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The story of any society is the biography of its people. Kogi state is a confluence of a million life stories, an expansive narrative whose structural variations are only matched by its united existence.
Democratically, the people of Kogi State today are not some remote oriental exotica any longer in the political development of this great country, Nigeria. From Chief (Dr Stephen Achema, S.B Awoniyi, Alhaji A.T. Ahmed, (Dr) Sen Amodu Ali, Prince Abubakar Audu and others and down to the outgoing governor of kogi state, CAPT Idris Wada, we have become an interesting bunch of people, capable of a few miracles. They all did their best for the progress of our great state. We are where we are today because our state back story is populated by these people who are more interesting. Canonised by history, exaggerated by memory, they are not just the protagonists of a great yesterday, their ideology of egalitarianism will continue to unite us all and keep us moving in the positive direction.
In a grotty or sullied political society whose defining image of assertion is demolition, Wada’s name alone rhymes with moderation and consolidation. There may not be a Wada’s cult, but Vision Capt Idris Wada is an inspiration for true believers on the right and democratic ideal of an egalitarian society.
In a polity characterised by the culture of personal vendetta and pettiness, he is the last custodian of dignity and decency And his instincts have redeemed the ideology of modern day democratic institution in kogi state in particular and Nigeria at large.
Wada’s leadership sagacity and bravery bring out the power of silence in a complex political society where the sloganeer’s stentorian showmanship is celebrated as politics of social justice. His passive resistance and endurance, coupled with his unseemingly resilient has been a cultivating strategy which has laid a veritable platform for an all inclusive political participation in kogi today, and it has worked at a time when his hyperactive colleagues could only divide. He has always strived to connect with even the seemingly incompatible. Connectivity for Wada has been an article of faith. It has been political, philosophical and, of course, geographical.
All the while and amidst political turbulence, Wada’s moral universe remains intact, beyond the whirl of realpolitik, beyond the exigencies of his own party. There is a terrifying sense of calm about the man, an individual solidity that has only ensured political stability and democratic peaceful society today. Unassuming Capt Wada has changed the syntax of leadership in kogi state forever.
Sworn in on the 27th of January, 2012 as the third elected governor of kogi state with a vision to see kogi state emerge as a model of good governance and transformed into one of the top ranking states in the country in terms of rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, where there will be opportunities for all and responsibility from all, Wada never relent in his effort to achieve this vision.
Before the emergence of CAPT Wada as the governor of kogi state, the state has been the cesspool of political thuggery activity, crimes and ethnic crises, laziness which all summed up to poverty and underdevelopment.
Welcomed into the office by the worse flood disaster in the history of Nigeria and to those conversant with the antecedents of Capt Wada as a professional pilot and then as governor, his journey to the top was never rosy. But through deft combination of sagacity and moral discipline with fear of God, he rose through a combustible mix of obstacles, navigating his way through the labyrinth of life to attain his present status.
One quality that Wada has undeniably shown as governor of kogi state is assertiveness. Wada is a strong faithful of ‘Minimum Government and Maximum Governance’ which can be seen throughout in almost every decision his government has taken.
The different between kogi state government of the past and the one of Wada is that, he brought Genuineness into Governance; Wada’s has shown action instead of governance of enactment as it were, It was no longer polity of Promises but that of Performance. Today, a work culture of delays and an asset base of deficiency have been expunged from our governing system.
In January 2012 when Wada took over the reins of the state as governor, he met a state that was virtually at crossroads, with the staff disillusioned by the devastating effect of maladministration, almost losing faith in the ability of any governor in making any positive change in the situation. Staff morale was at dangerously low ebb with pension and arrears not paid since 1999 and N38.33b debt profile. It was under these turbid circumstances that Wada courageously took over the driver’s seat, fastened his seat belt to withstand the bumps and shocks ahead.
Analysts agree that Wada indeed stepped into office armed with a ‘’correcting fluid” with a high preponderance of revolutionary zeal, adorning the garb of a reformer. With a strong passion for turning around the then ailing fortunes of the state, unchained it and with frenzy launched it on the path of workability.
With honesty and transparency as handmaidens, Wada has been able to impact positively on the morale of staff and the overall fortunes of the state, so much so that even his worst critics readily admit that he has become the most legitimizing factor in driving the state on the straight path to economic recovery. Not a man given to frivolities, Wada on assumption of office immediately fashioned out multi-dimensional strategies to confront the hydra-headed problems confronting the state and the result has been awe-inspiring. So, due to space and time constraints, I shall highlight some of the outstanding achievements of this humble man from Odu-Ogboyaga, trying in the process, to capture as many of those achievements as possible.
