Kogi State was created on the 27th of August 1991 during the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida. Since then, we have had four military governors, and four civilian governors, including an acting governor. Hence, the 33 years of existence of Kogi State, calls for reflection, evaluation and stock taking.
As we congratulate the people of the state, at least for the peaceful co-existence, despite the numerous challenges facing the state, which include but not limited to lack of State-Owned Television, poor qualities of infrastructure, corruption and lack accountability in governance, misplaced priorities, lack of inclusiveness of the people in governance.
As at today, 33 years on, Kogi state is the only state in the federation without state-owned television stations in this 22nd century. We wonder how a government could be accountable to its citizens and the people in general when it fails to invest in media institutions. We challenge the current government in Kogi State, on its support to media institutions and practitioners.
Lokoja the state capital have not been able to get water for the past 9 months, despite the God-given confluence of the two (2) great Rivers Niger and Benue located in Lokoja, the State Capital.
The roads across the state are no-where near international standards, as potholes are the major characteristics of all roads in the state even in the state capital. While we acknowledge some relative improvements on infrastructure in the state, towards the end of the last administration, despite the billions received by present administration in the last 6 months nothing new have been witness in the current administration infrastructure wise.
The new government in the state, created the Ministry of Housing, which was applauded, yet 6 months down-the-line no strategy policies on housing development have been put in place, which is highly regrettable.
We called on the current government in the State to review its relationship with the privately owned Cement Factory, to a more productive and beneficiary to the state, particularly on infrastructure and housing development.
Several abandoned projects litter the state, particularly in the tourism sector, as the two major hotels (Confluence Beach and Kogi Hotel) owned by the state government with no valid reason given for this abandonment, which would create employment, generate revenue and provide services as a tourist state.
Kogi State at 33 does not have industrial layout and does not have single industry, which would have help in providing employment for the citizen of the state and residents alike.
On sanitation and environmental development, we wonder the kind of environmental policy been put in place and implemented by the government and governor of Kogi State, as Lokoja the state capital remains one of the dirtiest State Capital in Nigeria.
More worrisome, is the present governor made 1,127 appointments across the state without justifiable and verifiable reasons, are they employment or appointment without schedule, and verifiable offices in the face economic stagnation in the state and Nigeria at large? What contributions, input and impact of these unnecessary appointees? We called on the governor to think more of the economic development of the state rather than political patronage, as election is over, it is time for the good people of Kogi State to enjoy dividend of democracy.
On social investment, despite the existing Social Registre in the state, that capture the poverty level across the state, and should have serve as guide in the distribution of the so call palliatives, due to the fact that the government in the state have no Social Protection Policy. The palliatives have gone into wrong hands, into political exigences and patronage and political party considerations, but the governor needs to know that on election day, voters exceed political parties and all his activities should go beyond the ruling party.
We also observed, that despite the speed at which the current Kogi State House of Assembly passes Laws, these Laws are not gazette for the citizens to have access to them. We call on the current government to do the needful and make those Laws available to the people of the state.
However, despite the gloomy situation we have found ourselves in the hands of our leaders and representatives, several opportunities are still available to change the situation and the narratives. We call on the present government to look at available resources in the state, both human and materials, that would be used for the development of the state which will built the modern Kogi State, that can compete with any other state in the country, particularly on Housing, Mining, Marine, Industrial Layout, Agriculture, Transportation, Tourism etc., particularly the development of Mount Patti that can generate hug revenue for the state and boost tourism.
As the timetable towards the conduct of Local Government elections, on the 19th October, 2024, we call on the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) to live the expectation of the people by conducting free, fair and acceptable election based on the provisions of the Law guiding the conduct of elections in the state and Nigeria at large, as we cannot continue to repeat the experience of the past in the conduct of Local Government Election.
Definitely, Kogi State is in need of development and good leadership. The citizens should be concern about the current level of development which is an embarrassment to the people of the State 33 years after.
We call for prioritizing Anti-Corruption and Accountability issues that will improve the development of the State beyond the unfortunate and underdevelopment we find ourselves in the State. Despite the passage of the Anti-Corruption Law by the Kogi State House of Assembly and the subsequent signing into Law by the Governor several weeks ago, the agency on Anti-Corruption is yet to be established in State by the Governor. We call on the Governor to establish this agency as a matter of urgency in the interest of justice and development.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- We call on the governor, as a matter of urgency, to establish the State television station promote information sharing and development that will encourage transparency in government.
- The Place of Housing and its development cannot be over emphasized, we therefore call on the state governor and its government to put strategy in place and to look at it from the commercial perspective in investment, as whatever money spent can still come back to the state government and will serve as an assert for the people.
- We call for the review of the social register in the state and for the government to have social register policy that can guide the distribution of palliatives and other Humanitarian activities of the government, now that we have Ministry of Humanitarian in the State.
- We call for the review of Environmental policy through environmental conference that can identify environment challenges and come out with a strategy for intervention as the environmental situation across the state is worrisome.
- The governor should look at the transport sector, and put strategy in place that will improve the land and water transportation system, that can create employment and generate revenue for the state. By the proximity of Kogi State that has boundaries with 9 other states including FCT. In the long run the government of the State should look into the possibility of creating a Airport in partnership with private sector.
- The State Action Plan(SAP) on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) that the governor have signed into, developed by state and non-state actor in the state, need to be urgently presented to the State Executive Council for approval and subsequently presented to the public, as OGP is a global concept and national approval, and Kogi State can not be left out in it implementation.
- Now that the Judicial process have been concluded, and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo have been declared as the winner of the November 11th 2023 Governorship Election. We call on him to be magnanimous in victory and commence the process of reconciliation and healing with those who might be aggrieved, and to understand that this victory goes beyond political party politics.
Long live Kogi State and happy birthday at 33 years.!
Signed:
Idris Miliki Abdul,
Executive Director,
Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR),
Lokoja, Kogi State – Nigeria.
