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Penultimate to the supreme delivery of governorship tussle in my dear Kogi State by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, I held a subliminal prayer in my heart: “lord, let your will be done”.
Regardless of the House of Cards display, I accept the verdict as the will of God, for there are certain things we cannot explain. However, it will be foolery in galleria for one not to note the unfavourable image the present administration has planted in the minds of the Governed. Suffice to say, now is the time to turn the tides and listen to representative leadership, compassion, responsibility, accountability and focus to delivery of the #New Direction Blue print which the state Government is playing hide and seek with.
The government of HE. Yahaya Bello should as a matter of emergency fire any incompetence in his administration, starting from some of his media aides who shun the tenet of effective public relations, resorting to picking of insulary verbs and free for all with any perceived critics of his administration. Those that barely communicate the plans of the government, rather, patronise political-hallelujah-band and e-wars which is further polarising the state into ignominy of various shades. To better describe them, one can mildly submit as “square pegs in round holes”.
In the accord to service first to my dear state, I enjoin the goodwill, if any, by the substantive governor as affirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. An attendant reason is for the intelligence of not allowing about 3 years into waste for political insanity. Kogi State is too dear for years to pass by without any feasible achievement.
With the concise background given, I shall focus on the real issues:
1. Policy Direction: the New Direction Blue Print, from scanty assessment is a community based NEEDs assessment report coalesced into a workable plan (s), to drive development according to the needs and priority of the people. A laudable thinking from a Development Communication approach, where the citizens who are recipient of developmental strategies are part of the decision making, evaluation, monitoring and workforce to the realisation of terminal objectives which forms around different goals.
i. Make the blue print accessible to all.
ii. Make the process interdisciplinary(any sector can coitus for effective realisation of set objectives).
2. Civil Service Reforms: It is known by Kogites that the livewire of the state rests on the civil service which drives the existence of Kogi as a whole. One cannot categorically settle at a digit, due to the back and forth screening exercise embarked upon by the State Government to weed out illegal workers and also ghost-workers.
Reforms are meant to come with headaches, due to the emotions and comfortability which comes with every lurkwarm system, however, the competence of those who drive the reform (s) may make or mar the process. The efficiency of the screening so far has been slow-poke in nature. This incompetence in administration has made people read true and untrue intentions about the screening.
-My suggestion is transition from analogue date curation to digital system. All state Civil servants should do date capturing and have their information online. With this, human manipulation and error would be reduced to a minimal reality.
Another interesting area to look into is the reshuffling of key agency heads. Civil service efficiency cannot be driven by mediocrity and insufficient education. Some civil servants in the state, who head premium offices cannot even communicate interculturally via sound English.
3. Diversification of the Economy: The primary plug or engine house to any viable economy resides in its micro economy. The Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are the repetitive customers of a state’s economy. The youths are minimally involved in this area. Suggestive small business models should be imported from other parts of the country, with clear stipulationof qualification grounds for soft loans to encourage participation. Kogi State is blessed with agile and hardworking youths, both for white collar and agrarian strengths. As a hub to other parts of Nigeria, we can produce and also distribute.
How can Government help the distribution chain?
*With produce as Cashew Nuts, Palm fronds, Cassava, locallly produced rice etc.
4. Cabinet reshuffle: A careful probe of the portfolios handed over to some key agents to drive the policy realisation of this administration, technocrats with esteemable records needs to be “kidnapped” onboard. It is in my assured opinion that the first set of political appointments were to serve prebendal reasons. An example is the Special Adviser on SMEs, a decent young man, but, without required experience. If by standard, the Governor intends to coordinate his goals effectively, he would require hands that have threaded on some tough terrains. I will not dwell much on this, the appropriate quarters understand what I mean.
