By Bayo Aka.
IT is no longer news that Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello executed a lot of people-oriented projects which are circulating in the media but for the Thomases in Kogi and elsewhere, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kogi Council led by her Chairman, Comrade Adeiza Momohjimoh chose to tour five of the star projects in company of Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy, Hon Kingsly Fanwo, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon Wemi Jones and Dr Barnabas Segun who represented the Health Commissioner.
Our first port of call was the President Muhammadu Buhari Square which is now a multi purpose event centre courtsy of Governor Yahaya Bello.
Previously, the Township Stadium which was situated on the same spot could be described as a village town hall which lacked necessary facilities and convenience. But thanks to the digital Governor of Kogi State who transformed it to a modern event center. The project which has been a subject of discussion for many who knew the old stadium cost the state government fortunes.
There is no doubt that besides the fact that the event center has added to Lokoja township aesthetics, it also has the capacity of generating good revenue for the state.
Thereafter, we zoomed to the GYB Model Science Secondary School, Adankolo Lokoja where the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Hon Wemi Jones explained some facts to journalists while showing off available educational facilities and equipment in the school.
According to Wemi Jones, the school which was commissioned by President Buhari on the 29th of December, 2022 has the same prototypes in Ogori-Magongo, Idah, Okebukun, Oboroke and Ankpa which are being constructed, adding that Governor Bello’s mindset for the establishment of such schools is to ensure good foundation for secondary school students of Kogi extraction in science based courses even though other fields will not be neglected.
He pointed out that Governor Bello by so doing was getting the students set for the future revolution in sciences. The commissioner who said that a total of 1800 students could adequately be enrolled in the school, noted that due to available laboratories and computer facilities, 287 pupils applied instead of the
120 spaces for JSS 1.
He observed that with the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology Osara by this administration which now makes admission for Kogi indigenes no longer stressful, it would be sad for students not to meet up with requirements for admission.
Time was running out, so the crew left for the Overhead Bridge at Ganaja Junction. Like the Hausa will say “seeing is believing”. The overhead bridge was the first ever in Lokoja since the days of the Colonialists to the last administration before Governor Bello assumed office.
Hon Kingsley Fanwo, Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy took the microphone to shed light on the project.
According to him the Ganaja Junction used to be notorious for accidents and traffick chaos before the project was executed.
He explained that procurement for the project in 2015 by the previous administration was over #20billion but Governor Bello’s administration carried out the project even to specifications with less than #5billion.
Fanwo went on, saying that Governor Bello has given Kogites this world class facility which has added to Lokoja aesthetics and brought to minimal accidents on the spot.
There are still two more of the star projects to tour but they are out of Lokoja. So we traveled to Osara where the Confluence University of Sciece and Technology is located.
The university, according to Hon Wemi Jones, came on board when the world was locked down by COVID 19. Necessity was therefore mother of invention for Governor Bello.
Honourable Jones who gave other reasons for the establishment of the university added that overcoming admission challenge for Kogites was a major reason.
On his part, Hon Fanwo explained that with industries springing up, the school will churn out manpower for the industries.
On his part, Vice Chancellor of the University, Engr Prof Sadiku who went on memory lane of how the university was established and the progress made so far took the crew round the university premises where construction works on offices and lecture rooms are on going through TETFUND and Kogi State Government interventions.
There is no doubt that Kogi State people will for long be grateful to Governor Bello long after he has left office putting into consideration the educational foundation he has laid.
And gradually we went further to the Reference Hospital Okene.
For more than a century, the rich and the affluent in Nigeria thronged the western world to access modern medical facilities due to its dearth in the country. But Governor Bello has changed the narrative with the establishment of this hospital in Okene.
The hospital which is situated in the heart of Okene and lying on an expanse of land opposite the gigantic palace of HRM the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim, is adjudged one of the best in Africa in view of the medical facilities it boasts of.
Explaining some of the facilities and equipment, Dr Barnabas Olusegun said the hospital has an Oxygen Plant which can solve the problem of inadequate oxygen supply in the whole of North Central Nigeria and other states like Edo, Ekiti and Info that border the state.
The medical personnel added that the plant is connected to each bed in the hospital, noting that as it is oxygen can be sent out from the hospital in large commercial quantity thus guaranteeing revenue for Kogi.
Dr Olusegun also showed journalists the much coveted Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber facility, noting that many a Nigerian run abroad for it to treat terminal ailments.
He explained that Hyperbaric therapy could give 100 percentage oxygen and safe patients from death.
There are facilities that safe mother and child after births and many other that make one open his mouth in awe of the installations in the hospital.
Capping it up, Kogi NUJ Chairman, Comrade Adeiza Momohjimoh lauded Governor Bello over the selected projects toured out of many littered all over the state, saying journalists were impressed with the governor’s performance in the last seven years.
While expressing further satisfaction with the executed projects, he noted that journalists would continue to carry out it’s duties of putting the government and it’s officials on their toes.
And we returned home.
