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When a child knows how to wash his hands Well, he eat with the elders.
Meaning a well mannered, creative young man like Shiru Lawal will be privileged to eat, wine and dine with Maigari of Lokoja.
The future of Lokoja local government Area is indeed pregnant with good omen, smells of better leadership as against the backdrop of many, under development, corrupt leaders we had,subjecting the local government into a stage and level of retrogressive cycle of infrastructural decay and degradation.
A young and dynamic politician has emerged in Lokoja local government, from the extraction of Ward B, whose humility and speedy political vibrancy and keen love of humanity and development had pushed him and endear him to many. Record has shown that Hon Shiru Lawal who is popularly known as Talk And Do has an indelible records of great achievements in his credit, caused some tremendous changes in the entire Lokoja Local Government with his people oriented projects.
As a first time politician, he has grown up, and he has ably wash his hands, so he should sit at the same table and eat with his elders.
His performance keep winning people’s heart every day by day by working around the clock. He’s just too outstanding and full of digital work.
Since the creation of Kogi state during the military regime let by Ibrahim Babangida administration in 27th August, 1991.The much desire of the new Lokoja as the capital was high owing to the myriads problems.
The expectations of the people were turned to futile story with so many recurrently developmental problems that dashed the hope of many indigenes of the local government.
One critical area in which these disappointment keep raising it’s ugly head is in the area of infrastructural development. There are many other key sectors that have suffered similar fate but my focus in this piece, shall be the provision of basic infrastructure.
Our traditional institution and local government owns structured have been associated with tartard, shaddy. Visitors have often mocked residents on the dilapidated nature of our local government .
As it is often said that roles of traditional rulers in the development of our society cannot be overemphasized. Traditional rulers since the precolonial era till date have played greater roles in the advancement of their communities making it possible to endear development of key infrastructure to their communities.
Their contribution in ensuring lasting security within their domain and beyond, creating avenues for proper engagements where issues of crisis arises and providing platforms to cement existing peace in their communities have gone a long way in making our society free from social imbalance.
Hon Shiru Lawal has respect the position of royal fathers. It is their duty to support and uphold any government in power. Modern governance has reduced them to subordinates of elected politicians.
Objectively, his performance warrant a continuity in the office. The chief administrator has really shown that he took advice and honoured elders and the traditional institution. The chief administrator can not be compared with any in terms of humility and his sterling performance he is gradually transforming the local government within a short period, which would serve the interest of the entire local government to give him another years mandate of continuity.
And so, if any individuals who have been given due consideration begins to commend the Admnistrator for “achieving excellent governance” which ordinary people are able to see, we must not be surprised at all. It will seem to remind us of the story of Mr. Ali and the Golden Ring in elementary studies.
It is not out of place to say that the traditional institution of Lokoja Local Government ably led by the most peaceful royal father, the Maigari of Lokoja, Alhaji Dr. Muhammadu Kabiru Maikarfi ||| , has been very supportive of the present administration in ensuring that security challenges facing the local government and the state at large being nip in the bud.
To make for a better operation of the office of the traditional council of Lokoja Local Government, Hon. Shiru Lawal in demonstrating his Excellency’s usual show of passion and commitment to the welfare of the traditional institutions, deemed it fit to construct, rehabilitate, and renovate Maigari of Lokoja office.
This office existed since the traditional council of Lokoja was established several decades ago and turning it into a more befitting modern edifice would make it more habitable and accommodating for proper engagements and deliberations by the traditional council members.
At the onset of the fourth Republic the people of Lokoja local government hoped for a rapid development in infrastructure that will place Lokoja town being the capital in the lead especially in the northern central.
States capital like Gombe, Jalingo and Yola which were newly created at same time began to outpace Lokoja in the provision of infrastructure and setting the pace for what deliberate modernisation of cities and towns should be, providing for the people the dividends of democracy making life near comfortable for the people.
As neighbouring capitals continue to outpace Lokoja in the provision of infrastructure, the already existing ones in the local government like the office of Maigari of Lokoja and it’s palace etc began to age and deteriorate and in no time comparisons of developmental strides between Lokoja and it’s neighbouring capital became unpalatable.
These trend continued with successive governments of chairmen, caretakers and liaison officer (LO) in the local government. Little wonder then that when the wind of change began to blow across the country, Kogi state unequivocally embraced change in a bid to try something new may be it’s population will also sing the song of infrastructural development.
