By joshua Karimi: No One Like Him Since 1999 — The Senator Who Set A Benchmark That Will Remain The Reference For Quality Representation In Kogi West
By Our Reporter
Sen. Sunday Steve Karimi remains one lawmaker with a difference in the representation of Kogi West Senatorial District and since the advent of the present democracy in 1999, no one has represented the district like him.
What makes his representation unique is not just that he attracts projects, every lawmaker does that in some measure, but that he does what no one before him ever dared to do.
For the first time in the history of Kogi West, a sitting Senator built a military base with his personal money. When kidnapping, banditry and killings made the Kogi-Kwara border, Yagba West, Egbe and Odo-Eri ungovernable, Senator Karimi did not write a letter. He spent over N750 million of his own resources to build and hand over a fully furnished Military Forward Operating Base in Egbe and another in Odo-Eri to the Nigerian Army. Today, security agencies confirm that response time has dropped drastically and farmers have returned to their farms. No Senator from Kogi West since 1999 has ever invested personal fortune in security architecture.
For the first time, a federal road abandoned for 11 years was returned to site because one man insisted. The Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin road had become a death trap and a symbol of abandonment. Senator Karimi attracted N2 billion for emergency repairs and secured another N6 billion to bring the contractor back after 11 years of abandonment. He also reconstructed the Pakuta Bridge linking Aiyegunle-Gbede to Kiri Kingdom and Kupa in Kogi LGA, a bridge that connects Ijumu, Bunu and Lokoja and saves farmers millions. He used his personal funds to do palliative work on Kabba-Ilorin, Bunu-Iluke-Budon and Kabba-Egbe roads when they were impassable.
For the first time, no ward was left behind. Records show 85 solar-powered boreholes, one per ward across the seven local government areas of Kogi West, plus facilitation of 75 new ones and rehabilitation of over 140 non-functional water schemes inherited from previous administrations. At his Lokoja Town Hall in August 2026, he announced another 22 solar-powered motorized boreholes and five industrial boreholes for Lokoja to address chronic water shortage. This scale of water intervention has never happened in Kogi West.
For the first time, electricity reached communities that had never known transformer support from a Senator. Over 32 transformers of 500KVA and 300KVA to Sarki Noma, Mount Patti, Obajana, Felele, Kabba, Iyara, Ponyan, Egbe, Isanlu, Mopa, Offege-Baptist and many others. Over 500 solar-powered street lights installed in 62 communities, 44 in Yagba West, 80 in Yagba East, 81 in Kabba-Bunu, 30 in Ijumu, 50 in Kogi LGA. Where there is light, business stays open, students read at night and crime drops.
For the first time, bursary became statewide and running into hundreds of millions. In 2024, N100 million for 1,000 students. In 2025, N300 million for 3,000 students drawn from all three senatorial districts, 1,390 from Kogi West, 1,000 from Kogi East and 610 from Kogi Central. In August 2026, another N300 million bursary was opened. No Senator from Kogi West has ever disbursed N700 million in bursary within two years. Added to this are 275 laptops, a full CBT Centre in Egbe with 43.5KVA generator, library fencing, security wiring, water system rehabilitation and internet connection, classroom blocks at St. Barnabas Odo-Ape and Iluke, renovation of Government Science Secondary School Koton-Karfe worth over N1 billion, and N10 million each to support Anglican Nursery School Iyara, Ayetoro Day, Ekinrin-Adde Day and N20 million for Kabba Day.
For the first time, women empowerment was structured as revolving wealth, not tokenism. Fifty women cooperatives received N2 million each after rigorous business training, totaling N100 million, designed to revolve and create more millionaires. Tricycles, grinding machines, sewing machines, farm inputs, fertilizers, sprayers and seedlings were distributed across all LGAs. Federal jobs were facilitated in NASS, NILS, FIRS, RMAFC, FCSC, NIWA, Fire Service and Police. One job changes a family tree.
Beyond attracting infrastructure, in the aspect of legislation he has also done well with motions and bills that have never been seen from Kogi West. He chairs the Senate Committee on Services and sits on Finance, Appropriations, Petroleum Upstream and Banking. He sponsored the CBN Amendment Bill to bar the CBN Governor and Deputies from partisan politics and to criminalize domestic use of foreign currency, the Dishonored Cheques Repeal and Re-enactment Bill, ICPC Amendment Bill, Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Bills for the establishment of Federal University of Agriculture Kabba which has now passed all legislative stages awaiting presidential assent and Federal Medical University Egbe, Constitutional Alteration Bills on State Police and Local Government Autonomy to return power to the grassroots, Bills on National E-Gaming Commission, National Sports Development Fund, Federal Highways Amendment, Delegated Legislation and NASS Financial Autonomy.
He moved the motion that triggered the Senate probe of N11.35 trillion spent on Turn-Around Maintenance of refineries between 2010 and 2024, motions on oil theft, naira redesign, subsidy palliatives, downstream pricing, market exploitation and national unity, and co-sponsored the motion on peace in Edo and Ondo elections and justice for Inspector Akor Onu. Colleagues describe him as prepared, a man who reads, debates with data and always brings it back to Kogi West.
That is why his representation is unique, none like him, not like others. He has set a benchmark that will remain a positive reference. He has aligned every intervention with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, making Kogi West visible at the centre.
A first-term Senator lobbies, a second-term ranking Senator chairs and decides. Returning Senator Karimi in 2027 means Kogi West moves from the queue to the high table with capacity to attract principal offices, full university take-off, more federal roads and more national presence.
From Kabba to Lokoja, from Egbe to Koton-Karfe, from Ogidi to Kupa, the people already know. Water is flowing, lights are on, children are in school, women are in business, farmers are crossing bridges and people sleep with both eyes closed.
That is why in the minds and words of the people, his return is sacrosanct.