In democratic governance, two sets of people are key players – the Political Players and the technocratic players, then humanity attraction which also goes with political factor plays effective role. This man called Hon. Kehinde Oloruntoba embodies these factors in quantum.
Hon. Toba as Politician:
The first ever political assignment given to Hon. Toba was the bye election that brought in Alhaji Haruna Isa as a Member House of representatives for Lokoja/Koto. He was posted to Giriyan to ensure victory for our Party. A strange environment with strong political consciousness. Being politically sound, he constituted a think thank to appraise the political history of Giriyan, went all out, visiting Chiefs and leaders of the community adjoining Giriyan.
After the election, in the whole Kogi LGA, Hon. Toba pulled the highest votes differential that ensured victory for Alhaji Isa. I was moved by his dexterity and dynamics. I asked him: but Sir, “they said you are not a politician”, he replied, Henry, “I just like to do whatever assignments they gave me well and produce results”.
Moving from Giriyan, I know if given optimum supports Hon. Toba would become a reckoning force in GYB government from Kogi West. His political leadership is exemplary.
Coming home to play his local politics, let it be on record that he has never been involved in his local politics until his emergence as Commissioner under this Government. He has spent all his life outside his aboriginal community.
This last elections were the first he was involved in his locality and there were strong forces, mountain of Gibraltar that were impossible to defeat in that community. They are the PDP State Vice Chairman and Treasurer, they both share the same unit with Hon. Toba. These men have never lost that polling unit to anyone. But it fell to Hon. Toba.
Hon. Toba swing into action, met with all the who is who in that ward and his community, including those of the opposition. He met with Chiefs, leaders of the various communities, youths and women groups.
Hon. Toba has endeared himself to the people. All he needs is additional push and an encouraging support to cover grounds. He has started from his polling unit, with strong support he’d have Kogi west in his grip.
Let me say this here that Hon. Toba is a compact and articulate machine that does his job excellently well. Give him an assignment and go to sleep he will surpass your expectations.
Hon. Toba as a Humanist:
Hon. Toba’s fist is never clenched neither is his pocket zipped.
After recession of the rain, because of the impassible nature of the road during raining season leading into his community, Hon. Toba swing into action. With little resources at his disposal –
He dug two boreholes in two communities,
Graded over 35 Kilometers road in Kiri Land
Gave over 5 motorbikes
Donated bus to his wards
Donated generators
He single-handedly paid Tuition for over 456 students, running into millions
Gave School uniforms and countless writing materials to schools in Kiri land
He gave free healthcare services and medical assistance to his people.
Enrolled over 300 women on conditional cash transfer.
As I write this, there are over 10 people daily who send accounts for financial assistance. In a severe cases, he’d go borrow for you.
This kind of man needs more support. he can’t do it alone.
Hon. Toba as a Technocrat:
Hon. Toba started as a banker and rose within short stint to be a manager in one of the branches of UBA in Lokoja. While in that bank, he became the best UBA Banker in Nigeria raking in more profits from Lokoja than banks in Lagos, Abuja, and other bigger business hubs State across Nigeria. He was celebrated and given an award.
Hon. Toba’s wand for value additions is almost incomparable and unmatched. He became Special Adviser on Project Monitoring to GYB, under him Assembly complex took a new form and became a habitable house for proper legislative activities, Revenue House was conceived, SDG was conceived, Lokoja Street lights came to light and some other major and minor projects were given superb facelift.
Commissioner for Budget and Planning:
For the first time, everyone around the globe could assess Kogi State budget online.
He made sure budgets were presented in record time to Kogi State House of Assembly, passed, signed and it’s implementation monitored.
He made sure Government was prudent and its thin resources carefully employed.
Commissioner for Agriculture:
It was in this ministry Hon. Toba became a pride, bride and cynosure of this present administration.
We all know the State of the Ministry of Agriculture before he came onboard to redefine modus operandi of the ministry. He quickly set out to work and he was able to :
He attracted Anchor borrower’s program, for both dry and wet seasons farming to the State. Over 5 thousands farmers benefited.
He personally supervised the distribution of chemicals and farm inputs to farmers directly, thus making sure intended farmers are the beneficiaries of the program instead of siblings and family members of the Government top guns as we used to have in the first.
He attracted a sugar factory to Kogi State in Ike, Kabba-Bunu and Bass LGAs, Land preparation is ongoing. This will not only boost the fortune of the State in area of revenue, it will create employment and reduce crime.
NNPC is building a biofuel plant in Kogi State. His hardwork and proactiveness ensured smooth approval of the project.
Kogi State has a Greenhouse courtesy of Hon. Toba’s initiatives.
Kogi State has 95% completion of Kogi Rice mill in Ejiba
Kogi State has over 40 tractors, procured to boost agricultural activities in the State under him.
He attracted APPEAL – a World Bank project that will inject billions into rice, Cashew and Cassava farming in the State. This will encourage more people to embrace farming and create thousands of jobs. Crime will reduce and money will be put in people’s pocket
The past 10 years, Kogi State has never employed Vet Doctors into the State. Under him, 25 Vet Doctors were employed into the State Civil Service.
Hon. Toba is a bundle of ideas and results oriented fellow. Give him an inch assignment and you’d expect a mile result. With continuous needed support and will, Hon. Toba will do amazingly well.
– Henry Folaranmi writes from Lokoja.
