The aspiration of Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim to govern Kogi state is a welcome development. The young politician represent the yearnings of Kogi people.
Abu Ibro, as he is fondly called by admirers, is definitely on a redemption mission in Kogi state and nothing will stop the actualization of his aspiration.
It is common knowledge within and outside Kogi state that the current masquerades in Lugard House have nothing to offer the state. Since Yahaya Bello assumed office as Governor of Kogi state it has been one crisis after the other. If he is not criminally engaging in multiple voters registration, he is busy frittering away our scarce resources on frivolities like buying Toyota Venza luxury cars for masquerades. He is the same governor who declared a public holiday in the state to celebrate President Buhari’s return to the country after a medical trip to London. He is a serial liar who has since dethroned Lucifer as father of lies. The inferno generated by the massive fraud perpetrated through the Ganaja Flyover is still raging across the state. Yahaya Bello is a massive disaster that Kogi electorate cannot wait to get rid of in November.
Yahaya Bello’s penchant for owing workers and pensioners is legendary. His reliance on political violence through well armed thugs is out of this world.
Yahaya Bello has demarketed Kogi state globally like never seen before. It will take Kogi state years to restore normalcy in the public sector due to his destructive actions.
But all hope is not lost as we have an opportunity in November to reset the state for progress. The key to restoring our lost glory is making the right choice during the upcoming governorship election in November.
A review of aspirants jostling for the vacant governorship position shows we have capable hands that can steer the ship of the state meritoriously. Both PDP and APC parades men of character and competence. These brilliant minds are far better than Yahaya Bello in a ways and will make appreciable difference in governance. However, the candidature of Abubakar Ibrahim stands out like a meteor among stars.
The enigmatic Abubakar has set the ball rolling already. He has started drawing plans that will help rejuvenate the battered Kogi civil service, economy and infrastructures. He has held meetings with prospective investors across the world with clear cut template for the state’s development.
Abubakar Ibrahim, a trained agriculturist, has promised that he will give priority to wealth creation and employment generation for the citizenry through massive investment in agriculture if elected. He understands that Kogi has all it takes to be a leading light in agriculture.
His experience in the mining sector will come handy as Kogi state is renown for large deposits of solid minerals. Kogi ranks first in Nigeria in terms of mineral deposits. The late Prince Abubakar Audu turned our large deposits of limestone into Africa’s largest cement factory in Obajana. This is the type of development Kogi people hope to see when Abubakar becomes governor. He will not fail in this regard.
The education, health, agriculture, mines and jobs creation sectors are in the core of his vision for Kogi state. His plans are doable and devoid of ambiguities. He has made it known that he will not spread himself too thin but focus on these sectors squarely to achieve maximum success.
He possess the requisite experience, the administrative capacity as well as the understanding of Kogi people and will provide them with the kind of leadership that will return smiles to their faces at this critical period.
His traducers are quick to point to his being a son of a former governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris who governed the state between 2003 and 2012. That is the only reason his opponents adduce for his ineligibility to run in the governorship race. This is petty and archaic. None of them has come to say Abubakar does not possess the requisite skills, experience and other qualities to be governor of the state other than his affiliation to a former governor.
Those who know Abubakar Ibrahim can attest to the fact that he is not the desperate and over ambitious type. But we have come to the point where we have to sit down and determine our future and the future of the unborn generation. It is in the light of this agonising moment that it has become imperative for a well meaning Kogites who have genuine interest of our people at heart to look at the needed qualities that will guarantee a sharp departure from what we are experiencing now in the hands of Yahaya Bello. Abubakar Ibrahim represents a sharp departure from the current misrule in the state.
We will not rest on our oars until the state is freed from the shackles of poverty, under-development, unpaid salaries, pains and needless deaths.
– Akin Obafemi writes from Lokoja.
