By Ralph Agbana.
…Hosts Farmers, Drivers, Carpenters, Bricklayers, Mechanics, Vulcanizers from 7 LGAs
While many saw Easter as a time for celebration alone, the Senator representing Kogi West Sunday Karimi chose a higher path — one of service, sacrifice, and strategic engagement with the people of Kogi West, particularly the artisans and Association of Farmers in Nigeria (AFAN).
Entertainment had its place—of course, añd there was so much to eat and drink, including cash gifts. True to the spirit of the season, Senator Karimi, ably assisted by wife, Mrs Stella Maris Karimi, turned this period into a time of deep grassroots connection, personally meeting with key artisan groups and associations — not in groups of hundreds, but one-on-one, association by association. His mission was simple but powerful: to listen, to understand, and to act. Some of the groups he met with are individuals and leaders from various unions such as: Bricklayers, Mechanics, Vulcanizers, Electricians, Barbers, Hairstylists, Market Women and tailors, as well as carpenters. There were representatives of National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), AFAN and many others.
Karimi’s commodious Bareke residence in his hometown, Egbe, Yagba West Local Council, Kogi State, served as the nucleus—thronged by over 500 constituents who came from as far as Lokoja, Kabba, Ijumu, Mopamuro and Yagba East Councils, respectively. The travellers were joined by counterparts from Yagba West, the host Council. All drawn by the conviction of the genuine openness and commitment of their Senator who understands that true leadership means being accessible, values communication, and take swift actions on deserving matters. These weren’t just ceremonial visits — they were strategic and productive sessions focused on identifying real needs: from skills development, improved working conditions, and cooperative support to government-backed opportunities. And Senator Karimi didn’t just listen — he took notes, made commitments, and he is already working with his team to deliver.
Upon the conduct of a needs assessments to identify the desired areas of improvement in the lives of the constituents by a team of ably qualified aides and experts, led by Kogi State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr Olafemi Bolarin, who until his appointment as commissioner was State Coordinator of World Bank assisted Kogi Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (Kogi L-PRES)— the rendezvous turned out a harvest of requests running into hundreds of millions.
Notably, the NURTW, Kabba Branch canvassed floored motor park and empowerment of the association while their counterparts from NARTO from Ijumu, Mopamuro and Yagba East asked the senator to assist by providing motor vehicles for the union.
On its part, NATA, Kabba Chapter demanded an association hall, computers for detecting faults and ovem for painting; Ijumu chapter wants welding machines, automobile battery chargers and fault detectors. Similarly, Karimi will have to look into the key requests from members of NATA from Mopamuro, Yagba East and Yagba West, and these include detector machines, generator sets, empowerment to sell spare parts and tools boxes. The welders requested for welding machines and pumping machines, while the vulcanizers wanted diesel generator sets.
Tailoring Association, across the board made their requests: (completion of halls, industrial and embroidery machines, material sales empowerment, stoning machines, generator sets, empowerment towards selling materials, Singer machines and empowerment through cooperative). The barbers: (sterilizing machine, completion of hall windows, clippers, solar energy and generator sets). Carpenters: (Plain machines 2000D, skindle machines, truck, screwing machines, generators, roofing machines, drilling machines, circular machines, empowerment to start selling materials, circulars and grinders). Bricklayers: (tricycles, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, block molding machines, cutting machines, empowerment to start selling cements, and detective plums). Tilers: (tricycles, pumping machines, electric cutting machines, and empowerment). POS: (kiosks, terminals, funding). Farmers: (tricycles, tractors, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, improved seedlings, insecticides funds for cooperative, eradication of criminal herdsmen out of their lands, sprayers and farm inputs). Hairdressers: (washing base, makeup kits, halls, hand dryers, standing dryers, straighteners, deep freezers, generators, and stabilizers: Photographers/digital creators: cameras and halls), etcetera.
These sectoral artisans’ and farmers’ requests placed on the table through direct, one-on-one engagement with Senator Karimi on Easter Sunday aggregate the seven LGAs in Kogi West Senatorial District. The project is expected to lift as many lives as possible.
Summarily, Senator Karimi said the event was basically to encourage farming and a culture of self-sufficiency amongst the people of Kogi West through skills, resources, and a mindset focused on independence and self-reliance. He said, “A proverb says once a man is able to feed himself, forget the rest. So, we want to encourage our people so that they can support themselves; so that they can focus on other aspects of life rather than constantly worrying about basic survival needs. This is why we are here. “
Speaking with journalists after the event, Olufemi Bolarin said: “We did a Need Assessment for the Farmers,Market Women and Artisian Folks to determine their felt needs. Participatory Approach was utilised to ascertain the felt needs of the Participants present. Findings revealed that their needs were specific and along the Value-Chain of their business lines. More technical was the need for Diagnosis Machines and Laptops to enable them detect faults in the recently released Digital Compatible Machines. Furthermore, findings revealed that tailor-made specifics were teased out during the Brainstorming Exercise and Focus Group Discussions [FGD]”.
In an expression of appreciation to Senator Karimi for this uncommon act of kindness, one of the prospective beneficiaries, Tunde Temidayo, a digital creator and graduate of Kogi State Polytechnics, Lokoja, who spoke on behalf of other participants noted, “This is not politics as usual. This is leadership in action. Let it be known: Distinguished Senator Sunday Steve Karimi is not only working — he is working smartly, working closely, and working directly with the people who matter most — the people he was elected to serve. This Easter, he has reminded us all that true celebration is in service, true representation is in presence, and senator Sunday Steve Karimi is giving us that back to back”.
