Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET) has called on the state COVID-19 Squadron Committee to carry out multiple sensitization programs for the benefit of citizens.
KONGONET made the call during its quarterly press briefing in Lokoja to review political, health, social and economic issues in the state between April and June 2020.
Addressing newsmen, Chairman of KONGONET, Idris Ozovehe Muraina said the coalition hope that the state COVID-19 Squadron Committee will provide clarifications on the needless squabbles with NCDC.
“Who gets the trophy for the needless competition?,” he asked.
Muraina stated that the coalition, in agreement with the position of Kogi state government, call on Kogites to avoid panic and adhere to the protection guidelines as provided by NCDC.
Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET) is a coalition of Civil Society Networks Championing the promotion of participatory democracy, good governance and network coordination in Kogi State through advocacy and policy influencing for the well-being of Kogites.
Full text of the press briefing
Background
Kogi State has witnessed tremendous political, Health, Social and Economic issues in the period April to June 2020. The quarter under review was filled with a mixed grill of activities of state importance, most unfortunately the negatives were more resounding. The senseless attack on Nigerian Police Force out post in Isanlu killing eight (8) police officers including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and a civilian was the most negative of them all. The killing of a well-known business tycoon in the state by highway robbers, the increased reports of rape cases, child abuse/molestations and theft are all and more reasons we must act now.
While we commiserate with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for the loss of her gallant police officers, we wish to also commend the swift response leading to the arrest of some members of the suspected gang, we trust in the capacity of men of the Nigeria Police Force to continuously safeguard lives and property, protect innocent people, keeping peace, justice, and equality, and ensuring the right of everyone to liberty. We are optimistic that the recently launched Community Policing Strategies by the Nigerian Police Force will improve the relationship between her officers and the community of service and curb the recent rise in criminalities in the state, as no criminal exists in isolation.
Health Issues:
The state is currently witnessing a major upgrade and construction of her health facilities, although the current level of attention provided for patients leaves more to be desired. Civil society network organization in Kogi State working on health and wellbeing has reported in recent time the trend of ministry of health budget and spending for the past 3 years and came up with recommendation on the need for more spending on health sector. While we all try to absorb the recent withdrawal of donor agencies from the state and the unusual increase in public health challenges such as TB with more cases of XDR in the state, the state ministry of health by extension the state government should as a matter of urgency come up with strategies to stem the ravaging TB across the state. The epileptic release of funds to Kogi State Agency for the Control of Aids (KOSACA) for her planned activities still remain an issue unresolved currently compounding the challenges of HIV/AIDS control in the state.
On the novel Corona virus pandemic, we continue to appreciate the fact that there exist a committee put together by the state government to provide guidance and direction on preventing the outbreak of the virus in the state, although we rarely see official statement from the committee providing updates for Kogites, we wonder if the committee is still active in the state. While the state government is yet to officially acknowledge COVID-19 cases in the state, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) continue to stick to its guns that Kogi State has four (4) COVID-19 cases. It is our hope that the state COVID-19 Squadron Committee will provide clarifications on the needless squabbles with NCDC while both are set up to save lives, who gets the trophy for the needless competition? While we join the state government to call on Kogites to avoid panic and adhere to the protection guidelines as provided by NCDC, we hope the state squadron committee under the leadership of His Excellency Chief David Edward Onoja, the deputy governor of Kogi State will do the needful by implementing multiple sensitization programs for the benefit of Kogites.
Agricultural Intervention Issues:
The Analysis of the 2020 Agriculture Budget by the Public Financing of Agriculture (PFA) Committee with support from PIBCID/ActionAid Nigeria shows a consistent decline in the allocated funds over the years. The 2020 reversed budget occasioned by the economic down turn due to COVID-19 had rather set agricultural sector in the state to the back seat, while we are expected to take advantage of our rich agricultural resources (Fertile lands, Water, manpower etc) to combat the drop in revenue. Lots of activities planned for the year as provided in the agricultural budget 2020 is yet to be implemented and the rains are at an advance stage, this will pose serious challenge for the State in terms of Food Security and well-being of the citizens. The committee on Public Financing of Agriculture (PFA) in the State under the support and coordination of ActionAid/PIBCID recently (30th June, 2020) organised a day consultative meeting towards 2021 Agricultural budget planning. At the end of the meeting which was attended by the permanent secretary ministry of agriculture and her team, Representative of National Agricultural Insurance Cooperation (NAIC), NIRSAL, Smallholder Women Farmer Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Members of Civil Society Groups and the media came up with a communique having deliberated on pressing agricultural issues in the state that needed government attention. We hope Kogi State Government will as a matter of urgency implement the recommendations as contained in the communique to ensure improved agricultural productivity across the State.
