By joshua On Gov Ododo’s laudable visit to Bassa land as being represented by his Deputy
By Hon Chris Ben-Kato Senior Special Assistant on information and communication strategy
Leadership is a hurclein task. It is not as cheap as some people often think.
Some people have averred that leadership is of two sides of the coin. For one, there is this believe that there are individuals that people entrust leadership on them while on the other hand there are also individuals of whom God in his love entrust leadership on them. Whichever way leadership requires a lot of wisdom, maneuvering, give and take and ingenuity to succeed in any given assignment.
Leadership that is bestowed on individuals through the ballot box cannot be said to be totally divine but still require the divine hands of the Almighty to succeed. Whichever way one finds himself or herself in leadership position, a lot is required to succeed.
For governor Ahmed Usman Ododo who assume the leadership of Kogi State through the ballot box, there are strong indications that he has the backing of the Almighty even before he was elected into office in November 2023.
It is an open knowledge that prior to his declaration for the office of the governor not less than twenty individuals indicated interest to contest the same position. The governorship position wasn’t a straight jacket contest. A lot of high powered interest, political maneuvering came to play prior to the governorship primaries election. In spite of it, Alhaji Ododo won the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries and subsequently won the governorship election. Today he remains the executive governor of the state with the leadership status of the state entrusted on him.
In the last two and half years, Kogi people and the nation at large have glued their eyes persistently scrutinizing the leadership thrust of governor Ododo. Like in every leadership thrust, there are always divergent views on the type of leadership stuff the governor is made up of. There are those who appreciate the governor’s leadership style while to a few the only thing they can see in his leadership style with some dark spots. No doubt, the divergent views on the leadership style of the governor is the society’s way of judgement. No leader can satisfy the desires of all his subjects. It is only the Almighty who can provide the entire society their due.
In Kogi State two Local Government Areas to wit Bassa and Ibaji are known for their notoriety for backwardness and underdevelopment. In the last two and half years of Governor Ododo’s administration these twin Local Government Areas have made persistent appeal for the state government presence in their area. To them it appeared government has forgotten them. But for Governor Ododo, it is not the case.
Few days back, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo irked by the plight of Bassa people sent his Deputy, His Excellency, Elder Joel Salifu Oyibo to Bassa land to assure the people that the area remains one of the top priorities of the All Progressives Congress APC led-administration in the state.
It is worth to note here that Bassa Local Government Area is one hundred percent an APC terrain. Both the Local Government Chairman, the councillors and the Assembly member from the area are all APC stalwarts of the area.
In the November 2023 Kogi State off-cycle governorship election, Bassa Local Government Area was one of the top two that voted the current governor to power. It is worth to note here that the governor without mincing words said during his campaign promises that if elected he will remain connected to the people at the grassroot. This the governor has fulfilled by visiting the Local Government Areas to be in direct touch with the plight of the people.
The governor’s visit to Bassa as represented by his Deputy, His Excellency, Elder Joel Salifu Oyibo was historic. On arrival he met the leaders of the area who intimated him with their groanings.
His Excellency, Elder Joel Salifu Oyibo delivered the message of the governor by telling the people that His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is fully aware of the bad roads which cut across the three Senatorial districts of the Local Government Area noting that the APC led-administration in the state would soon swing into action as soon as the rainy season subsides.
The governor also said the state commissioner of workers, Hon Deedat Ozigi has persistently remained on the neck of the federal ministry of works to ensure that the road is fully rehabilitated.
On the agricultural potentials of Bassa land, the governor also used the visit to distribute modern and improved agricultural seedlings to farmers in the area. The essence is to improve agricultural productivity and enhance food security in the state.
Leaders of Bassa land who received the governor on the visit include the state commissioner of commerce and industry, Hon Muktar Shauib, Bassa Local Government Chairman, Hon Theophilus Daruwana, SUBEB Secretary, Hon Alhassan Adakeke, State APC financial secretary, Hon Paul Sheneni among others.
The salient point of the governor’s visit to Bassa land is the fulfillment of his campaign promise to the people which he said ” I must fulfill my campaign promise to remain connected to the people when elected.” And indeed he visited Bassa land. This indeed is the hallmark of a great leader.
FOR HIS EXCELLENCY ALHAJI AHMED USMAN ODODO ONE GOOD TERM DESERVES ANOTHER TERM
Hon Chris Ben-Kato is the Senior Special Assistant on information and communication strategy to His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo