We come from a land of milk and honey. A land abundantly blessed with a plethora mineral resources. It is a privilege to hail from a land so plentifully endowed like Kogi State. Pound for pound, how many states in Nigeria can rival our bountiful treasures? Very few. But what has that translated into? How have the good people of Kogi state benefitted from our birth right? Has it brought us wealth? Jobs? Development? What have we gained?
Kogi needs leadership, we are desperate for a sense of direction. Kogi needs someone with the know-how and political will to push us to greater heights. Kogi needs a leader that can effectively liaise with the Federal Government to harness these riches, for the benefit of all parties. Kogi needs Aminu Abubakar Suleiman.
Aminu Abubakar Suleiman is a renowned expert at Public Private Partnerships (PPP). As a Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager, he has initiated, managed and seen through countless projects that have been of immense value to Nigeria. If elected governor, he undertakes to fixate his attention on the economic aspects of Kogi. His trade/profession has equipped him with the requisite skills to transform these moribund sectors. In order to thrive, Kogi must play to its strengths and build upon that which we have in abundance. We must dedicate our blood, sweat and tears to areas where we have an absolute advantage in.
Our greatest assets are our mineral resources and our human capital. We must nurture them, cultivate them, synergise them, in order for them to complement each other, fostering the much-needed growth our beloved people desire. This is where Aminu comes into the picture. Through his skill and expertise, he is the light at the end of this dark tunnel we find ourselves, reminding us that our future is still in our hands. We must make the right choices, choose the right people, vote the right leaders in order for Kogi to see greatness in our lifetime.
From the coal fields of Ogboyoga, Ozaba, Orukpa and Ezimo, to our highly coveted iron ore in Itakpe, Ajabanoko and Oshokoshoko, to the Limestone deposits of Obajana, Kogi is blessed. With an estimated 300 million tonnes of coal, Kogi alone has the capacity to provide the entire nation with electricity for the next 100 years. Yet we are not adequately utilising this potential. With one of the largest cement factories in the whole of Africa, Dangote Cement Factory, we still have staggering unemployment rates.
With the largest Steel plant in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ajaokuta Steel Mill, we are yet to produce a single sheet of steel. Something is clearly wrong. We must hold our leaders accountable. We must do all we can to ensure only those with the Capacity to lead are elected into office. A good leader inspires men to have confidence in him; while great leaders inspire men to have confidence in themselves. With the right leadership, no problem is too large for us surmount, no task is too daunting, mountains are indeed made to be climbed. Kogi must have confidence in itself. We must believe that we can, because in fact, WE CAN, WE WILL.
Iron ore, coal and limestone aside, according to the Geological Survey of Nigeria Agency, Kogi is blessed with over 20 other mineral resources. Dolomite, Tin, Gold, Bauxite, Feldspar, Fire Clay, Granite, Quartz, Marble, to name a few. All these resources are in commercial quantities, readily available and ripe for the plucking.
However, there has been much debate and literature about whether the exploitation of our bounties should be undertaken by the government or the private sector, with compelling arguments from both sides of the spectrum. Those for the government emphasis how it is against our national interest for a gargantuan sector of this nature to be left in the hands of private individuals, while those leaning towards the private sector assert that such mass projects are too complex and delicate to be run by the bureaucratic inefficient governments we have become accustomed to in Nigeria, especially here in Kogi.
Aminu Abubakar Suleiman sees no reason why we must polarise these issues, turning them into a matter of black or white, when in fact they are grey. This is a very nuanced discourse, and the complexity of the situation at hand demands a confluence of both schools of thoughts. Yes, our Kogi industrial revolution, which shall usher us as the industrial hub of the nation, needs to lay in the hands of the government and be implemented according to the vision of the government, but must be executed through the funding, partnership and expertise of the private sector. Only after a certain term, should ownership then be divested from the state to a consortium of companies in order to create a competitive market, devoid of monopolistic practices, but with the government maintaining a minority stake. At this stage, the state would revert to a regulatory capacity, putting the private sector in the driver’s seat.
The business of leaders is to turn weakness into strength, obstacles into stepping stones, and disaster into triumph. Kogi needs leaders with answers to the difficult questions before us. We must take our mineral resources seriously.
The exploration and exploitation of these minerals will tremendously increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) capacity of our state. That aside, it will have a considerably profound multiplier effect on the communities in which these industries situate, creating jobs, commerce, and alleviating poverty. It will further serve as a major earner of foreign exchange, being a source of not just raw materials for local consumption, but for the international market. This is the vision Aminu Abubakar Suleiman has for us.
To echo the words of the Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development from earlier this year, “if states show more seriousness in the solid minerals sector, they won’t need to come to Abuja in search of money”. These are glaring possibilities in which the current administration is not exploring.
In April this year, President Buhari declined to assent to the $1 Billion Ajaokuta Steel Plant completion fund bill, stating in a letter to the National Assembly that it “is not the best strategic option for Nigeria at this time of budgetary constraints” because “the nation cannot afford to commit such an amount in the midst of competing properties”. Conceding that Ajaokuta might not be a priority at the National level, it is of paramount importance to us at the State level. From its inception in 1979, Ajaokuta has been aptly tagged as the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialisation. It has been touted to directly employ 10,000 people once commissioned, and another 500,000 nationwide indirectly.
Our vision is, through the guise of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kogi and the Federal Government, to set up a Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) to go into the business of a partnership with the behemoths of the mining industry, especially in areas where they have a comparative advantage, to fund the completion of the plant which more than 90% has already been built. As things stand similar models have already been set up in other states regarding phosphate for fertilizer and carbonate for water treatment.
This vision of ours is in line with the Federal Government’s national policy of diversifying our economy, liberating the nation from our dependency on crude oil. An Aminu Abubakar Suleiman led Government would be confident of success of the proposed partnership because it complements the current National strategy. The Ministry of Transportation is in the process of completing and refurbishing the Itakpe-AjaokutaWarri train line. Ajaokuta plants success is contingent on this project, creating a seamless network between Itakpe, our largest reserve of iron ore, Ajoaokuta, the plant in which the said ore would be refined into steel, and Warri, a growing seaport poised at diverting traffic from the congested Lagos port.
Kogi must ensure Ajaokuta is in place and ready to benefit from this network. In other words, we must ensure our steel plant is up and running to start work as soon as the train line is completed.
At what point will we decide we’ve had enough, and want more for ourselves? When will we dispense with the old guard, and create room for the new? The current political class, in our great state, is bereft of ideas, they are morally bankrupt and are leading us nowhere. I do not say this to insult the characters of our leaders, but to spur the masses to the undeniable truth that we have other options, better options. We have Aminu. At the end of the day, leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary vision and determination. There are no better words that embody the future Governor of Kogi State, Aminu Abubakar Suleiman.
– Mohammed A. Yunusa Esq writes from Abuja.
