Since the creation of Kogi State, the state capital never had a dump site. It was the Wada administration that Constructed and established a properly managed dump site located at Felele area of Lokoja.
The administration also Provided waste evacuation trucks and carried out continuous advocacy for clean environment as part of the institutional support by the Government.
The administration in partnership with Cana Resources Ltd. – is building a Commercial Waste to power, plant in Felele, Agbaja road, Lokoja LGA to assist in converting waste to wealth.
Resumption of monthly environmental sanitation exercise was began by the Wada administration.
The administration employed people to manage and evacuate waste in the state capital. Until the strike embarked upon by the NLC, the heaps of waste noticed in the state was a thing of the past.
The 2012 floods exposed the vulnerability of Lokoja to natural disaster. Billions of Naira investments like the Greater Lokoja Water Works, Confluence Beach Hotel, NATACO to Ganaja road were damaged by the floods. As a result, the Wada administration applied for the UN-HABITAT City resilience profiling project. Lokoja is the only city in Nigeria that was selected for the UN-HABITA Project. Lokoja is also the only non-national Capital city amongst the 10 other cities that were included in the project from around the world. This 1.3 million dollar project will in addition to developing a master plan, support the State in the provision of modern amenities for the City of Lokoja and three other cities in the State.
Development of a new layout for Lokoja – Due to lack of adherence to urban planning regulations in the past and the legal issues that could arise from the relocation of traditional settlements like Kabawa, the Wada Administration embarked on a Lokoja Phase 2 Project. This phase 2 project is being flagged-off with the construction of the new 16km Ganaja – Otokiti road. The phase 2 project will be a better planned city with modern infrastructure.
Kogi State is the only State in Nigeria that has constructed a post-flood housing estate and has distributed it to flood victims
Kogi State has Customized emergency tents stocked in case of future occurrence.
Constructed embankment to protect multi-billion naira investment in Lokoja water works.
Carried out Shoreline protection at Lokoja to prevent further damage to various projects – roads, Confluence Beach Hotel, etc.
The shoreline protection project is also ongoing at Kabawa area Lokoja. The project has the added benefit of the beautification and the provision of a mini-Beach at the Lokoja waterfront.
Kogi State under Wada is believed to be pregnant with projects that are ongoing across the state. •Projects such as the 500 housing units in Ganaja and crusher areas of Lokoja, the State University Teaching Hospital Ayingba, the Kogi diagnostic and imaging centre and the Kogi House project, Abuja, a seventeen storey edifice, are some of the on-going projects which when completed are expected to complement revenue generation in the state.
Other projects that are on-going that would have direct bearing on the lives of the people are the 16km Ganaja-Otokiti road, welcome to Lokoja-new market road, the township road projects in Mopa, Iyara, Egbe, Kabba, Ankpa, Dekina, Lokoja and Koton-karfe.
The present administration has so far completed 58 road projects across the state. •Governor Wada on assumption of office made it a policy to complete projects he inherited.
Some of these projects include the completion of greater Lokoja water works, the Confluence Beach Hotels, the Confluence Stadium and the state secretariat complex phase II amongst several others.
Democracy allows for high expectations from the people. This can therefore not be divorced from the reason why like Oliver Twists, there is so much of clamour, for the Captain Idris Wada administration to do more amidst dwindling resources.
Since he assumed office in 2012, with about 20 court cases in courts he battled with for over two years, the Governor never rested on his oars in taken bold steps, unprecedented in the state’s history to reposition the State compete favorably with its contemporaries.
Sustainable development no doubt is a slow process and in most cases it is expected to take quality time to show forth.
Kogi State is presently pregnant with projects that has taken the major chunk of government resources. The good news however is that most of these projects are at their delivery stages and would soon show forth.
It is very unfortunate that Captain Idris Wada came into office at a time when the state alongside other states is experiencing a drastic decline in revenue. Unfortunately, the administration also assumed office when there is a decay in infrastructures that are calling and begging for attention. But in all, available indicators have shown that amidst the many difficulties, the Governor has soared, and has worked hard to meet the yearning and expectations of the people.
So for Urbanization, Waste Management and Disaster Preparedness plan, the Capt Idris Wada Administration has done noble, amidst scarce resources to deliver on its mandate.
