By joshua SENATOR KARIMI SUNDAY STEVE: A SCORE CARD OF CONSISTENT QUALITY REPRESENTATION – Part 7
Abu Micheal
‘EQUAL OPPORTUNITY DELIVERED, ONE WARD AT A TIME’
In the politics of Kogi West, few names have become as synonymous with presence, projects, and people-centered governance as Distinguished Senator Sunday Steve Karimi.
Born in Egbe, then Oyi Local Government and now Yagba West LGA, Senator Karimi came into public service after a successful career as an Engineer in both public and private sectors. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011, re-elected in 2015, and in 2023 made history as the first man from Yagba to be elected to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since 1999. On the platform of the All Progressives Congress, he represents the good people of Kogi West Senatorial District — Kabba-Bunu, Ijumu, Lokoja, Kogi, Yagba East, Yagba West, and Mopa-Amuro.
From day one, his promise has been simple and direct: equal opportunity quality representation. Fourteen years later, that promise is being measured not in rhetoric, but in boreholes that run, classrooms that have roofs, transformers that power businesses, bursaries that keep students in school, and security infrastructure that gives communities peace.
Senator Karimi’s record began in the Green Chamber. Between 2011 and 2015, he focused on the basics: water, light, education, and empowerment.
Water was priority. Inoperative hand pump boreholes were rehabilitated and converted to motorized, solar-powered systems with UPVC tanks in Takete-Ide, Aiyeteju-Amuro, Mopa, Egbe, Ife-Olukotun, Ejuku, Ponyan and others. Over 20 new hand pump boreholes were sunk in Ejiba, Odo-Ere, Ogbe, Okoloke, Makutu-Isanlu, Igbagun, and more. New motorized solar boreholes were also installed in Jege, Igbaruku, Egbe-Tuntun and Aiyetoro-Amuro. Township water schemes in Isanlu, Egbe and Ife-Olukotun were rehabilitated, with the Isanlu scheme restored after being down for over 5 years.
Electricity followed. He resuscitated the abandoned Omo-Owa Mopo extension in Isanlu, completed transformer projects in Ofin-Isanlu, Ejuku and Egbe, and facilitated nine 500KVA transformers across Mopa, Amuro, Isanlu, Ogga, Egbe, Odo-Ere, Ife-Olukotun and Igbagun. Solar street lights were installed in Ejiba, Mopa, Ejuku, Ife-Olukotun, Odo-Ere and other communities. He also worked with Senator Smart Adeyemi to complete the rural electrification project in Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Essa after 12 years of abandonment.
Education got attention through the rehabilitation of Amuro Community Secondary School and St. Kizito College Isanlu, and the organization of WAEC/NECO/JAMB preparatory classes.
Empowerment was direct: 14 motorcycles for youth, pilgrimage sponsorship for 8 Muslims and 7 Christians, 25 grinding machines and 50 sewing machines for artisans. Markets in Ebu-Oke Egbe, Mopo-Isanlu, Bagido-Isanlu and Odo-Egbe were rehabilitated.
His boldest move was the Yagba People Empowerment Initiative launched in 2014. Incorporated with CAC and run by community trustees, he donated N34 million personally and raised about N100 million. At the launch in Isanlu, he distributed 15 vehicles, over 60 motorcycles, tricycles, grinding machines and deep freezers. The goal was to put capital in the hands of micro-business owners.
In lawmaking, he sponsored bills on explosives, whistleblower protection, national road fund, grazing reserves, and amendments to NIPC, Merchant Shipping and NIMASA Acts. He moved motions on commodity prices, the Obajana-Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe-Omu Aran road, and the need to declare a state of emergency on Nigerian roads.
Between 2015 and 2019, he scaled up. In 2016 he facilitated over 12 solar motorized boreholes across Mopa-Amuro, Yagba West and East. In an empowerment program that year, he distributed 150 motorcycles, 20 tricycles, 50 sewing machines, 20 generators, 75 grinding machines, and gave N20,000 bursary to 350 students — one from each ward. He also trained 10 artisans per ward. His bills in this period included Cancer Control, Electoral Amendment, and constitutional alterations.
