Opinion
Opinion: The twist of politics that got Kogi to where it is
The story of every state cannot be separated from the biography of its people and their respective contributions. However, the poignant story of the current state of the confluence state makes the people of Kogi ponder where, when and how and they got it wrong and on whose shoulder things went wrong.
Kogi State, was carved out of Kwara and Benue on the 27th August 1991 by the administration of former President Ibrahim Babangida, was a dream come true for the people. The people have continually tried to put the State on the threshold of rapid socio-economic transformation until lately.
Today, even travelers journeying through the state either from the North to the South or South to North would wonder if humans are still existing under those giants rocks that are the only visible things within that axis.
Delving into the political progression of Kogi State, the respective political pilots and the current retrogression, one could spot the strewing spot and the events that led to this crawling in developments.
In 1999 when democracy was restored to the people, Prince Abubakar Audu was re-elected into office as the first democratically elected governor of Kogi State on the platform of the erstwhile All Peoples Party (APP).
Audu’s re-election bid failed in 2003 governorship election that ushered in Alhaji Ibrahim Idris who piloted the affairs of the state from 2003 to 2012. In 2012, Capt. Idris Wada mounted the ship and successfully sailed on till 2016 when Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello took over till date.
The socio-economic contribution of Audu who is an Igala and the first man on the line-up of rulership, is to date a point of reference to the generality of the people and many aspiring leaders even though critics will never stop faulting him in a bid to demean Igala rulership.
Among his many achievements as recorded during his brief first term of office include the establishment of three different housing schemes for public officers consisting of over 1,500 housing units in Lokoja, the transformation of Lokoja township with asphalt roads, street lights, aesthetic roundabouts, the construction of inter-township and rural roads, over 75 electrification schemes and 50 water projects.
Prince Audu went on to establish Kogi State Polytechnic, the establishment of a television station, radio station (both AM and FM), a state newspaper and the transformation of the colonial residence of Lord Lugard into an ultra modern government house complex. The construction of office blocks for ministries as the new state had no office accommodation, the construction of shopping arcade complex to enhance commercial activities, among others.
He also pioneered the construction of the first ultra modern state liaison office in Abuja. His administration also built an ultra modern stadium and a five star hotel in Lokoja, the Confluence Beach Hotel.
He took steps to woo prospective investors to harness the numerous solid mineral potentials in the State. The big prize was the establishment of Obajana Cement Factory. The project, which was on going before he left office, attracted the support of the United States Government. During the visit of former U.S. President Bill Clinton to Nigeria, the State Government signed the agreement with the US Trade Development Agency (TDA) for a grant to finalize the feasibility work on the project. The cement project is now operational.
The establishment of the state highest citadel of learning, Kogi State University Anyigba, is another testimony to the vision and resourcefulness of Audu. The foundation stone was laid on 30 November 1999, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, visited the state. About a year later, the president returned to Anyigba during a state visit to commission the university complex.
According to a report of a visitation panel to the university from the Nigeria University Commission, the institution was then described as the fastest growing university in the country. The university received tremendous international support, which included an affiliation programme with Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Also, seven visiting professors from various universities in the United States were at the university to review its curriculum and align it with their own universities and prepare the students for exchange programme to give the university an international acceptability.
Other landmark projects he completed within four years include: 250 units housing estate, a sport complex, a specialist eye hospital and 25 other medical institutions. Others were a government girls secondary school on student exchange programme, 350 borehole schemes, 300 kilometers of township roads, the procurement of 100 transit buses and completion of 40 rural electrification projects.
He was also named the best governor in the 1999-2003 dispensation, despite being a governor on the platform of the opposition, the ANPP.
However, the political twist that removed Audu left a scar on the state. Even after all legal battles, Audu was unexpectedly ousted by unpopular Alhaji Ibrahim Idris (Ibro) as at then. Ibro succeeded because the cabals who smuggled him in over powered Audu and capitalized on his perceived arrogance and style of leadership. The departure of Audu left a noticeable bent on Kogi State and political analysts would know something had gone wrong at that point. However, the state wasn’t not in a too bad state when Ibro left the office.