In line with his vision, his administration have made some infrastructural advancement in the construction of Housing estate (Ganaja-Ajaokuta road, Felele), 750km of roads including Ganaja-Otokiti dual carriage bypass, Ankpa township road, Ankpa-Ojoku-Okaba road, Egbe, Kabba township roads and others currently going on, over 300 rural electrification project, rehabilitation and construction of hospitals including the establishment of the college of medicine at the Kogi State University, Anyigba and the construction of Kogi Diagnostic and Image Hospital, Lokoja, over 14 general hospital including Odu-Ogboyaga orthopedic hospital, Agro-allied subsidy, education which include building and renovation of classroom blocks and hostels accommodation in the tertiary institutions across the state, water supply; the completion of Greater Lokoja Water Scheme with payment of N6.5b out of the total contract sum of N12b, provision of intra-city bus service scheme and the recently commissioned world-class transport facility; the Lokoja Mega Terminal which cost the state over N2b, construction of eleven story-building Kogi House, Abuja and the establishment of multi billion naira Allo Cement Company at Itobe-Oful local government area in partnership with foreign investors, and so on.
His greatest undoing was the fact that his apostles were ambitiously and dangerously working to consolidate on power instead of delivery the best of the mandate in hand.
Whatever anybody might say, Capt Idris Wada has paid his dues. With the single-mindedness of purpose that he executed his assignment in kogi state, he has earned a place in the hearts of kogites and Nigerians at large. This conclusion may go against the grain of expectations of some few individuals, but then, it requires a dispassionate heart and deep understanding of administration to appreciate all the transformation witnessed in kogi state irrespective of paucity of fund under Wada’s superintendence.
What really distinguishes this icon from his contemporaries is his great concern for public good, fear of God, rule of law and admirable husbandry of scarce resources. So, as the Odu-Ogboyaga son quits office as Governor of kogi state, he is leaving behind an enduring legacy of honour and hard work and has written his name in gold in the Nigerian leadership folklore as the unsung hero of our democracy. I join millions of other Nigerians in wishing him a prosperous future endeavour.
The story of any society is the biography of its people. Kogi state is a confluence of a million life stories, an expansive narrative whose structural variations are only matched by its united existence.
Democratically, the people of Kogi State today are not some remote oriental exotica any longer in the political development of this great country, Nigeria. From Chief (Dr Stephen Achema, S.B Awoniyi, Alhaji A.T. Ahmed, (Dr) Sen Amodu Ali, Prince Abubakar Audu and others and down to the outgoing governor of kogi state, CAPT Idris Wada, we have become an interesting bunch of people, capable of a few miracles. They all did their best for the progress of our great state. We are where we are today because our state back story is populated by these people who are more interesting. Canonised by history, exaggerated by memory, they are not just the protagonists of a great yesterday, their ideology of egalitarianism will continue to unite us all and keep us moving in the positive direction.
In a grotty or sullied political society whose defining image of assertion is demolition, Wada’s name alone rhymes with moderation and consolidation. There may not be a Wada’s cult, but Vision Capt Idris Wada is an inspiration for true believers on the right and democratic ideal of an egalitarian society.
In a polity characterised by the culture of personal vendetta and pettiness, he is the last custodian of dignity and decency And his instincts have redeemed the ideology of modern day democratic institution in kogi state in particular and Nigeria at large.
Wada’s leadership sagacity and bravery bring out the power of silence in a complex political society where the sloganeer’s stentorian showmanship is celebrated as politics of social justice. His passive resistance and endurance, coupled with his unseemingly resilient has been a cultivating strategy which has laid a veritable platform for an all inclusive political participation in kogi today, and it has worked at a time when his hyperactive colleagues could only divide. He has always strived to connect with even the seemingly incompatible. Connectivity for Wada has been an article of faith. It has been political, philosophical and, of course,geographical.
All the while and amidst political turbulence, Wada’s moral universe remains intact, beyond the whirl of realpolitik, beyond the exigencies of his own party. There is a terrifying sense of calm about the man, an individual solidity that has only ensured political stability and democratic peaceful society today. Unassuming Capt Wada has changed the syntax of leadership in kogi state forever.
Sworn in on the 27th of January, 2012 as the third elected governor of kogi state with a vision to see kogi state emerge as a model of good governance and transformed into one of the top ranking states in the country in terms of rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, where there will be opportunities for all and responsibility from all, Wada never relent in his effort to achieve this vision.