THE SENATE YEARS: 2023–2026 SCALING ACROSS KOGI WEST
As Senator, Karimi took the Yagba template and applied it to the entire Kogi West.
Security was first. He conceptualized and self-financed an 85-bed Army Forward Operating Base in Egbe on the Kwara-Kogi border. With offices, commander’s residence, messes, armory, watchtower, and solar power, the base has reduced kidnapping and improved response time across the corridor.
Education became a legacy project. He sponsored bills for the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba and the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Egbe. The N2.5 billion remodeling of Government Science Secondary School, Kotonkarfe is underway. New classroom blocks have been delivered in St. Barnabas Kabba, Odo-Ape, Iluke-Bunu and Igbaruku. A National Open University Study Centre is ongoing.
In 2024 he launched a bursary scheme that paid N100,000 each to 1,000 indigent students from Kogi West. Working with the Tinubu Support Group, it was expanded to 3,000 students across Kogi State with N300 million disbursed. His wife runs an annual program that gives N2 million each to 50 women cooperatives on a revolving basis — N100 million disbursed in 2024.
Power and Water dominated his first year. Over 140 solar-powered motorized boreholes were constructed across Lokoja, Kabba-Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, Yagba West and Kogi LGAs. In Lokoja alone, boreholes were sunk in Ward A, B, C and E, and in Lokoja II’s Kakanda, Kupa and Oworo. Kabba-Bunu received over 15.
Transformers — 500KVA and 300KVA units — were distributed to Sarkin Noma, Felele, Kabba, Iyara, Ponyan, Egbe, Isanlu and Mopa. Over 200 solar street lights were installed across Yagba West, Yagba East, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi and Lokoja, extending business hours and improving security.
Infrastructure includes the ongoing Pakuta Bridge to link Ijumu, Bunu and Lokoja, and consistent advocacy for the Obajana-Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe-Omu Aran road.
Social investment is annual: about one trailer of rice per LGA during Christmas, Ramadan, Sallah and Easter, now extended to Kogi East and Central in the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has also supported communities during emergencies like the Egbe boat mishap and during township days.
Employment has been facilitated in NASS Commission, NILS, FIRS, RMAFC, FCSC, NIWA, Federal Fire Service and the Nigeria Police.
In the 10th Senate, his legislative work has been deliberate. Bills include Dishonored Cheques Repeal, CBN Amendment, ICPC Amendment, Electoral Act Amendment, National E-Gaming, Sports Development Fund, Federal Highways Amendment, and constitutional alterations on State Police and Local Government Autonomy.
His motions have interrogated refinery maintenance, oil theft, naira redesign, subsidy palliatives, and market exploitation. He co-sponsored motions on peace during elections and on national unity.
What defines Senator Karimi is supervision and spread. Projects started in 2011 are being upgraded in 2025. Boreholes are converted to solar. Teams go back to inspect. No LGA is left out.
The feedback from the grassroots is consistent. In Kabba, traders talk about street lights. In Isanlu, students talk about bursaries. In Egbe, elders talk about the Army base. In Lokoja, women talk about cooperative funds. In Ijumu, farmers talk about the Pakuta Bridge.
He has tied his work to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and in doing so has strengthened APC in Kogi West. Political leaders now say 2027 will be about continuity.
CONCLUSION: A LEGACY BEING BUILT
From an Engineer in Egbe to a two-term House member to the first Yagba Senator in 24 years, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi has built his representation around one idea: that government must be felt where people live.
He promised equal opportunity. He has delivered it — in water, in light, in schools, in capital, in security, and in laws.
The boreholes still run. The transformers still power. The students still get bursaries. The women still get capital. The communities still feel safer.
That is the scorecard. Not perfect, but consistent. Not finished, but foundational.
As Kogi West looks to the future, the verdict is already forming in homes and markets across the seven LGAs:
He started it. He is sustaining it. And the people want him to finish it.