Ibrahim Idris, otherwise known as Ibro, was another Igala man elected as the Governor of Kogi State in April 2003, and reelected in April 2007, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While he reigned, consideration was given to both human capital development and infrastructural development. The flagship of his legacies in health was the establishment of the 400-bed-capacity Specialist Hospital and Referral Centre in Lokoja, the state capital. In education, about 2,000 primary school blocks of four classrooms and offices each were built across the state. Every village or Ward in the state could boast of at least one block of the signature schools.
After achieving full accreditation for all its 29 academic programmes in 29 months, Kogi State University, Anyigba became the best state owned university in the country during Idris stewardship.
That is not all. Idris constructed about 1,500 units of houses for workers in Lokoja and across the 21 Loal Governments. All major roads in the state capital were dualised. Other notable dividends were the International Market, Confluence Stadium, State Secretariat Phase II and the 50million liters capacity Greater Lokoja Water Scheme.
One thing noticeable in Ibros’s administration and the previous administration was that each tried to bring the state out in one area or the other. The state, at least, stood out among states in certain areas. But the departure of Ibro was not a smooth one for democracy because godfatherism was felt and it was obvious that that power was only handed over to Captain Idris Wada behind closed doors.
Captain Idris Wada’s administration, another Igala man, was a bid decline in development but was not pretty bad as he was able to make some in-road in infrastructural advancement in the construction of housing estate (Ganaja-Ajaokuta road, Felele), 750km of roads including Ganaja-Otokiti dual carriage bypass, Ankpa township road, Ankpa-Ojoku-Okaba road, Egbe, Kabba township roads and others currently going on, over 300 rural electrification project, rehabilitation and construction of hospitals including the establishment of the college of medicine at the Kogi State University, Anyigba and the construction of Kogi Diagnostic and Image Hospital, Lokoja.
He built over 14 general hospital including Odu-Ogboyaga orthopedic hospital, Agro-allied subsidy.
His other strides include building and renovation of classroom blocks and hostels accommodation in the tertiary institutions across the state, water supply; the completion of Greater Lokoja Water Scheme, provision of intra-city bus service scheme and the recently commissioned world-class transport facility; the Lokoja Mega Terminal which cost the state over N2billion, construction of eleven story-building Kogi House, Abuja and the establishment of multi billion naira Allo Cement Company at Itobe-Ofu local government area in partnership with foreign investors, and so on.
The defeat of Wada at the poll portrays regrets in the mind of people as it was obvious that everyone wanted Audu back. People were already fading up and had realized they have missed it somewhere. But Kogi never saw Audu coming back even though he had successfully ousted Wada.
Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, an Ebira man, became the governor after Audu who the people voted for never lived to see the end of the election. Bello who initially lost the race to Audu at the level of party primary election was obviously not the people’s choice. He was however installed as the governor by the party national excos in Abuja with few Kogites on ground as requested by the court.
Bello was elected in 2019 amidst rigging allegation. His noticeable achievements so far includes Ankpa township road, Ogugu road, Revenue House, inter roads within Okene, rehabilitation of Lokoja Township roundabout and others.
Without mincing words, the efforts of Yahaya Bello so far has not given the state any better push. Kogi is currently retrogressing as the state can no not boast of any tangible thing that stands it out in the committee of states at the moment. In the build up of the state through the previous administrations before the coming of Yahaya Bello, each administration had a milestone achievement that puts the state on the limelight and makes it enviable at certain points.
Things have obviously gone wrong and the crack points are noticeable. This is not the Kogi State we used to know and hear of.
– Onoja Johnson writes from Kogi state.
By Adamu Muhd Usman.
“If you can think of it, you can plan it; if you can plan it, you can dream it; if you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
—Unknown author
Farming and livestock are Jigawa’s main occupations. The Jigawa people and its government are always interested in farming. So talking about farming, farmers, commodities and livestock prices are interesting issues for Jigawa people.
The prices of cash crops, grains, etc., are recording a steady drop in Jigawa State occasioned by the yearning and interest of the people of the state and also some state government commitment for both farming of animals and farm produce.
