Wada: Meeting The Peoples Expectation Through Budget Discipline

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When Capt Idris Wada, Kogi State Governor presented the 2014 State Government budget, it was very clear to all well meaning Kogites that the administration was on the path of total overhauling of the infrastructure of the State particularly in those critical sectors that affect the lives of the people.
With the year coming to an end, the entire landscape of the State shows various projects that are either completed or on-going. Thus far, the Capt Idris Wada administration has operated under the atmosphere of trust and commitment to the covenant of good Governance with the people. Similarly, the administration towards repositioning the state for businesses to thrive has made the provision of infrastructure as a priority in the administration’s transformation agenda.
Furthermore, the Cost of doing business in the state is now much lower and competitive with the productive sector now able to create employment for the people than what it was before the advent of the Wada administration.  For instance, administration at the Local Government areas of the state have been invigorated through the YAD4KOGI programme to gainfully employ teeming youths across the state.
This policy has enabled the rural areas to now serve as service centers in production of agric produce they have competitive advantage over as well as in creating employment.
The importance of the provision of good road network in the socio – economic development of any society cannot be over – emphasized. It is in line with this policy that the present administration since inception has considered road construction and rehabilitation in both the urban and rural areas as one of its cardinal objectives.
Each of the three Senatorial Districts of the State have benefited from the integrated road projects of Capt Idris Wada’s administration. Almost all township roads in the 21LGAs are under going construction. Presently, the major arterial road that passes through lokoja the state capital is progressing as dualization work has commenced. Similarly, the Otokiti Ganaja road bye pass, has opened up a new lokoja town.
About N20billion was proposed and is being expended in 2014 on various roads project in the State. About 1000 and another 1500 kilometers of township and rural roads would have been constructed at the end of current financial year to buttress government’s determination at easing the movement of goods and people from urban and rural centers.
While the provision of modern road network in 2014 received attention, the provision of housing at a cost N3.5billion was also made a priority area by the Capt Wada administration. In this financial year, work began on the 500 residential housing unit at Ganaja and Crusher areas of the state,with the building and maintenance of government quarters and buildings a top government priority.
Food is a basic necessity of life. Its importance at the household level is obvious since it is a basic means of sustenance. Adequate intake of quality food is a key requirement for healthy and productive life hence it is asserted that food is useful for maintaining potable stability, and ensuring peace among people. While food insecurity can result in poor health and reduce performance of children, food security in a broad sense consists of having at all times an adequate level of basic products to meet increasing consumption, demand and investigate fluctuations in output and vices. Towards food sufficiency, the present administration placed priority on agriculture.
The Capt Idris Wada’s transformation agenda for Kogi State has ensured peace among the people through its food security program. This is made possible by the purchase of fertilizer which is distributed at subsidized price to farmers, making tractors available to farmers at reduced cost, through an Agricultural revolution in Rice and Cassava production among other emphasis the administration placed on Agriculture, thus leading to food security, employment and income generation to the farmers, is what has stood the present administration in the state out as an exception.
With so much earmarked and achieved under the agriculture sector in 2014 which also includes, the state government accelerated food production programme, purchase of integrated rice milling machines,ADP projects and procurement and rehabilitation plants and equipments, topped the efforts of government at making agriculture the main stay of the state’s economy.
The state government also made the provision of potable water an area of priority towards enhancing the quality of life of the people and promoting socio economic development of the state. Over N7billion was budgeted in 2014 with reticulation of greater lokoja water supply scheme to lokoja metropolis, eastern, western and central water project schemes as areas of priority in the water sector. This sector without fear of any contradiction met the yearning and aspiration of the people.
Blessed with a great commercial and industrial potentials which are yet to be tapped, the present administration has also collaborated with private investors to establish viable industries in the state.
Little wonder in the commerce, finance and cooperatives sector, the development of an ultra modern stop over motor park, remodeling and redesigning of kogi hotels, free trade zones and industrial clusters lead the pack of the priority projects in this sector.
Information and sports is an area appreciated by this administration. The administration has created a free flow of information and has promoted sporting activities.
Efforts is on to complete the establishment of the state television station. All booster stations at Otite, Egbe and Ocheja have been completed. It has also completed the construction work on the administrative block for the state printing press while efforts to build a permanent NYSC orientation camp is on. Through government support and funding, the state has equally faired well in sports going by the number of laurels it won in 2014.
In the area of general administration, aside the conditional grants scheme, under the MDGs, vehicle loans to civil servants, prompt payment of salaries and other allowances, full computerization of the budget office, commitment to house of assembly and judiciary projects, work is fast progressing on the 11 story Kogi House projects in Abuja.
Without mincing words, all of this feat came about through prudent management of resources, accountability and transparency, attribute that has remained the state government’s watchword amidst dwindling financial allocation to the state.
In the education sector, a sector considered the cornerstone of sustainable and balanced development, the state government has renovated primary and secondary school buildings, paid WAEC examination fees for final year students across the state, sustained primary school funding, ensured accreditation of courses at the state polytechnic, state university, all its colleges of education while building of hostels in tertiary institutions in the state has remained another priority in the education sector this year.
In recognition of the vital role the health sector usually plays in development process, aside the free rural health programme a flagship of the administrations programme, that has so far treated over 120,000 persons across the state. Government equally placed attention in the building of the state teaching hospital, provided infrastructure and equipments for zonal hospitals in the state,constructed a 40 bed general hospital at Odu Ogboyaga, construction of modern medical diagnostic and imaging centre fitted with equipment in Lokoja and that of the Specialist Hospital project including equipments among others, were carried out to improve and enhance health care delivery services to citizens of the state.
With all intent and purposes, the 2014 budget that was tagged budget of reality, has no doubt achieved its aims and objectives with evidence of an increase in productivity, improvement in the well being and living standard of the citizens, increased industrialization and has provided the necessary basic infrastructures needed in both rural and urban centers of the state. Similarly, the budget execution has to a large extent greatly reduced poverty, increase employment generation, wealth creation and widen the comfort of the people. It is expected that the year ahead will witness a sustained effort towards ensuring that the transformation agenda through budget discipline and prudent use of resources gains a pride of place.

Abu Micheal, sent in this piece from Lokoja.


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