Kogi state is positioned in the best geographical location and endowed by God with all natural resources that can sustain the state internal revenue but due to lack of purposeful, visionless and selfish political leaders, she is one of the underdeveloped and educationally relegated states in Nigeria.
The state capital is so dirty, rough and unkempt that it will not attract a local investors not to talk of foreigners bringing an industry that can either serve as a means of creating job opportunities and also generated tax for the government as they say “Holiness is Godliness”.
The poor road network in the state has become a death trap for many, some new roads awarded by the state government are in 30% completion and its been abandoned by contractors handling the project without any sanctions by the government, when the contracts are being awarded to their loyalist and not specialist.
Health sector is being deprived of its functions as stated by S17(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended “The state shall direct its policy towards ensuring that” and S17(3)(d) “there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons”.
Workers are being owned many months salary thereby resolving them to industrial actions which increases the mortality rate. Education which is the bedrock of all societies has been in jeopardy as teachers are forced out of the school to press their demands thereby subjecting the leaders of tomorrow to untold hardship and deprivation of their social rights as enshrined in S18(1)(2)(3)(a)(b)(c) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The people are suffering and smiling and its still the same people that will be used during political dispensation. People will vote for a candidate without asking for his/her political manifesto which will make him accountable to the masses while in office.
The state house of assembly has forgotten its constitutional legislative business to become executive errand boys.
How long will this suffering last without the dividend of democracy?
Think my beloved people think.
- Olorunlaye Michael Oluwashina
Political Activist.