The mantra of change in the New Direction Gov Yahaya Bello brought into power Hon Shiru Lawal as the chief administrator of Lokoja local government.
People of Lokoja local government prayed for this jinx of underdevelopment that has become a monster in the local government to be broken.
There were mixed feelings when governor Bello appointed the sole administrator because they thought he might not have free hands to access funds and implement projects in delivering good governance seeing as mere caretaker, but Hon Shiru Lawal quickly comforted the people by saying it is no excuse to not deliver on promises, he promised to use his relationship with the governor and intellectual acumen to weather the storm. Not many people believed the administrator will be focused, committed and proactive.
Many concluded that it’s appointment as the administrator will be used as a stooge and an excuse the local government will go through another four years of stagnation. There is an enormous task of repositioning the local government for growth and reviving it from the shackles of backwardness, for indeed Lokoja has been left behind and has been playing catch-up for many years.
But within 1 years and few months in Office, Hon Shiru Lawal has no doubt opened up a new vista and era that demonstrate a robust and dynamic leadership in Lokoja local government Area of Kogi state.
The chief administrator has always been there providing succour to ameliorates the sufferings of the people and has so far contributed its own quota in term of giants developmental strides. Some of its notable achievement are :
? New Construction and thorough Renovations of Office of Maigari of Lokoja, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Maikarfi ||| con
? New construction and Renovations of dilapidated blocks of Class rooms in Lokoja | and || including Adult Continuation Education Center School in cantonment and others .
? New Construction and Renovations of our dilapidated primary health care centre’s with equipments in kungbani and other part of Lokoja | and || constitutuency .
? Constructions of motorize boreholes across Lokoja local government Area
? construction of drainages in (Trunk C.) some part of Lokoja local government own roads
? Organization of extramoral lesson for secondary school students in conjunction with National association of Lokoja Local Government Student’s NALLGS. Which the students and the tutors benefited.
? Women And Youths Empowerment Through Skills Acquisition.
? Scholarships and payment of Waec and Neco and Jamb for selected students in the local government. Etc
Constructions and renovations that worth millions of Naira in the local government that previous Governments haven’t done in their entire tenures in office.
Questions began to pop up in every official and unofficial public discuss.
Where is Hon Shiru Lawal sourcing money to pay for these constructions and renovations ?
What magic is Hon Shiru Lawal performing?
How is the chief administrator managing it’s Resources and at the same time delivering on his promises as fondly tamed Talk And Do?
Questions, questions and questions, questions and many more questions.
Hon Shiru Lawal has brought to light the fact that, what Lokoja local government lacked since the advent of the fourth Republic was leadership. How else can you explain a situation where our youths have been empower, Education has been giving a priority, and at the same time developmental projects are been flagged off almost on a monthly basis in the local government ?
The recurrent decimal of stagnation and lack of infrastructure is gradually been eliminated by the Chief Administrator and interestingly within 1 years and some months in office.
As days came bye Young shiru has fully became a symbol of good governance , over seeing the developmental and infrastructural affairs.
Like the Young eaglets,flying high as she grows and soaring to higher skies with vision to dare good opportunity in order to be a leading birth, His good style of Leadership catapulted him to be one of the confider of Gov Yahaya Bello.
Permit me to say that the jinx of underdevelopment in Lokoja local government Area has been broken and standard set.
The long awaited change has finally arrived in Lokoja local government, a new dawn has come. Hon Shiru Lawal has finally come to the rescue and residents have begun to chant the slogan of a New Direction under Governor Bello and Shiru Lawal.
The administrator seems unrepentantly determined to change the norm and prove that with a sincere, honest and transparent leadership a lot can be achieved in the provision of infrastructure, leadership as the only thing that is required and leadership he is providing.
With the pace at which the present Government is going, many residents in the local government believe that Lokoja is set to compete with other advanced capitals in other states. If what is been achieved within the first 1 years and few months in office of the cheif Admnistrator is sustained, it is not yet imagined what Lokoja will look like at the end of Governor Bello’s four-year tenure.
The people of Lokoja are having a sigh of relief, hope is been rekindled, trust earned, expectations met, promises kept and leadership provided.
Has the jinx of underdevelopment been broken finally?
This is the question on the lips of everyone in Lokoja local government .
#ShiruIsWorking
#LokojaIsRising
– Mubaraq Yasmin
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