QS Aminu Abubakar Suleiman has recently concluded a State-wide tour of our great state of Kogi. He has gone to 18 of our 21 Local Governments and met with our people. He has sat down with our traditional rulers to discuss Kogi. He has gone door to door, to the people, to preach his mantra of hope for Kogi, and he was well received. QS Aminu’s message to the great people of Kogi has been well received. From Kabba-Bunu to Olamaboro, Lokoja to Ibaji, Ijumu to Omala, the people have received QS Aminu in mass. The people have come out to hear him, and he has left them hopeful for a better Kogi. His words have resonated with Kogi, sending a clear message to all who care to listen, what the people of Kogi want, and who the people of Kogi want. To put it simply and modestly, they want good governance and QS Aminu Abubakar Suleiman.
QS Aminu comes forth to our political space as the light at the end of this grim tunnel we find ourselves. He presents himself to our great state unsullied, unblemished and unencumbered. A white dove with no illicit past, no record of impropriety, and no history of wrong-doing. He is a major deviation from the usual stock our politics has to offer, and the people have taken notice. They have seen reason through his efficacy to lead from the vanguard, from among the mist of his people. They have seen reason through their first-hand encounter of his unimpeachable character, resolve and intellect. He has presented himself to Kogi, and Kogi has accepted him with open arms.
This warm reception has been extended not just from the people of Kogi, but from factions of the political class as well. Dr. Peter Bala Akwu, a true son of Kogi, has abdicated his gubernatorial aspirations in favour of QS Aminu. Upon Dr. Akwu’s assessment of the competence and capacity of QS Aminu, he has honourably put his full weight and support behind him, withdrawing his own ambitions. This bold and honourable step has been wholeheartedly welcomed by QS Aminu’s camp. It is an attestation of Dr. Akwu’s loyalty and affection for Kogi, as he has dispensed with his own personal interests for the sake of the furtherance of Kogi, for the sake of Kogi’s future. But more importantly it is an indication of the followership and belief QS Aminu is garnering. For a goliath like Dr. Akwu to support him, it shows our polity is realising the pedigree and force that is QS Aminu. This endorsement shall be the catalyst triggering the domino effect that moves more candidates and politicians to align with QS Aminu, for the good of Kogi.

As stated earlier, QS Aminu visited 18 of our 21 Local Governments. With the exception of Mopa, Yagba East and Yagba West which was suspended owing to a meeting of aspirants that was summoned by the Party’s National Working Committee which coincided with his itinerary. He travelled far and wide to as many communities as was feasible. He walked amongst our people, and interacted with them. He made several observations of the plights of our people, the most alarming being the unprecedented levels of unemployment. Sometime in 2018, the World Poverty Clock pronounced Nigeria as the poverty capital of the World. With about 90 million people suffering from extreme poverty, almost half the Nigerian population, they cited mass unemployment as the major cause for this rapidly growing problem.
However, our problems are more nuanced than they illustrated. Yes, unemployment is in fact a colossal problem, but these foreigners do not understand it in the Nigerian context. Where they see Nigerians on the street hawking their wares, they see unemployment and destitution. But what we see, what QS Aminu sees, are entrepreneurs. We see a man utilising his human capital to bridge the gap in the job market to make ends meet for his family. We see women juggling between their household duties and catering for their families, by providing extra income. Be it selling akara, hawking gala or grilling suya, we see entrepreneurs. We see hardworking Nigerians creating employment for themselves in order to survive. Yes, we understand it is not ideal, and is a stark contrast to practices in developed societies, but it is our reality, and we must do what we can for these classes of people.

Upon this backdrop, QS Aminu is desirous of taking Development Finance to greater heights in Kogi, with an emphasis on Microfinance. He is desirous of aiding these petty traders and SMEs. After all, the mighty oak tree was once an acorn. Microfinance Banking under a QS Aminu led administration would not be a state-owned initiative, but an initiative with the political will and backing of the state. The state’s role is not to provide these services, but to be a facilitator and regulator of the equitable provision of these services for its people. QS Aminu is desirous of the promotion of Microfinance through tax incentivisation for both the lender and the borrower. This would come in the form of Corporate tax reliefs for existing and newly incorporated Microfinance Banks in Kogi, as well as Pay as you earn (paye) tax reliefs for the traders/borrowers.
According to a 2012 Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) study, 60% of the adult population in the Nigerian economy is not serviced by the formal financial market. This means that higher taxation makes the cost of entering the formal economy higher, deterring people from moving from informal to formal. This ironically contradicts and creates the opposite of the intended effect of higher taxation, more government revenue, as people become less inclined to pay tax. Thus, under our current economic landscape, Governments must look to reduce the burden of taxation on the people, and source for revenue elsewhere. Which would be of little concern to a QS Aminu led Administration, seeing as Public Private Partnerships (PPP) forms part of the bedrock of his expertise.
Microfinancing is a simple solution to a very complex problem. It does not take away from our intention to create, or rather incentivise the private-sector led creation of, real jobs for the people. But is an avenue to sustain and empower our people in the interim, as well as promote the creation of Kogi owned business enterprise, no matter the size. It is a short-term initiative to fill the economic void while the longer-term solutions are in the works. Good governance must meet the needs of the people, whether short term or long, and that is what we intend to do. We have the resources, we have the human capital, all we need is to marry these factors of production to allow our people to grow. We are hell bent on uplifting the plight of the unemployed, QS Aminu is hell bent on doing so, and this is one of several methods we shall employ. By providing our people with capital, we are creating a much-needed stimulus for all of Kogi, and even those in our geopolitical zone, by increasing the purchasing power of our citizens. At the end of the day our ultimate economic goal is to create a strong Kogi middle class, and this is a step in that direction.
The recently concluded tour re-opened our eyes to the untapped wealth of Kogi. We are a land that is abundantly blessed. Be it natural resources or human capital, we have it all. This tour reinforced this notion to QS Aminu, strengthening his resolve and enhancing his vigour to maximise our potential. We need a leader that understands the industry of our people and can harness our potential. He is set to be that man. He is learned and qualified enough to be that man. He is here to father our state and guide us through this journey to prosperity. A true trailblazer in every sense of the word. A man who CAN. A man who WILL.