By Obansa Ibrahim, Lokoja
Kogi State Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has said that his administration has performed excellently well since he assumed office on 27th January 2024.
The areas include security, health, infrastructural development, agriculture, empowerment, human, capital development among others.
Speaking on Wednesday in Lokoja at a town hall meeting on the enlightenment campaign of the renewed hope intervention programmes of the Federal Government with the theme”sensitizing the citizenry on Federal Government intervention programs at the State and Local Government levels, Governor Ododo disclosed that whatever policies and programmes that are being implemented by the Federal Government will be replicated in Kogi State.
The Governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media Ismaila Isah said “here in Kogi State, am very pleased to inform Nigerians that all of the programmes that is being implemented especially in the aftermath of the removal of fuel subsidy has been well taken of by the State Government.
“That is one of the reasons why his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo when during his campaign, made it clear that he will run a pro-people Government. A Government that listens to the demands and yearnings of the masses.
” He also planned to ensure that there is palliatives for the people. We have done three palliatives now. The last one for the year will be coming up within this ember months. There are a lot of initiative that is being tailored towards ensuring that, we align ourselves completely with the policies and programmes of Mr President in line with the renewed hope agenda.
“All the areas that has been enumerated in terms of intervention from agriculture, infrastructure, health care, energy crisis, and how to go about ameliorating the crisis have been domesticated and adopted in Kogi State.
“For instance, in line with the Federal Government efforts to ensure Local Government autonomy, am pleased to inform you that here in Kogi State, like his Excellency recently said at the last stakeholders meetings of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) before the commencement of the preparation for Local Government election, Kogi State has always ensured that their is autonomy for Local Government. That was what informed the publications of the State financial records regularly, which indicated how money that is meant for the State and Local Government are being spent.
” For many years, not only with this administration, including the immediate past Government. If you have gone through that record, there have not been any attempt to emasculate the Local Government. If you are following events in the State, the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), is set to conduct the Council election coming up on 19th October 2024.
” Kogi is one of the State that has moved quickly not only by accepting the judgement of the Supreme Court on Local Government autonomy, but also by putting measures in place to ensure that the State Government comply fully with that decision by ensuring that Local Government election are held within the year which is part of the bargain that has been raised between the State and the Federal Government by ensuring that nobody is left behind in the implementation of Local Government autonomy”.
Explaining further on the State Government efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy, Governor Ododo said “As for the NG-CARES which is part of the intervention by the Federal Government to ensure we are able to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on our people, here in Kogi State, there are over 170 projects so far that are being implemented under the NG-CARES programmes and this programmes are touching very critical sector like healthcare, education, socio welfare, provision of amenities and so many other areas where the Government has been very active.
“In terms of agriculture, we must have also noticed that the Government has keyed seriously into the Federal Government Agricultural and food security initiative. Recently, the present administration flagged off the distribution of fertilizers in the State. Governor Ododo made it clear that the fertilizers must not be diverted and priority should be given to communities where there is active farming.
” This is what informed the allocation of 50 percent of the fertilizers distribution to farmers in Ibaji and Bassa Local Government, deliberately to ensure that this very active set of farming communities are well taken care of not leaving out other parts of the State where there have also farming activities
“There is a lot of things we are doing. For the first time in history of Kogi State, we now have about 76 farm clusters across the 21 Local Government Area”.
According to the Governor”In terms of infrastructure, the State Government has also keyed into the infrastructural projects that the Federal Government has embarked on. Within the first eight months, we are already embarking on the construction of about 100 kilometers of roads, in about eight towns. For those township roads, we intend to do 400 kilometers in the next one year. But, a 100 kilometers have already kicked off in about eight Local Government Areas especially in Kogi East and West.
” Very soon, we will be flagging off in Kogi Central and the project will continue until we are able to deliver up to 400 kilometers township road in the State. Recently, we have completed the nine kilometers Zone eight, GYB, Zango road which started under the last administration. Between now and November, the road from Zone eight up to crusher, State Assembly to the High Court will also be completed.
