In every democratic environment, productivity In leadership is a function of good governance. No state develop without leadership capability.
For any state to experience socio-economic, political and technological development, it has to be led by capable leaders who are inspired to change, improve the state in a productive and meaningful way.
Leadership qualities are showed by servant leaders, genuine leadership must give people a long-term vision that imbues their lives with meaning; it must point the masses in a new direction and show how their every action is an indispensable part of a purposeful whole. Leaders make things happen; they are wave makers. A society without talented and committed leaders will retrogress or at best remain stagnant.
The problem with Kogi State is corrupt leaders, scarcity of capable and productive leaders who have the desire to change the state from pocket leadership into productive leadership. Also, political ideology is a serious problem in Kogi state politics. Strangely, some politicians in the state are known to have discounted the importance of ideology in politics. And since some of them are not committed to politics or democracy ideologically, they tend to waffle on issues. Consequently, nobody is held responsible for any policy failure in the state.
Kogites across the state and in diaspora are unhappy with the level of public officers who have continuously murdered the development and bright future of the state in their pockets to the detriment of the people. If we view at what is going on currently in the State, when compared with other states like River, Imo,Oyo, Kano, Edo and Lagos State where we have seen massive development both in infrastructure and human capital development you will conclusively concur that the state is lacking in these aspect and when we traced the factors of this underdevelopment, we discovered that incapable and poor leadership of the government in power since inception of democratic leadership contributed to this ugly situation.
However, the factors that has hindered the development of Kogi State is poor leadership and lack of productive governance. For instance, if you look at what is happening in major cities of the state when it rains, it is unusual floods. A state that is 26 years should be able to boast of at least a city that should not be reckoned by rain. Lokoja has been the capital of Kogi State from inception and if you go around the city of Lokoja, you will weep because there is nothing to show that the city is actually a state capital. It is really sad that all we have had in the past 18 years of democratic rule in the state; is a dynasty of corruption of the highest order (the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer), impunity, unemployment, decay infrastructure, electoral fraud of unimaginable proportions and self-perpetuating government.
Can the present political leadership in the state maintain the tempo of the positive social, political and economic re-engineering ongoing in the nation ? carefully examining the attitude and behavior of the leaders in the state shows that many of our past leaders, as well as current leaders, were mired in the pursuit of selfish personal goals at the expense of common kogites interest or needs.
It is imperative to understand that the “underdevelopment of a state is the result of its deficient value system and economic structure. It is equally important to understand that the key social forces that have fostered stable development in other State are not yet in Kogi State . Our deficiencies are many; but we must have to give development chance to survive and for this, the sociopolitical restructuring in the nation will prove the present, and portray an ideal future.
But today the state is witnessing some change and the future looks promising due to the rise of young and capable politicians.
Change is ubiquitous in any society, for any intended change to occur in the state, we (kogites) must be ready to take a course. particularly in that which strives to fulfil human needs. And it takes a capable, productive and committed leadership to accomplish this propitious change in the state.
God Bless Kogi State
God Bless Nigeria
Baba Lukman
Writer,political activist/social commentator