By joshua 
SPREADING DEVELPOMENT TENTACLES IN KOGI STATE THROUGH KOGI RAAMP
BY NDAMODU ALI, COMMUNICATION OFFICER, KOGI RAAMP.
The importance of rural development in contemporary Nigerian society cannot be over-emphasized in view of the improvement in the economic, social and political conditions of the rural dwellers.
As a strategy, rural development ensures rapid national development, hence experts asserts that rural development is one of the major planks upon which national development policies and implementation are hinged.
Rural development has become national imperative in Nigeria in which statistics have shown that a larger proportion of the countrys population resides in the rural communities.
This is an indication that Nigeria remains largely rural and as disheartening it may sound or seem, the rural areas are characterized by pervasive and endemic poverty made manifest by widespread hunger and general lack of access to healthcare and educational institutions, economic and social infrastructure.
It is these and other cogent realities that Government at various strata has come to terms that there is an inherent imperative to improve the general wellbeing of the rural populace.
One of the actions taken to bridge the yawning infrastructure gap is instituting the National policy on rural travel and transport in 2006 by the Federal ministry of agriculture and Rural Development which succinctly portrays the overall development of the rural areas of the country. It also portray the lack of efficient and adequate rural transport as a major bottleneck affecting social and economic development thereby affirming that transport development is central to the growth of any society.
It is therefore on the basis of the foregoing, that the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) was borne-out with a view at ensuring a functional rural transport system that would provide access to centres of employment, health and educational institutions, maintain vital links between villages and towns.
Suffice to state that the development objective of RAAMP is to improve rural transport conditions and bring sustained access to the rural population through sustainable manner in selected Nigerian states.
Furthermore, an improved rural access will enhance the agricultural potentials and marketing opportunities for the agrarian rural communities in Nigeria and by extension, help in the improvement of livelihoods of the rural population.
This will in turn alleviate both rural and urban poverty.
The development principles of the Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo led administration in kogi state is anchored on even spread of democracy dividends to all, hence the state participation in the World Bank funded project to address the rural roads deficit in the state having considered the enormous benefits the people would derive from it.
Speaking with the press recently, the RAAMP project Coordinator in the state, Engineer Sheidu Obansa described Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo as a trail blazer in rural transformation in the state noting that the rural communities have never had it so good.
Engineer Obansa stated that Kogi state is richly blessed with arable land suitable for the cultivation of Cassava, Rice, Beniseed, Maize, yam, and other staple crops adding that with the advent of RAAMP which seeks to provide all-season roads, the state will not only be the food basket of the nation but a major exporter of these farm produce at a time the Federal and State Governments are investing hugely in agricultural ventures in a bid to making it the nations major foreign earner.
The Project Coordinator emphatically hailed Governor Ododo for his profound concern and genuineness to the project and has progressed steadily to the admiration of the funding partners and the national coordinating office in Abuja who had at various occasion adjudged the state performance in her activities so far as excellent.
The multifarious activities carried out so far in line with the World Bank guidelines and specifications which include prioritization study, agro-logistic study, and evaluation for various consultancy services has translated to the commencement of civil works following the award of contracts for the phase one Backlog Maintenance/ Rehabilitation of 65.25kilometres rural roads construction including 24.1km ILAI-IFEOLUKOTUN Road in Yagba-East LGA, 19.55Km OBAJANA-URO- AKU and OSARA-ATAMI farm roads in Adavi LGA totaling 26.14Km, ANYIGBA-AGALA-ATE, 6.18Km ELUBI-ETIAJA-AJAWU-ULAJA farm roads both in Dekina LGA and 4.13Km ODIDOKO-EMAKPE in Olamaboro LGA totaling 15.01Km.
Happily, the rural-friendly Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo will be performing the ground-breaking ceremony with the official Flagg-off of the 19.55 KM OBAJANA-URO-AKU road this Tuesday.
The road project is symbolic as it will open up economic opportunities; enhance connectivity and improve access to essential services for the communities along its path.
With the robust engagements of the traditional rulers during advocacy visits to their palaces, where the State project Coordinator Engineer sheidu Obansa admonished that the people should take ownership of the project and the outpouring of encomium on the State Government for attracting the project to the state with the assurances of acceptability by the traditional rulers, the grand success of Kogi RAAMP is assured as spreading development tentacles is a done deal courtesy of kogi RAAMP.
Life, they say is better when you are happy but life is at its best when others are happy because of you.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo as the pathfinder of a modern kogi State will continue to make the people happy in his avowed commitment to re-write the history of our rural communities and all that is required is undiluted support and prayers for Gods guidance and wisdom for the Governor to take Kogi from the shackles of poverty to a state of affluence.