By joshua 
Kogi @34 : Gov. Ododo fulfilling the dream of the founding fathers
By Hon Chris Ben-Kato Senior Special Assistant on information and communication strategy
For the people of Kogi State August 27 of every year is very unique because it is the day their state was created.
August 27 of every year therefore is a special day in which Kogi people always roll out drums to celebrate the birth of the state. Interestingly the state has a history of gladiators who fought tirelessly and saw to her birth.
Records abound that the likes of the late Ohinoyi of Ebira land, His Royal Majesty, Ado Ibrahim, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, Gen. Salihu Ibrahim, Gabriel Aduku, Ahmed T. Ahmed, Sunday Awoniyi, Gen. David Jimbewon (rtd), Emmanuel Abisoye and a host of others provided their wealth of experience, connections and resources and ensured the creation of Kogi State. Till date they are the heroes of the state.
In 1991, the nucleus of the agitators for the creation of the state automatically became the founding fathers of the state when it was finally created on August 27, 1991 by the military administration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. It was through them that the body known as Kogi Foundation was born. The first Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation was Major General Emmanuel Abisoye (rtd).
The vision of the founding fathers of the state in establishing Kogi Foundation was to put up a blue print in which will be a guide upon which the leaders of the state would continue to build the state for posterity
Thirty four years after, Kogi State no doubt has come a very long way. A lot of fancier and ugly things has shaped the development of the state since it was created on August 27, 1991.
For the agitators of the creation of Kogi State who are now the founding fathers of the state, one germane thing that was in their minds very clear and it was bringing government close to their people. The quest was not an easy one as many geographical interest within the country also fronted for the creation of a state for their people.
Kogi people owe the agitators for the creation of the state gratitude for making their labour fruitful and hence Kogi people today and with all pride have a state of their own.
From August 27, 1991 that the state was created it has witnessed various shades of leadership ranging from military administrators to civilian Chief Executives. Starting from Col Danladi Zakari, Prince Abubakar Audu, Paul Omeruo, Bzigu Lassa Afakiriya, Augustine Aniebo, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Capt Idris Wada, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello and now to the Chief Servant of the State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, the state has witnessed a leap in its social and economic prosperity
In abridging the story of Kogi State at 34, let me applaud the immediate past Executive Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello for his resilience in re-shaping Kogi State to a better dream of its people.
Former Governor Bello did his best in infrastructural development and promoted positive unity among the diverse ethnic groups of the state. He will always be remembered as a great leader who stood his ground during his eight years rule and put the state in the fore front of comity of states in Nigeria.
After successfully completing his eight years tenure of office, former governor Bello handed the baton of the leadership of the state to Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The current incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo was sworn-in into office on January 27, 2024 after overwhelmingly winning the November 2023 governorship election in the state.
Since assumption of office on January 27, 2024, Alhaji Ododo has demystified leadership in the state. In so short a time the governor has rip off tribal sentiment in the state. He has taken practical steps in his administration by consistently paying official visits to Kogi East and West assuring the teeming electorates in the state of his commitment for even development across the three senatorial districts of the state. He has also flagged off road projects across the two senatorial districts as a mark of the sincerity of his administration towards the positive development of the state.
In terms of the welfare of the people of the state, the governor has taken positive steps in ameliorating the sufferings of the people. His administration has persistently provided food palliatives in form of rice, sorghum,
millet, maize etc for the benefit of the entire citizens of the state.
The civil servants in the state today are witnessing better welfare. The governor was one of the first to implement the new minimum wage in the country. Senior citizens in the state also witnessed an increase in their monthly allowances. This is the first time a sitting governor would consider an increase in the allowances of the senior citizens in the state. It is a record the senior citizens of the state will never forget.
In a bid to relieve the state of financial debts, the governor has paid over one hundred billion naira debts for the state. The essence is to give the state space to positively manage its earning for the positive development of the state.
In the education sector, the governor has continued to pay the West African Examination Council WAEC fee for the final year students in all the public schools in the state. He has committed billions of naira in infrastructural development in all the three universities owned by the state. As at today the yearly hussle by school leavers for university admissions has reduced drastically because the three owned state universities has continued to receive full accreditation from the Nigeria University Commission (NUC), Abuja and they are functioning optimally.
Kogi State Local Government staff across the twenty one Local Government Areas of the state are grateful to the administration of governor Ododo because of the restoration of their full salaries. Prior to the coming to power of governor Ododo, the Local Government Area staff were receiving percentage salaries, a situation that has led to low productivity in Local Government offices located at the grassroots.
On fairness and equitable appointments in the state, governor Ododo has ensured that no Ward is left in the state without political appointees. As a matter of fact each of the two hundred and thirty nine wards in the state have a special Assistant to the governor. This is the first time a sitting governor would have the people at the grassroots at heart to a point of placing political appointees in each ward of the state.
Health they continue to say is great wealth. On this note the governor has continued to inject funds in the rehabilitation and repositioning of primary health care centers across the two hundred and thirty nine wards in the state. The governor is determined to ensure that health facilities are closer to the people at the grassroots.
So far so good, Governor Ododo has spent one and half year in office. His achievement so far in office has outweigh the little period he has so far spent in office.
In spite of different opinions on the progress of the state, Kogi State is developing in leaps and bounds. In terms of infrastructure you can’t compare the dearth of infrastructure in the state to the level of modern development in the state today.
Private developers in the last thirty four years have also found their way into the state and have helped in the economic transformation of the state. Private business moguls like Aliko Dangote has established the Dangote Cement PLC at Obajana. It is rated the largest cement industry in Africa. Mangal cement industry is another large private factory located in Ijumu Local Government Area. There is also a cassava processing factory located at Jemata in Kogi Local Government Area. The factory produces ethanol for end users across the country. Kogi indigines are being employed in the factory and it has helped in reducing unemployment in the state.
Communication giants like MTN, GLO, AIRTEL have also found their way in the state contributing their quota in employment generation for the people of the state. Major Banks in the country also have their stint in Lokoja the state capital. This of course has boosted economic activities in the state.
Kogi State is a leading home in the endowment of mineral resources. The state today is blessed to be part of the oil producing states in the country. The discovery of oil in the state has gone a very long way in employment generation and financial earnings in the state.
Rolling out the drums for Kogi State at thirty four is worth it for the people of the state.
The Chief Servant of the state, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has no doubt proved in just about one and half year in office that he is daily fulfilling the dream of the founding fathers of the state. These dreams are the unity of the people and the provision of basic infrastructure to the good people of the state
Kogi State has come a long way. The unity which former governor Yahaya Adoza Bello has put in place in which governor Ododo is currently building upon should be harnessed by the people of the state for the continued rapid socio-economic development of the state.
For the continued good work of the Chief Servant of the state, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo it is ONE GOOD TERM DESERVES ANOTHER
HURRAY KOGI @34
Hon Chris Ben-Kato is the Senior Special Assistant on information and communication strategy to the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.