- Extends Heartfelt Felicitation to Kogites
Celebrating the 32nd anniversary of Kogi State’s formation, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) gubernatorial candidate, Idoko Kingsley Lona has extended warm felicitation to the people of the state, reiterating his unwavering commitment to ushering in a better era for Kogi state through good governance.
Recall that Kogi state was named after the Hausa word for “river” and emerged from segments of Benue, Niger, and Kwara States on August 27, 1991, under the leadership of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Idoko Kingsley Lona who is one of the frontline candidates for Kogi gubernatorial election pointed out that the pressing need for substantial improvements of the affairs of the state is the driving force behind his ambition to govern the state.
In a reassuring statement issued by the campaign council, he urged the state’s residents not to lose hope, promising that the era of ineffective governance is coming to an end and that his leadership will not falter.
The serial entrepreneur speaking on his plans to revamp the economy of Kogi State stressed that “I believe that I have the best ideas to turn around Kogi State for good. Is it not absurd that you have Lokoja with water where seaports and everything can be created but we have to import things all over into Nigeria and they come through Lagos? We then transport them from Lagos to Lokoja and then you start talking about the northern parts.”
“So Lokoja should serve as the seaport for the northern part of Nigeria. So what we want to do basically is to harness the enormous potentials of Kogi State. Kogi State alone can feed Nigeria. Look at the Ajaokuta steel, I know it’s owned by the federal government but Kogi has the potentials to feed Nigeria.
“We have the capacity to build the largest rice mill in Africa and even the world in Kogi State because we have the land, we have the soil and our soil is one of the best in the country. So I have the best ideas to turn around the infrastructure of the state.
“I have just one point agenda which covers about six-point agenda. The point is that if you don’t have funds, if you don’t generate Internally Generated Revenue how do you do the roads, infrastructure? So we intend to build roads, all the 21 local government areas in the state should be connected to themselves and also to the capital which is Lokoja.”
On health, he said “We want to create free healthcare service for our people, 0-18 years old shouldn’t pay a dime if they are sick, those who are 60 and above shouldn’t pay a dime when they are sick. We will work it out when we get to power. We will introduce health insurance, revamp primary healthcare system, create world class healthcare facilities. All the three senatorial districts should have world class health care facilities that can handle major surgeries.”
The APGA flag-bearer also unfolded his plan for education saying that “Our policy for education is, primary, secondary is free and compulsory. For tertiary institutions, you can take a loan, go to school and when you are done you can pay back. It’s not that the IGR is our major agenda, but that is the bedrock of other things that we want to do in the state. We are the only state in Nigeria that is surrounded by 10 states, we have monuments, tourism sites.”
“You have in Lokoja for instance where River Niger and River Benue meet; the confluence state. The Dangote cement in Obajana is a pride to Kogi, Nigeria and the entire Africa. So I have the best ideas to drive development in the state,” he promised.
On women empowerment, he said “The Kogi women are central in our developmental agenda for State. Our women will benefit from quality education, empowerment, employment opportunity, functional health facilities and credit schemes that will enhance the socio-economy status of our women”
Furthermore, he assured the youths that “I believe that the Kogi youths remains the bedrock of development and future leadership of the State. Kogi under my watch will deliberately create policies that ensure sustainable growth and development for the youth on the part of honor, integrity and responsibility in every sphere of affairs in the State”
Lona, however, has promised to secure the Confluence State if elected governor.
According to him: “On security, as an entrepreneur of national and international status, l know the importance of security to economic development. We cannot have local and foreign investment in a chaotic environment. The security apparatus will be technologically gingered to complement a motivated security work force.”