A check and investigations by yours sincerely showed and proved that the prices of many things had dropped by 20-30 per cent in the last four weeks and thereabouts in Jigawa state.
A 10 kg local rice farm (produced) in Jigawa State was sold at ₦9,000 as against the previous price of almost ₦12,000. Millet, sorghum, beans, wheat, Benny seeds, etc., indicated a similar price decrease.
People are of the opinion that the situation of a high supply of the produce from farms in Jigawa State has committed itself to producing a large quantity of farm produce and livestock to meet the demand in the region or the country at large. Surely, the increase in the supply of the produce from the farms or farmers had forced prices down in the recent past.
Others still attributed this price drop to the fear of Allah instilled in the hearts of hoarders because the clerics kept preaching against hoarding, which is seriously frown upon by God Almighty.
While some political critics viewed it as the bad economic policies of the President Tinubu administration, in which Allah used it to bring relief to the common man.
Quite obviously, Jigawa is amongst the three states in the federation that produce and supply the nation and some neighbouring counties with grains, livestock, fish and frogs. Jigawa state is also first in Hibiscus, sesame, gum Arabic, datefarm and also Jigawa is not left behind in the farming of cotton and Siemens. —-Jigawa is blessed.
But at the overround investigations, findings and outcomes, it was largely concluded that all these results and achievements were attributed to the people’s interest and passion for farming, but it is mostly because of the government’s commitments to assist, promote and enhance agricultural production in the state to make it a priority in Jigawa as a means of livelihood, occupation and income for the Jigawa populace and to be a source of internally generated revenue (IGR) for the state and also make the state feed the nation formula. Thank God, the airport (cargo) built by the former governor, Dr Sule Lamido, will now be very functional and useful.
The big question now is, can the state government sustain its support for the agricultural sector and continue to pay more attention and also sustain the package and gesture?
We hope that farmers in the state will continue to enjoy maximum support in crop production, including the use of mechanised farming. This will encourage livestock farming, which will go a long way to reduce or stop farmers’/herders’ clashes.
Also, the issue of soil erosion should be given due attention, and more roads should be constructed across the state in order to facilitate bringing out farm produce from villages and rural areas to urban areas.
As the saying goes, Success is getting what you want, and happiness is wanting what you get.
Adamu writes from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State.
By Abiodun KOMOLAFE
The concepts of power, privilege and governance are complex and multifaceted. Power refers to the ability to influence others, while privilege denotes unearned advantages.
Governance encompasses institutions, structures and processes that regulate these dynamics. Together, these concepts raise fundamental questions about justice, equality and resource distribution.
It emphasizes the importance of considering marginalized groups’ experiences and perspectives. The main problem in Nigeria today is its political economy, which is rooted in rent-seeking and fosters a mindset that prioritizes patronage over production.
The country’s politics are characterized by a patron-client relationship, where everything revolves around government handouts rather than effective governance. This has led to a situation where “politics” in Nigeria is essentially a scramble for resources in a country with severely limited opportunities for self-improvement.
When French agronomist René Dumont wrote ‘False Starts in Africa’ in 1962, he inadvertently described Nigeria’s current state in 2025. Nigeria’s missteps have magnified themselves in the theatre of the absurd, such as the construction of a new vice presidential residence and Governor Chukwuemeka Soludo’s boasts about the lavish official residence for the governor of Anambra State, currently under construction.
It is to be noted in contradistinction that the newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, is looking for somewhere to live. The official residence of the prime minister, 24 Sussex Drive, the Canadian equivalent of 10 Downing Street, is in disrepair and uninhabitable. No Canadian government can dare ask the parliament to appropriate the $40m needed to refurbish the residence.
Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeds $2 trillion, while Nigeria’s GDP is less than $400 billion. Still, Nigeria claims to be a giant! With an electricity generation capacity of less than 6,000 megawatts, Nigeria’s proclamation seems absurd, especially when compared to cities like Johannesburg, Singapore, Hong Kong and Mumbai. Even Lagos State alone should be generating, transmitting and distributing at least 15,000 megawatts, which would be a basic expectation rather than an achievement.
