resolve to unite against socio-economic challenges in the state and reject agents of hatred and division.
In a goodwill message released by his media office, Wada noted that the past four years provided good opportunity for every citizen of Kogi to look back and inwards to decide what kind of future the state deserves.
He said he restrained himself from commenting on the governance in the state out of his belief that there can be only one governor for the state at a time, stressing that having allowed leaders in the current dispensation to exhaust their styles, the time for evaluation has come.
“The beauty of democracy is this opportunity it gives the people to weigh options and review choices. At this point in time of our state’s history, it is clear to every well meaning Kogi indigene that violence, intimidation and desperation for public office do not represent who we are as a people,” he stated.
The former governor, who has indicated his interest to contest the November 16, 2019 governorship election, declared that being a confluence state, Kogi State has no reason to be poor or dependent on federal allocations alone.
While recalling how he used his first term in office to lay necessary foundations for the economic prosperity of the state, Capt. Wada maintained that honesty and sincerity were cardinal virtues that underpinned his leadership style.
He said: “I can look back and say with boldness that I did not engage in primitive accumulation of state resources. I did not tamper with local governments’ funds, as is the norm now.
“Some of the projects we embarked upon, which were stopped by the succeeding administration, especially the Lokoja modern Motor Park and Kogi House, Abuja, are revenue-generating ventures geared towards making the state economically strong.”
The former governor remarked that the strategic location of Kogi State as the link between north and southern parts of the country makes it imperative for a mature, experienced and focused leader to pilot the affairs of the state.
“We in Kogi State are blessed as not only as the confluence of two great rivers, but also to become the confluence of prosperity in Nigeria. This takes planning, determination and focus. This where Kogi should be headed in the next four years under a unifier,” Wada stated.