5. Educational Emergency: It may be part of the New Direction Blue print, however, I can’t bypass this critical sector without mentioning that the recent statistics released be Nigerian Examination Council, NECO, that Kogi state was the third best performer in the last exams is just a charade. The state of our schools can best be described as “full with emptiness”. From the primary level, trinkets of cultism becomes a growing war. The secondary levels are attendant of full blown cultism and drug abuse of various shades. These students are pushed further to the universities to perfect their ill trades while churned into the society as degree holders with half-baked intellects. The social aspect of education should be looked into deeply, as some teachers and lecturers who are chain custodians of the system are also educational mediocres.
6. Agriculture: They have not been mention of the Agricultural plans for the state. The New Direction policy should as a matter of urgency realise that introduction of “community farming” can serve a huge purpose. A little research into the past, reveals how communities networked many villagers into planting and contributing variety of agricultural produce which are sold to expatriates and wholesalers, with the monetary realisation disposed to community development projects like, pipe borne water, grading of roads etc. This in no way abdicates government of her own responsibility, but gets the people responsibly participatory in the whole process.
7. Water-way Transport: It takes 20 minutes to travel from the ancient city of Idah to Edo state, via Aghenebode. We would like to see the Government provide more cargo and human boats to ferry people across the border states for easy business transaction. The Ibaji axis is also there to consider. Cars and buses can be ferried from Edo State to Idah, Kogi state which reduces travel time for those going to Onitsha, Enugu, Interior Kogi State, Benue State etc. Heavy boats that can cross 5 buses at a go can be manned at Idah to generate income for the government and foster trade relationship between the state.
8. Kogi state Mass Transit: It is a shame that the Kogi state Government cannot boast of an Air Conditioned Bus from various towns in the State to crucial parts of Nigeria like, Lagos, Kano, Enugu and Portharcourt. Travellers are aways subjected to the mediocre torture of buses which are already in their menopause states, with drivers who barely have Drivers License. An alternative should be created for an AC and None AC buses for those who can afford it, especially for non-indegenes who may want to travel to the state.
9. Reshuffle of Media Team: I’m very critical of this angle, being my professional field, hence, I can give valid judgement after critical assessments. The State’ embarrassment on Channels TV, few days ago should be a pointer to my position. The social media e-warriors are not also informing but fighting everyone. Most of the aides on media have low tolerance and sensitive reception to criticism. They engage in mad-house war (s) with even those who may have useful information for the government while a debris of information litres their page. Most of them cannot even communicate without demonstration of grammar which their audience members may not even understand.
One could understand that the reason is that, media representrepresentation goes beyond ability to spin around verbs, sarcasm, innuendos etc. The professional angle of the trade, looks into media representation from the demographic and psychographic view. You need to understand your audience, how they think, how they react to your messages, etc. You will also need to understand your job description: is it to entertain, inform or educate?
-How many of them can one find useful information on their page?
– For those representing various image of government appointees, they end up doing defensive representation because of ignorance of their job.
A mock view on their timelines shows:
-Eulogy of the Governor
-Courtesy Visits
– Various Visits to political friends etc.
One cannot find documents and dymistification of sensitive documents on the Ajoakuta Steel. One cannot find projection for abandoned projects. One cannot find explanation of Government position on Land, taxation etc.
10. Payment of Salaries: For a state that cannot boast much from other sectors than the civil service, non-payment of salaries to cushion the effects of national economic recession is a de-service to the people of the state. In canopies of pains, people are wailing. They have no alternatives. The Governor should dodge the catapult of curses hurled his person daily by ensuring prompt payment of salaries.
11. Development of Infrastructure and Social amenities: The dilapidated state of many institutions in the state is not new to all. However, my urgent suggestion for road construction goes to the Death trap of Ejule-Idah road. That road is a shame to tha Igala royal dynasty. We got wind of rumour that the contract has been allocated, however, we want to see work commence immediately.
In conclusion, this administration has done well in the area of Security as their community based approach has yielded much expectations. There’s been a clampdown on kidnappers and reduction in house-house robberies. However, without corresponding creation of jobs and payment of salaries, the Governor may spend the prime of his administration fighting only crime.
– Promise Emmanuel writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
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