Kogi State was born on August 27th 1991.
Nigerians and Kogites, I will tell you a story today. I come from the Eastern part of Kogi State, nature-put as Igala. Although, I think I am more Yoruba due to my upbringing. The Igala people are fine people, gifted in commercial quantity of intelligence and courage. Think about the Igalas, remember the over 6 ethnic groups in Kogi State like, Okuns, Ebiras, Kakandas, Bassa Nge, Bassa Komu, Oworos, Ogoris, etc. These are very fine people in the state too.
I know Kogi State has been in the news for many reasons. Political badminton, orchestrated with the dynamics of a state crawling out of unknown-state to known-state has created a deluge of mixed opinions about my state. We have had fiasco from the likes of Dino Melaye, Kogi State House of Assembly Fracas, Shut-down of tertiary institutions for months, workers screening and salary issues. We’ve also seen party rivalry making national headlines. For many reasons, those who understand seasons and windows understand that many things turn-inside-out to be clean.
We are people of varying interests but peculiar in the struggle for humanity. The array of Kogians are not bad people even though we have bad elements in good people.
The sudden media thrust in the state opened us to a cynosure of national perspectives with dissenting parties holding their arguments. The tapestry of history has shown that the society go through series of conflicts for organisation to take place. Why is ours rancorous? Because the over 4.5m Kogites are people of diverse talents and aspirations, reaching nirvana of conventional peace in Kogi-direction is the reason for these contractions.
Kogi State is not all that it should be, but we are happy. I am happy. Changes in the fabric of any garment cannot be noticed in anger, calm or lucid introspection by eyes which are objective opens the aperture of gauging our exact ascension.
We have the youngest Governor in Kogi State, however, the dynamics of the state has given him the oldest of troubles.
As a journalist, I cannot hold my allegiance to myself without the society. I should try to be open to an extent my humanity can carry. The media reports you always get from Kogi State does not always reflect the real nature of things in the state. I agree, they’ve been challenges. Many mistakes have been made, many people are where they are not supposed to be. Many people have been elevated beyond their statuses. Many have their free bread taken from them. Many have their legitimate bread taken from them, but we are still a one united people, managing our huge differences.
The media channels in Nigeria are mostly owned by politicians who have the money to run this cost intensive ventures. It has left us grappling with “the news reported” and what “the actual event is”. It is about “who plays the piper dictating the tune”. You would then ask, if one politician has offended other politicians who own media firms people depend on, what would be the reporting pattern? In 2015, African Television Authority, AIT, owned by a PDP sympathiser, ran an unethical documentary on General Buhari before he became President. His dead wife was mocked in the name of politics. In retrospect, the son of my current state Governor was called an “imbecile” because of political de-fraternity and it trended on the media. That was a physically challenged human being brought into savage injustice for something he is not aware of. I would not hold on to this. In my memoir later in life, I shall leave History in books for the younger generation of Kogites from what im learning from this one. Why did I say some of these things? Don’t trust the media too much, they can tarnish the image of a state or people in deception.
Kogi is living with Christians and Muslims in an almost equilibrium figure. We started having a departure from the thuggery which was the hallmark of our elections in Nigeria, ditto Kogi from the time of Governor Idris Wada, he sustained it. The incumbent Governor was enthroned in a divine arrangement that would see the polity of the state contrast because he has been rather different in his approach to governance.
I do admire the Governor. He has age. A fine age. He is also learning governance and politicking because he wasn’t a regular politician before he assumed office. It could give you a clue about some of his mistakes in recent time. The ones most times overbloated by media sensationalism. My argument for against him is that some of these things could have been avoided. Still, we still have our hopes in him to deliver and give credibility to the collective conscience of the YOUTHS he represents as an entity.
Kogi is divided across 21 local govt areas. We have numerous mineral resources but 8 are domesticated in commercial quantities.
We have produced qualitative people in the acumen of Prof. Pius Adesanmi, Barrister Tunde Irukera, Prof. F.S Idachaba, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, and late Barr. James Ocholi (SAN), along with yours humbly- Promise Emmanuel and many others.
I shall attempt to list some areas we have made progress recently:
1. Political and Social enlightenment: The coming of Governor Bello has reawakened the spirits of the youths who left power in the hands of the old and passing generation whom have done nothing to preserve their own future. The taciturn political will by the governor to include only young people in Government has entrenched a neo-dynamics into the social and political fabric of the state.
2. Security: There’s a psychological and physical security in the state now. The ratified efforts of the joint military team and weaponization and strengthening of the local vigilante group has made Kogi State one of the most secure and hospital states to live in, in Nigeria today. With assurance, I can say it’s currently the safest in the North as Government and people cooperation has rooted out the debris of Bokoharam elements, Kidnappers, Cultists, road side armed robbers, etc. According to the monthly Security Report held on AIT last Thursday, Kogi state recorded less than 10 reported criminal cases of the above nature in the state.
3. Diversification of Labour: The biting economic recession and delay in payment of salaries due to the workers screening before recent resolution led many Kogites into thinking of alternatives. The rich agrarian soil in the state was the fitting alternative. Massive diversification into agriculture in commercial and subsistence quantity was recorded recently. The youths also saw the need in not depending on political stipends for survival as many youths engaged in the services of tilling the soil. In the harvest season, Kogi State is sure of food sustenance and economic boom from revenue from its exports. The state Government, to their credit also revamped the Ministry of Agriculture in creating opportunities for farmers. Immediate responses were given to Federal Government projects, like the Anchors Borrowers program. The investment in the OMI DAM by the state Government in over 2000 hectares of land, which has been used to plant rice, cassava stems, etc. is to generate massive income for the government and provide food for the state. The New Direction Economic Blue print of the government is also favourable to investors in the state. Many firms are buying cassava in large quantities for immediate payment. Cashew nuts have also been created a duo market.
4. Cultural Awareness: The various ethnic groups in the state are beginning to understand and imbibe the rich values of their cultural etiquettes. Arguments for how women should be treated, engagement of children into schools, etc are also topping the chart of Cultural Revolution in the state.
5. Religious harmony: The flexibility of Christians and Muslims to live in a Siamese manner is something to emulate amongst Kogites. The chivalry of this feat is monumental. No part of Kogi State has recorded intolerance. Strangers are also welcome to stay in all parts of the state.
Conclusively, about 6 Kogites were part of the recently completed Mandela Washington Fellows programme in the United states of America, which is a very competitive program with hundreds of thousands of people fighting for slots for just 100 persons from Africa.
This is recluscent of the outstanding nature of Kogites.
As it relates Governance, we are not perfect, but everything going on now is to heat up the system towards better changes. Kogi is open to strangers. Kogi is open to investment because we have a secure environment and favourable Government policies for investors.
…Kogi is Rising
– Promise Emmanuel
