Gov. Ododo ride on, payment of salaries is great achievement
By Chris Ben-Kato Senior Special Assistant on information and communication
I watched with dismay the other day when Senator Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan stood on a podium and shamelessly pouring out vituperations on the Allah’s chosen and Chief Servant of Kogi State, His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Let me state here, that Natasha has not worked as a civil servant. She has been privileged to come from a well-to-do family and is so blind to what it means to work either for an individual, a company or public service. Not her will.
The majority of Kogi people are civil servants with family members and relatives within and outside the state. In case Natasha may claim ignorance of the value of salary, she needs to be tutored to understand the far reaching positive effects of every monthly salary.
For one, Natasha should stop turning the blind eyes on the benefits of salaries. A simple instance will suffice here. Whenever salaries are paid a visit to Okene, Lokoja, Anyigba markets and other markets for that matter often witness a beehive of economic activities. In simple terms, there is always an increase in sales of various commodities and the traders are the happier for it. The trader who transports the palm oil from Kogi East to Lokoja International market makes quick sales. So also is the trader who transported his yams from Kogi West to Lokoja International market and the trader who transports the maize (popularly known in local parlance as apapa) from Kogi Central to the Lokoja International market. The same scenario is repeated in all the other remote local markets across Kogi State. So what is Natasha talking about? Is payment of prompt salaries not having far positive effects on the lives of Kogi people? Yes it does.
Two, Civil servants have relatives some of them who are aged. As salaries are promptly paid Civil servants ferried their salaries for house rents, children and ward school fees, aged parents and other relatives. By this alone the lives of many people are touched and bettered. Natasha should be told in no uncertain terms to wake up from political slumber. Salaries are the live wire of many citizens of Kogi State.
Natasha should also understand that the majority of Kogi people have no access to the federal pot which she is priveledged today to be milking on a monthly basis. She should tender an unreserved apology to His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo for berating the good work he is doing for the good people of Kogi State.
Let me advice here that if Natasha did not see the good work the Chief Servant of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is doing for the good people of Kogi State, His Excellency should borrow her his eye glasses so that she can see and easily recognize the absolute peace prevailing in the state. As we speak some of her colleagues cannot campaign in their constituencies due to insecurity but today Natasha is freely and openly campaigning in every nook and cranny of her constituency. Natasha should kneel down before His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo for this unparalleled sustainable peace in the state which has enabled her to campaign freely in her constituency.
Again I beg His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo to still borrow Natasha his eye glasses so that she can clearly see the ongoing construction of the new ultra modern market in Lokoja the state capital, she also needs to see the ongoing construction of an Airport in the state. Yes Natasha is not seeing and she needs to see clearly.
Today indigenous Kogi students are being paid their scholarship, WAEC fees are being paid for all the final year students in public schools in the state and the parents are happy for it. The state owned tertiary institutions are well funded, no single strike has been recorded in the state owned institutions since His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo assumed office in 2024. Is this not a great achievement for the development of the state?
There are many projects His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has instituted in the state including the rehabilitation of over two hundred primary health care facilities across the state, construction of roads, youth empowerment, making Pensioners happy in the state and institution of absolute peace in the state. If anything, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo deserves a positive pat on the back and not black mail.
Is Natasha agitating that civil servants in the state should not be paid their salaries. Is this the mindset of a politician seeking re-election to the Senate? Too bad.
Let me at this point align with my master and the one and only Chief Servant of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo who openly said “Natasha is jittery of the fire on the mountain. She is already seeing her defeat at the polls and had nothing but to attack my administration.” Indeed that is where Natasha should be placed.
Natasha, keep weeping, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is far ahead of you politically and would continue to be ahead of you inshah Allah!!!!
As for His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo ONE GOOD TERM DESERVES ANOTHER. CARRY GO TILL 2031, Inshah Allah!!!
Hon Chris Ben-Kato is the Senior Special Assistant on information and communication strategy to His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo
