By joshua 
X-raying Gov. Ododo’s acquisition mining equipments with 15 licenses and the great benefits for Kogi State
Ododo
By Hon Chris Ben-Kato Senior Special Assistant on Information Communication Strategy
“Great men are the guideposts and landmarks of the state.”
Edmund Burke
For over thirty six years of Kogi State’s creation, federal allocation has remained to be its major revenue earning. This of course has not helped in fast tracking the speedy development needed for the people of the state.
In hailing the giant strides of His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo’s laudable step on the State solid minerals where he acquired mining tractors with fifteen mining licenses, we cannot however shy away from the innovation of his predecessor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello who in the first place saw the need to create the ministry of Solid Minerals and placed a young vibrant administrator, Alhaji Bashir Gegu as the pioneer Commissioner of the ministry.
His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello has always had the mindset of placing Kogi State ahead of other states in terms of economic and human capital development. There is no doubt that, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo who succeeded him in office is already towing the same path of progress for the people of the state. And today Kogi State is better for it.
When His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo decided to take the initiative of harnessing the solid minerals of the state, his vision is to improve the revenue generation of the state and expand the needed development in the state .
It is an open secret that individuals and private organizations have been tapping the minerals of the state and milking the state dry of its God given resources. It is even more painful to discover that even foreigners with local collaborators are milking the state resources with nothing in return for the state.
Suffice it to say here that Kogi State is one of the state that God in his infinite mercies endowed with not less than thirty mineral resources. From Marble, Columbine, Quartz, Sand, Gold etc, the state has what it takes to be a leading processor of solid minerals in the country.
The positive initiative of His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo in acquiring solid minerals extraction tractors is the first of its kind in the state. To say the most, His Excellency’s initiative would go a long way in providing employment to many citizens of the state thereby improving the livelihood of the people of the state.
In his disposition as a governor with long term vision for the empowerment of the people, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has already earmarked twenty five thousand youths who are to be trained on solid mineral extraction.With these, many youths of the state would be empowered economically and they will use the opportunity to contribute their quota to the development of the state.
His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is a great leader, he is a politician with long vision for the economic development of the state. Today one can safely say Edmund Burke’s timely wisdom in saying “Great men are the guideposts and landmarks of the state” can succinctly be summed up in His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo’s great vision for the development of Kogi State.
While it might be too early for some people to front for His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo’s second term but looking at his giant strides in the field of education, road construction, human capital development, security, political stability in the state etc etc one cannot but squarely say one good term deserves another.
No doubt, with His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo’s innovation on the solid minerals of the state, Kogi State is set to compete favourably in economic development. These would be made possible because the governor is a leader and a politician with every day vision to transform the state for the good of the people of the state and posterity.
BRAVO HIS EXCELLENCY ALHAJI AHMED USMAN ODODO
ONE GOOD TERM DESERVES ANOTHER
Hon Chris Ben-Kato is the Senior Special Assistant on Information Communication Strategy to the Executive Governor of Kogi, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo