By joshua 
Welcome to our state of Kogi Quarterly press briefing by KONGONET.
Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET) is a coalition of Civil Society Network Championing the promotion of participatory democracy, good governance/best practices, transparent governance and network coordination in Kogi State through advocacy and policy influencing for the well-being of Kogites.
*Highlights of events within the quarter;*
• Kogi State marked 31st birthday
• Kogi State inaugurated committee to develop 32 years development plan. Two civil society members co-opted into the technical committee team.
• Civil Society representative engaged on Kogi State health insurance agency board.
• Civil Society representative engaged on Kogi State disability office board.
• Kogi NGO Network attended 1st ever National Conference on Civil Society in Abuja
• List of Kogi State Non-State Actors (NSA) forwarded to OGP national Secretariat.
• Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET) set up committee to carry out on the spot assessment of locations affected by flood and some internally Displaced Person’s Camps within Kogi State.
• NACA/NASCP Teams visited Kogi State to ascertain the level of synergy between IPs, MDAs and CSOs.
*Education Sector:*
Within the reporting period, the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) lamented over the continuous reduction in the quality of basic education across the state once again. The coalition through her state coordinator said the state had neglected the welfare of primary school teachers as evidenced in the non-payment of full salaries to basic education teachers across local government areas of the state and non–maintenance of basic school infrastructures. The coalition called on the state and local government to immediately resolve the above challenges and save the future of Kogi State children. Marking the international teacher’s day, Mr. Titus Alonge the immediate past State Coordinator of CSACEFA has called on leaders in government at different levels in Kogi State to cast their minds back to good old days and remember to payback to the society specifically the teachers what they enjoyed as students when education and teaching use to be a think of pride.
*Health Issues:*
Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), reported that the significant improvement and restructuring of Kogi State Agency for the Control of Aids (KOSACA) has brought about more engagement of the agency with the national coordinating body. The state coordinator of CiSHAN reported that the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA)/NASCP teams visited Kogi State to ascertain the level of synergy between Implementing Partners (IPs), MDAs and CSOs in Kogi State. The leadership of Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN) within the reporting quarter reiterated that, Network of People Living With HIV/AIDs in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) and Initiative for Health and Social Development (IHSD) still remain the only funded CSOs presently implementing community level interventions in the State with support from Centre for Integrated Health Program (CIHP), they however, call on implementing partners and the state government to provide support to other CSOs within the state to boost the current community level interventions in the state.
*Social Welfare Issues*
The state coordinator of Association of Orphan NGOs in Nigeria (AONN) said attention of the network has been called on the unpalatable situation of Children Amusement Park been withdrawn from Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN). This action/decision will pose a lot of disadvantages to our children and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as the main objective of setting up an amusement park for Kogi children would be defeated by the activities of adult in the safe space of children.
It is never a good practice for children and youths to cohabit in same safe space, negative influence will definitely set in.
Within the reporting quarter, the state steering committee on stakeholders Consultative Forum on Ageing held several meetings and agreed to pursue the course of setting up of Kogi state Senior Citizen Centre to be backed by state law. The committee is currently co- chaired by Elder Steve Salawu and Elder Titus Alonge in Kogi state.
*The State of Radio Kogi*
Radio Kogi FM 94.1 The only state-owned radio station has been off-the-air for close to 15 months despite repeated calls from civil society for its reactivation. Radio is crucial for adequate information dissemination before, during and after the ongoing electioneering activities across the country, our people deserve to have access to quality and verified information from state owned radio station.
The response to the letter earlier written by KONGONET to the Hon Commissioner of Information as regards to the state of Radio Kogi stated that it’s (Radio Kogi) revitalization was in days away which has turned out to be months away with no solution in sight.
*Environmental Issues (Flood)*
Kogi was one of the States forecasted by Nigerian Metrological Agency (Nimet) to experience flood this year. This information and warning came early enough to allow for adequate preparation by individuals and governments at different levels to minimize damage and destruction the flood would have cause to lives and properties. As at the end of September, 2022 about nine (9) local government areas of the state has been flooded badly.
KONGONET in swift response to this disaster has set up a committee to carry out on the spot assessment of flooded areas. As at the time of filing this press briefing, we gathered that over 500 houses have been submerged in Lokoja and millions of naira worth of properties destroyed and over 2000 hectares of farm land including food produce loss to flood in Kogi State.
*Political Environment*
The 2023 general election is fast approaching, civil society organizations in Kogi State are seriously engaging the process. While some civil society organizations in the state over the past three (3) months has held several advocacy visits/stakeholders meeting sensitizing and mobilizing for peaceful election, others have developed jingles and live-phone in programmes to interact with electorates on the new electoral Act and a call for peaceful 2023 general elections in Kogi state.
*Recommendation*
• Children Amusement Park should be returned back to its original mother ministry (Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development), we call on the Executive Governor to act on this without delay to avoid exposing our children to danger.
• We call the Kogi State House of Assembly to provide the state steering committee on Ageing to prepare, draft and push forward a bill to establish Kogi State Senior Citizens Centre to cater for our aged citizens.
• We call on the Executive Governor to with immediate effect to direct the relevant ministry to bring back Radio Kogi FM 94.1 to full operation.
• Government should as a matter of urgency provide food and necessary social amenities across flood victims IDP camps in Kogi State.
We call on His Excellency the Executive Governor to officially inaugurate members of Kogi State Open Government Partnership (OGP) and provide the needed working space (State OGP secretariat) as required by co -creation principle of OGP.
*In conclusion:*
Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET) will consistently support laudable initiatives of government to ameliorate the suffering of Kogites and ensure the state upholds the tenets of democracy and fair play in her administration of our collective resources. On behalf of Kogi State Civil Society Groups, KONGONET appreciates the effective engagement of her members on state level committees and boards aimed at inclusive state development, we say thank you to His Excellency Governor Yahaya Bello.
God Bless Kogi State.