BY MUYIWA OYINLOLA
Barely eight months in office as Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, is not leaving anyone in doubt that a new ‘Confluence State’ is in the horizon.
Within a short period, he has enlisted his name among the new governors to watch in terms of performance and groundbreaking achievements, in this democratic dispensation.
Ododo kick-started his tenure on Saturday 27th January, 2024, by winning the heart of the people of the state with his promise and commitment to furthering the impactful policies initiated by his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
He promised purposeful governance,
people-friendly policies, and placing priority on security of life and property of the people, even as he extended olive branch to those who lost the November 11th, 2023 Governorship contest against him.
He also reiterated his commitment to ensuring a peaceful coexistence with the opposition when after his supreme court victory on 23rd August, this year he urged them to work with him to lift and develop the state.
While political analysts are still watching to see that his appeal was not a mere political statement, the truth remains that development is achieved faster when there is cordial relationship among stakeholders and in an atmosphere of harmony.
Those in the opposing side have been enjoined to see Kogi as an agenda, as a state for all of them, and work with the Ododo-led government towards developing it for the benefit of all and sundry.
It would be recalled that
the Secretary to the Government of the Federation ,SGF, Sen George Akume, commended the performance of Ododo during his first one hundred days in office.
Akume expressed his admiration for Ododo’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of the people of Kogi State, which he identified as a critical characteristic of good governance.
He also urged the governor to remain focused on delivering results and to disregard any detractors.
He also said he recognised the governor’s potential as a rising leader in Nigeria, and encouraged him not to be swayed by criticism, emphasising that his strong start gave a good direction that he has the capacity and capability to deliver the good for the people of the ‘Confluence State’.
Analysts are urging Ododo to continue to serve the people with dedication and the fear of God, ensuring that members of his team redouble efforts to bring forth creativity in delivering dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Consequently, the governor is displaying indications of running and moving the state to a greater height.
Recall that Ododo campaigned on two main agenda of ‘Continuation & Consolidation’ of projects, programmes and policies of his predecessor, Yahaya Bello.
Hitherto, he has continued with the infrastructural projects which he met at 40% completion, and which he has moved to 75% completion stage.
Equally, the state health insurance scheme for the civil servants initiated by the past administration has also been completed and lunched within his first 100 days in office.
In the area security, one of the key areas Bello was applauded, Ododo upon assumption of office took steps to rally round major stakeholders and top echelon in the nation’s security hierarchy including National Security Adviser ,NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, to ensure the momentum is sustained.
Importantly, his predecessor, Gov Bello, laid this foundation by making the state one of the most secured states in the country.
Before Bello got into office in 2016, the state was listed among the most unsecured states in the country but the former governor changed the narrative within his first tenure in office, making it one of the safest states in the country.
Part of the new security agenda of Ododo’s administration led to the procurement of over 104 operational vehicles for the local security outfit (Vigilantes), and provision of logistics and moral supports to other conventional security agencies in the state.
It is not in every state that succeeding administrations carry on with the programmes of their predecessors, no matter how laudable, and impactful on the people.
Observers noted that this is why there are abandoned projects with huge economic wastes all over.
At a time of urgent need to increase the nation’s food production capacity, crash the hike in food items and ease the sufferings of Nigerians,
the new government in Kogi State under the leadership of Ododo is taking advantage
of its arable land, by clearing 8,000 hectares of land for the new farming season. This is no doubt a step in the right direction.
In the same vein, earlier in the month, the state government commenced the distribution of fertilizers to farmers across all 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
During the occasion, Ododo, who expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his dedication to agricultural development, particularly in providing essential agricultural inputs to farmers nationwide, emphasized that the distribution of fertilizers is a collaborative effort with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, under the guidance of Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Khari.
He also reiterated his administration’s commitment to positioning Kogi State as a leading agricultural hub in Nigeria, noting that the fertilizers are not available for purchase in any market, and cautioned against any attempts by politicians or civil servants to manipulate the distribution process.
He assured that his administration will closely monitor the distribution to prevent any fraudulent activities.
Pundits are however, of the opinion that that the present government in the state should revisit the poor resource allocation and lack of priority to local farmers, by facilitating farm inputs, credit facilities, and access to Extension services, to encourage production output in the state.
They urged the state government to look into this sector to improve the state’s ability to feed itself and improve its food security because
despite the state’s comparative advantage in terms of climate, land, farming population, and water, farmers have been left to the mercy of the elements and this has impacted food security.
While analysts are of the view that Ododo is moving towards writing his name in the sand of time, they urged the
state government to avail itself of every provisional opportunity including lobbying and partnership, where necessary, to be able to deliver the good for the people of the state.