Education Sector:
The Kogi State Education Sector has been grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and same is the effect on education sector at the national. However, we appreciate the ingenuity of the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology for launching the e-learning program through state owned radio station. Although, the civil society organizations on education for all were sceptical of its sustainability and wide reach, especially the rural community dwellers and vulnerable groups. The current reality staring us at the face is that the state owned radio station is epileptic in its service delivery. We appreciate the national COVID-19 Presidential Task Force and the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for lifting the ban on inter–state travel and allowing graduating student at primary and secondary school levels to resume classes and take their exams. With the forgoing, we believe the Kogi State Hon. Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology will put forward the necessary strategies to ensure hitch free resumption of classes for the graduating pupils.
The need for State Education Policy to guide the sector is needed now more than ever, there must be a true free basic and quality education for our children, the state school feeding programme must be scaled up and redesigned for better coverage and result. Within the reporting period, the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) was unable to identify or relate with the methodology applied in the distribution of the federal government school feeding initiative across the state as postulated by the minister of humanitarian affairs. We trust the state agency handling this initiative will make public her methodology and number of households served with the feeding initiative within the last three (3) months (April – June, 2020).
Social Welfare Issues:
The Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (AONN) Kogi State branch has continued to lament the trajectory increase in child abuse cases across the state. We urge the state government through Kogi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to swing into action to end all forms of violence against children in Kogi State and enforce relevant child protection laws in the state on a case by case basis. We are also aware of the fact that the ministry lacks in the area of a comprehensive child rehabilitation homes where abused/violated children could be housed pending resolution of cases. While appreciating the missionaries in Iyale for their efforts in setting up school for the physically challenged, we encourage the state government to replicate same across the three senatorial districts of the state to cater for the physical and psychological needs of special persons amongst us. We specially recognise the leadership of the following networks for her efforts carrying out public sensitization, awareness campaign, protest and legal intervention on rape/child abuse cases in the state within the quarter;
Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (AONN) Kogi State branch, led by Mr. Abaniwo Nathaniel
International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kogi State branch, led by Mrs Ajuma Lilian Okolo Esq.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Kogi State Office, led by Barr. Nuhu Musa Mohammed
Child Protection Network (CPN) Kogi State branch, led by Mr. Enojor Simeon
Their tremendous efforts are duly acknowledged within the quarter and we encourage them to do more.
We recommend that Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development partner with Ministry of Justice to establish Sex Offender Register in Kogi State. We hereby request the Secretary to the State Government to make public its investigative findings/update regarding the alleged rape case involving the Commissioner of Water Resource, and this shouldn’t be swept under the carpet.
Political Environment:
The recent moves by the state government to conduct local government elections, is a welcomed development and we must commend it for finally taking this step. In as much as we feel that this was long overdue, there is a need to encourage this and as we have constantly stated, not conducting elections at the Local Government level was depriving our citizens the opportunity to participate in governance at that level and constituted a breach of the 1999 constitution as Amended.
The Constitution of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and provision of Special subvention for the conduct of the elections in the approved 2020 State Budget has gone a long way in improving the confidence we have that the elections will truly be conducted. However, the slow pace in coming out with a timetable for the elections is giving us concern considering that we have less than 6 months to the end of the year. While appreciating the proactiveness of the SIEC chairman and her team for engaging and consulting with stakeholders in the electoral sphere, we recommend that the state government release funds as budgeted and approved in the year 2020 state budget for the immediate conduct of the council elections.
In conclusion:
Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET) will consistently support laudable initiatives of government to ameliorate the suffering of Kogites and ensure the state upholds the tenets of democracy and fair play in her administration of our collective resources. KONGONET shall continue to engage the state government on the adoption and implementation of Open Government Partnership (OGP), even though we are yet to get positive response from the Commissioner for Information and Communications Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo in regards to our official letter to that effect within the quarter under review. On behalf of Kogi State Civil Society Groups, we commiserate with the government of Kogi State for the loss of her illustrious sons, ranging from the death of Personal Assistant to the Governor Hon. Abdullateef Suleiman, the president of customary court of appeal Ibrahim Shaibu Atadoga, the chief Judge of the state Justice Nasir Ajana and most recently the pioneer Secretary to the State Government Chief Andrew Enumanu Aileku.
We encourage Kogites to remain strong and resolute as usual while we collectively push through this trying period of COVID 19 economic downturn. Regular hand washing, Social Distancing and the use of sanitizers still remain the most reliable preventive measures against COVID-19, Stay Safe!
God Bless Kogi State.
Idris Ozovehe Muraina
Chairman, KONGONET
