Emmanuel Olorunmowaju Orugun, a production engineer, has joined the November 16 Kogi governorship race.
At a formal declaration in Lokoja on Sunday, Orugun warned that continuous borrowing to run government recurrent expenditures, especially payment of salaries, will lead to a total collapse of the state.
Aspiring under the platform of Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Orugun said his economic and industrial development plan for Kogi state revolves round workers welfare, improved revenue generation, infrastructural development and making the state investor-friendly.
He promised to make workers welfare a top priority of government if elected. He noted that if workers welfare is not well attended to it can encourage corruption.
“I am aware of percentage salary payments especially for the Local Government workers. If given the chance, I will get to the root of the problems, open the books and solve the problems with stakeholders permanently once and for all.
“Workers has always been the greatest asset in any organization, be it private or public. If not properly handled, it has been identified as one of the primary root cause of corruption. When workers welfare is taken very seriously, it is one of the ways to start tackling corruption. A well-motivated civil service workforce will ultimately produce direct effect on higher productivity and more gains in output and reporting. Well motivated teachers will produce excellent, well tutored, intelligent and sound students. Well motivated medical doctors will produce a healthier and decease free society. Well motivated judicial workers will not be easily tempted to perverse judgement. Well motivated media workers will produce balanced media reports, balanced news and balanced opinions and analysis. Knowing these facts, workers welfare will be given utmost attention if given the chance to govern our dear state because of its numerous advantages,” he said.
Orugun frowned at the increase in borrowing to run governance. He wondered why it is almost becoming a norm for Kogi state to live on continuous borrowing to finance spending, especially recurrent or operational expenditures.
“The fact to note here is that income being generated (IGR) and received (Federal allocation) is no longer enough to go round all facets of our developmental needs. When we get to the point where we borrow to run our recurrent/operational expenditures especially payment of salaries, we need a total change, a renewal. It is actually not the way to go because at some point, we will borrow until we are no longer credit worthy. This will lead to a total collapse of our state. We have think out of the box to generate revenue through diversification plans and strategies. This problem can be traced to lack of economic and industrial development in our dear state.
“We need more revenue to make our schools one of the best and first in Nigeria and Africa. We need more revenue to be able to better equip our security agents and make them more efficient in term of their operations and modern intelligence response equipment. We need more revenue to make our health care both at the primary and advanced levels more efficient, affordable and accessible. We need more revenue to build befitting state road networks that will not become death traps within few months or years after being constructed. We must begin to think outside the box.
“I am an Industrial and Production Engineer and I am also ready in that regard. Our scientists around various disciplines will be given the chance to produce discoveries and also commercialize the output for the betterment of our society. We will make use of our professionals in different fields to develop our state.
“We will also develop programs which will aim at making our state more investors friendly for both old and new investors and investment, aimed at changing our thought processes and enlighten our younger ones on developing an entrepreneurial attitude that builds businesses for the future.
“I have a robust economic and industrial development and diversification plans and programs for the state.”