On security, the Governor said “In the areas of security, you all know how the Government has been combating insecurities. The Government is ensuring that there is consistent improvement in our local security architecture which is why we have seen the recruitment of over 1000 Local hunters to compliment the existing ones.
” The State Vigilantes Service have also been improved. More recruitment has been done and their welfare packages has improved. In a few weeks from now, there will be another delivery of sets of vehicles for the Police, Army, Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC and other security apparatus in the State. We have given over 100 vehicles to the State security architecture and we have also provided motorcycles for local hunters across the 21 Local Government Area of the State. This are some of the things the State Government has been doing to key fully into what the federal government is doing.
“In the health sector, we are currently revitalizing over 70 primary health centres and plans are ongoing to upgrade tertiary health institutions across the State”.
In his remarks, the Kogi State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) Alhaji Seidu Ademu Haruna who was represented by his Vice Comrade Ibrahim Obansa commended the Kogi State Government for their quick intervention in cushioning the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
He appealed to the Federal Government to step up it’s game to allow more people to participate in agriculture and other intervention programmes in the Country.
The Kogi State NUJ Chairman said “Kogi State is strategically located in this Country. We want more Federal Government interventions. The Federal Government should make it less cumbersome for the Students to access the Nelfund loans and more speedily too . It is not everybody that knows how to read and write. When you say consumer credit, how many people understand this?
“They should be able to simplify this. On the whole, Kogi State is lucky that we have a Governor that is proactive to ensure things are done timely and accurately. Let the market Women carry this message to the people that the Government is working and are committed to allow their businesses grow”.
The Maigari of Lokoja HRH Ibrahim Gambo who was represented by the Mutawelli of Lokoja Alhaji Adamu Mohammed, appreciated the State Government for creating an enabling environment for business to strive.
“When there is no peace, there is no way we can access this interventions. The government should ensure that this kind of gathering is stepped down at the Local Government level” he added.
The resource person at the event who is a former Head of Centre, Federal Information Centre Lokoja, Alhaji Lawal Karim Shaibu, highlighted some of the intervention strategy the Federal Government have adopted to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
He listed students loan initiative, investment in digital and creative exercise, the Compressed Natural Gas CNG initiative, Nigerian Youth Academy, (NIYA), National Youth Talent Export Programme, (NATEP) Local Government reform as some of the notable intervention by the Federal Government to cushion the hardship in the Country as a result of fuel subsidy removal.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Head of Centre, Federal Information Centre, Lokoja Sabina Abalaka pointed out that the Town Hall meeting is aimed at Sensitizing and creating awareness among the citizenry and critical stakeholders to the interventions being taken by the Federal Government to cushion the effects of the hardship being experienced by the people as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy.
Abalaka admitted that the removal of the subsidy has brought about excruciating hardship as a result of general rise in prices of goods and services and sharp decrease in purchasing power of the people.
Continuing, Abalaka said “As difficult as this decision is, it is imperative and unavoidable in order to prevent total collapse of the national economy. We are all aware that trillions of dollars have gone down the drain in the name of fuel subsidy and everybody, including local and International economic experts are in support of this awesome decision.
“The purpose of this meeting therefore is to inform you and create awareness on interventions embarked upon by the Federal Government to help cushion the effects of this hardship. It Is expected that this will be a continuous exercise that will be carried out to help inform and enlighten the citizenry on the efforts being made by the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government has assured us that this is a passing phase and that the pump price of petroleum products would eventually stabilize. The Vice President just few days ago likened our present pains, to that,
experienced by a woman under labour and that the joy after delivery naturally makes the woman forget the pains of the labour. May the pains we are facing now eventually give way to joy and happiness.
The town hall meeting on the enlightenment campaign of the renewed hope intervention programmes of the Federal Government was organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.