Before the emergence of CAPT Wada as the governor of kogi state, the state has been the cesspool of political thuggery activity, crimes and ethnic crises, laziness which all summed up to poverty and underdevelopment.
Welcomed into the office by the worse flood disaster in the history of Nigeria and to those conversant with the antecedents of Capt Wada as a professional pilot and then as governor, his journey to the top was never rosy. But through deft combination of sagacity and moral discipline with fear of God, he rose through a combustible mix of obstacles, navigating his way through the labyrinth of life to attain his present status.
One quality that Wada has undeniably shown as governor of kogi state is assertiveness. Wada is a strong faithful of ‘Minimum Government and Maximum Governance’ which can be seen throughout in almost every decision his government has taken.
The different between kogi state government of the past and the one of Wada is that, he brought Genuineness into Governance; Wada’s has shown action instead of governance of enactment as it were, It was no longer polity of Promises but that of Performance. Today, a work culture of delays and an asset base of deficiency have been expunged from our governing system.
In January 2012 when Wada took over the reins of the state as governor, he met a state that was virtually at crossroads, with the staff disillusioned by the devastating effect of maladministration, almost losing faith in the ability of any governor in making any positive change in the situation. Staff morale was at dangerously low ebb with pension and arrears not paid since 1999 and N38.33b debt profile. It was under these turbid circumstances that Wada courageously took over the driver’s seat, fastened his seat belt to withstand the bumps and shocks ahead.
Analysts agree that Wada indeed stepped into office armed with a ‘’correcting fluid” with a high preponderance of revolutionary zeal, adorning the garb of a reformer. With a strong passion for turning around the then ailing fortunes of the state, unchained it and with frenzy launched it on the path of workability.
With honesty and transparency as handmaidens, Wada has been able to impact positively on the morale of staff and the overall fortunes of the state, so much so that even his worst critics readily admit that he has become the most legitimizing factor in driving the state on the straight path to economic recovery. Not a man given to frivolities, Wada on assumption of office immediately fashioned out multi-dimensional strategies to confront the hydra-headed problems confronting the state and the result has been awe-inspiring. So, due to space and time constraints, I shall highlight some of the outstanding achievements of this humble man from Odu-Ogboyaga, trying in the process, to capture as many of those achievements as possible.
In line with his vision, his administration have made some infrastructural advancement in the construction of Housing estate (Ganaja-Ajaokuta road, Felele), 750km of roads including Ganaja-Otokiti dual carriage bypass, Ankpa township road, Ankpa-Ojoku-Okaba road, Egbe, Kabba township roads and others currently going on, over 300 rural electrification project, rehabilitation and construction of hospitals including the establishment of the college of medicine at the Kogi State University, Anyigba and the construction of Kogi Diagnostic and Image Hospital, Lokoja, over 14 general hospital including Odu-Ogboyaga orthopedic hospital, Agro-allied subsidy, education which include building and renovation of classroom blocks and hostels accommodation in the tertiary institutions across the state, water supply; the completion of Greater Lokoja Water Scheme with payment of N6.5b out of the total contract sum of N12b, provision of intra-city bus service scheme and the recently commissioned world-class transport facility; the Lokoja Mega Terminal which cost the state over N2b, construction of eleven story-building Kogi House, Abuja and the establishment of multi billion naira Allo Cement Company at Itobe-Oful local government area in partnership with foreign investors, and so on.
His greatest undoing was the fact that his apostles were ambitiously and dangerously working to consolidate on power instead of delivery the best of the mandate in hand.
Whatever anybody might say, Capt Idris Wada has paid his dues. With the single-mindedness of purpose that he executed his assignment in kogi state, he has earned a place in the hearts of kogites and Nigerians at large. This conclusion may go against the grain of expectations of some few individuals, but then, it requires a dispassionate heart and deep understanding of administration to appreciate all the transformation witnessed in kogi state irrespective of paucity of fund under Wada’s superintendence.
What really distinguishes this icon from his contemporaries is his great concern for public good, fear of God, rule of law and admirable husbandry of scarce resources. So, as the Odu-Ogboyaga son quits office as Governor of kogi state, he is leaving behind an enduring legacy of honour and hard work and has written his name in gold in the Nigerian leadership folklore as the unsung hero of our democracy. I join millions of other Nigerians in wishing him a prosperous future endeavour.
Onogwu Muhammed, Lokoja
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