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In quest of service to his fatherland,immediate past governor and Governorship aspirant in the November election in Kogi, His Excellency,Capt Idris Wada rounded up his tour of local government areas,the 4th in the history of a leader with desire to render selfless service to the people
Wada’s tour of the state was during his first term and during the electioneering campaigns to sought for the endorsement and votes of Kogi electorates between 2011-2012
Soon after assumption of office,Wada unlike the previous governors mooted the idea to return to the electorates for thank you visit and to also render stewardship of his leadership to the people of the state,allien in the history of Kogi state
During the thank you tour while in government to the 21 local government areas of the state,Capt Wada not only thanked the people for their sustained support to his government,he launched free rural medical program to the people in each local government and also render stewardship of his adminstration to the people
As a man down to earth and high level tolerance,transparency,accountability as well as prudence,Capt Idris Wada during the tour of stewardship, told the people of the state, how regular payment of salaries to workers and pensioners had been on the priority list of his government,paid salaries up to date and leave bonuses for two years under review of his administration’s achievement, as at the time under review
Capt Wada during the tour emphasised why his government as at then,could not do more beyond payment of regular monthly salaries,social services and intervention in the area of Education,Health,skill acquisition and empowerment that took off the streets,our promising leaders/youths who were involved in thuggery and criminal activities that brought about social vices, characterised by security problems
Wada also took time from one local government areas to the other, to unveil plans to develop the entire fabrics of the state that was capable of bringing the state at par with the comity of states in the country
The immediate past governor told the people of the state his desire to concentrate on revenue and employement generating legacies, that will catapult the state and stabilise the social, economic situation of the state,capable of transforming the state into bumper opprtunities
He told the people of the dearth of funds and his refusal to mortgage the destiny of the state into borrowing huge amount of money from banks with cut throats interest,that may not be in the interest of the development of the state
Capt Wada told the people the desire to introduce a sustained development plans that will drive the economy of the state into Eldorado, through a gradual less interest borrowings from the stock market,invested into people oriented development projects in housing,social services,transport,hotels and hospitality,roads,Agriculture,Health,
Transport
Environment and Education
He resisted on embarking on white elephant projects,and ensured the completion of all on going projects among them, was the state secretariat and Confluence stadium in lokoja,as well as disaster management
Capt Wada true to his words, embarked on glaring legacy projects in all the areas that brought so many development to kogi state
Wada again, returned to the electorates for the third time to seek for re-election criss crossing the entire length and breadth of the state with huge achievements and proposal for the next adminstration when re-elected for a second term
In the first term,Wada accessed 20 billion naira bond from the stock market, repayable at a long stretch with reasonable interest rate of single
digits and accessed 8 billion naira,that gave birth to projects like Kogi House In Abuja,Kogi state University teaching Hospital project in Anyigba,Historical 10km Kabawa embankment,Kogi Hotels in lokoja,Ultra modern terminal Motor Park, Ultra modern diagnostic centre in lokoja,and other projects like renovation of Lagos and Abuja liaison offices as well as KOICA,billed to train over 17,000 skilled and unskilled workforce both at home and abroad
He told kogites how the dwindling economy and revenue had preclude government from accelerated advancement, but insisted that regular payment of salaries and pension was the priority of the government with legacy projects scattered all round the state
The former governor, told Kogites how the erratic council adminstration and salaries or local government workers will be mitigated, through the approved Bail out fund,been held by the federal authorities after approval of 50.8 billion,insisting that funds from Bailout proceeds was meant to offset baclokg of outstanding salaries of local government workers of about 45 billion,with state accessing, just 5 billion naira for arears of two months salaries, of state workers
On the whole,the first term of Capt Wada made payment of salaries of workers and pensions top priority even after it inherited a high and reviewed upward salary relativity from his predecessor,leaving just paltry two months salary of workers and funds in the state government coffers meant for the service or state workers entitlements
Build up to 2019 kogi governorship contest,Capt Wada made another foray into political waters of Kogi state with disappointment of erosion of his legacy projects,highly prioritised workers salaries and pension as well as diversion of people oriented projects and fund meant to advance the state into a model and modest form of infrastructural and human capital development
Capt Wada’s ambition for second term drive by the people of kogi state, was exhibited during his tour to re-orient the people of the state,the acceptance to remedy prestigious and well articulated projects and services,that on the long run move state and its people from the current leadership inanities
Moving from the West,Central and Eastern senatorial district of the state, was dually a message of gratitude,lamentation of leadership gap, as well the desire of the people for his return for urgent redress of decadence of public institution and systemic damages in the state
Wada during the state wide tour to heed the clarion call to return to the leadership of the state, to return the era of good governance,accountability,transparency, prudent management of scarce state resources,robust policy thrust and investment driven, that will bring back the state to the path of glory
The only alternative to leadership gap and poor management of state resources and open leadership style is to ressolve for the return of Capt Idris Wada of PDP, endorsed by party leaders,electorates,supporters, stakeholders across the 21 local government arears of the state
Now that Kogians can now distinguish good governance to bad leadership,between the present Capt Wada’s administration and the current leaders in kogi, it behoves on the electorates to look the way of extending their total support during and after the primaries to ensure the return of highly cherished leadership with good intention and above all,the fear of God
Abubakar Yusuf Writes From Lokoja
