By Obansa Ibrahim, Lokoja
The Special Adviser on Media to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, on media Ismaila Isah, has said that
Kogi State, under Governor Ododo’s administration has demonstrated unwavering commitment to promoting good governance through unprecedented probity and accountability in the conduct of government business.
The Special Adviser stated this in a goodwill message to a one-day round table discussion on good governance organized by Stallion Times Media Services on 27th june 2024 at Edgedrive Hotel event hall, Lokoja, Kogi State. The project is in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism under the Collaborative Media Project with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
According to him, the focus on the role of media literacy and citizens’ participation in governance will not only promote open governance, it will help to encourage the people to trust those elected or appointed to serve and build understanding in the society.
He noted that it is an undeniable fact that the time when trust deficit fueled by aggressive misinformation and disinformation has become a major threat to democracy, an organization like Stallion Times are doing the country a whole world of good by consistently creating platforms for connecting government with the civil society.
Speaking further, he noted that recently, Governor Ododo signed seven bills into laws that are germane to the wellbeing of the people of the state, saying that the process of making these laws was transparent, inclusive and painstaking with public hearing that involved stakeholders across all spectrum of the citizenry.
He maintained that it is no surprise therefore that the Kogi State Local Government Service Commission Law 2014, the new Kogi State Scholarship Board Edict, 2024; establishment of the Kogi State Electricity Market and the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission, 2024 and the establishment of the Kogi State Anti Corruption Agency and other matters connected therewith, 2024 as well as the Kogi State Commodity Exchange, Export Promotion and Market Development Agency Law, 2024; the Kogi State Information Technology Development Agency Law, 2024 and the Kogi State Mineral Resources Development Agency Law, 2024, among many others have direct implications on the lives of the people of Kogi State.
He ascerted that Women and youth have been accorded 75% of the nearly 10,000 hectares of the farm land being supported by the state government in this year’s wet season farming.
Speaking further he said, “there are indeed many more ways the administration of His Excellency has been openly inclusive both in terms of appointments, project distribution, empowerment, heath insurance, social welfare and security of lives and property.
THE GOODWILL MESSAGE IN FULL
It is my pleasure to be invited to deliver a goodwill message at this important event that is aimed at engendering accountability in governance through a robust civic space engagement.
The focus on the role of media literacy and citizens’ participation in governance will not only promote open governance, it will help to encourage the people to trust those elected or appointed to serve and build understanding in our society.
It is an undeniable fact that that time when trust deficit fueled by aggressive misinformation and disinformation has become a major threat to democracy, an organization like Stallion Times are doing our country a whole world of good by consistently creating platforms for connecting government with the civil society.
I am confident that the outcome of the session will further increase the confidence in the government by the people of the state and increase their ability to participate in process of governance in the state.
As you aware Kogi State under Governor Ahmed Usman administration of has demonstrated unwavering commitment to promoting good governance through unprecedented probity and accountability in the conduct of government business.
Recently, Governor Ododo signed seven bills into laws that are germane to the wellbeing of the people of the state.
The process of making these laws was transparent, inclusive and painstaking with public hearing that involved stakeholders across all spectrum of the citizenry.
It is no surprise therefore that the Kogi State Local Government Service Commission Law 2014, the new Kogi State Scholarship Board Edict, 2024; establishment of the Kogi State Electricity Market and the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission, 2024 and the establishment of the Kogi State Anti Corruption Agency and other matters connected therewith, 2024 as well as the Kogi State Commodity Exchange, Export Promotion and Market Development Agency Law, 2024; the Kogi State Information Technology Development Agency Law, 2024 and the Kogi State Mineral Resources Development Agency Law, 2024, among many others have direct implications on the lives of the people of Kogi State.
Women and youth have been accorded 75% of the nearly 10,000 hectares of the farm land being supported by the state government in this year’s wet season farming.
There are indeed many more ways the administration of His Excellency has been openly inclusive both in terms of appointments, project distribution, empowerment, heath insurance, social welfare and security of lives and property.
I urge all stakeholders to key into the open government initiative of the state government and avail the government of timely and constructive feedbacks to ensure improvements in our policies and programmes as we continue to lift the frontier of good governance for the socioeconomic development of the state under Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Once again, I thank Stallion Times for according priority to Kogi state in their efforts to promote openness, transparency and inclusion in governance.