Nigeria today needs a comprehensive overhaul of its governance crisis to build a new political economy and social services that are fit for purpose. Although the government is on the right path in some ways, a root-and-branch transformation is still necessary.
A notable breakthrough is the decision to recapitalize development finance institutions, such as the Bank of Industry and, crucially, the Bank of Agriculture. This move is significant in a rent-seeking state, as it addresses the need for long-term capital – a prerequisite for achieving meaningful progress.
The development finance institutions require annual recapitalization of at least N500 billion, ideally N1 trillion. Achieving this necessitates a thorough cost evaluation of the government’s machinery, starting with the full implementation of the Oronsaye Committee’s recommendations.
The resulting cost savings can then be redirected to development finance institutions and essential social services like primary healthcare. Furthermore, the government should be bolder, if it can afford to be so, especially since there’s no discernible opposition on offer At the moment, the Nigerian political establishment across the board appears to be enamored by the position put forward by the leader of the Russian revolution, Vladimir Lenin, after the failed putsch. Lenin wrote the classic, ‘What is to be done?’
His observation is that revolutions do not take place at times of grinding poverty. They do so during periods of relatively rising prosperity. Significant sections of the Nigerian establishment believe that relatively rising prosperity could trigger off social discontent.
In their own interest, they had better be right. The caveat is that Lenin wrote ‘What’s to be Done’ in 1905. The world has moved on and changed since the conditions that led to the failure of the attempted takeover of government in Russia in 1905. Therefore, the Nigerian political establishment, for reasons of self-preservation, had better put on its thinking cap. Addressing power and privilege in governance requires collective action, institutional reforms and a commitment to promoting social justice. Nigeria currently lacks a leadership recruitment process, which can only be established if political parties are willing to develop a cadre. Unfortunately, the country is dealing with Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) instead. It’s rare to find leadership in Nigeria operating political boot camps to recruit and groom youths for future leadership roles.
This might be why many young people have a misguided understanding of politics, viewing it as merely a means of sharing the nation’s commonwealth. Mhairi Black was elected to the British House of Commons at 20 years old.
However, the key point is that Black had started becoming involved in politics at a young age. By the time she was elected, she had already gained significant experience, effectively becoming a veteran in the field. In Nigeria, politics is often seen as one of the few avenues for self-fulfillment. However, the economy is stagnant, with few jobs created in the public sector and limited investment opportunities.
This is a far cry from the 1950s and 1960s, when political parties were more substantial. Today, it’s worth asking how many Nigerian political parties have functional Research Departments. Besides, what socialization into any philosophy or ideology do our politicians have? Similarly to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, many of those who currently hold power are motivated to stay in politics due to concerns about economic stability.
Of course, that’s why the Lagos State House of Assembly has had to revert itself. It is the same challenge that has reduced the traditional institution to victims of Nigeria’s ever-changing political temperature. It is the reason an Ogbomoso indigene is not interested in what happened between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola.
It is also the reason an Ijebuman sees an Ogbomoso man as his enemy without bothering to dig up the bitter politics that ultimately succeeded in putting the two families on the path of permanent acrimony. Of course, that’s why we have crises all over the place! May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
KOMOLAFE wrote from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419)
Byabiodun KOMOLAFE
Rivers State is now under emergency rule, and it’s likely to remain so for the next six months, unless a drastic change occurs.
If not managed carefully, this could mark the beginning of a prolonged crisis.
In situations like this, opinions tend to be divergent. For instance, some people hold the notion that the security situation and the need to protect the law and public order justified President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in, and the appointment of a sole administrator for Rivers State.
However, others view this act as ‘unconstitutional’, ‘reckless’, ‘an affront on democracy’, and ‘a political tool to intimidate the opposition’. When we criticize governments for unmet expectations, we often rely on our own perspectives and biases.
Our individual identities and prejudices shape our criticism. However, it’s essential to recognize that not all criticism is equal. Protesting within the law is fundamentally different from protests that descend into illegality. Once illegality creeps in, the legitimacy of the protest is lost.
As John Donne wrote in ‘Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions’, “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls.” A protest is legitimate when it aligns with societal norms, values and laws. But when protests are marred by violence or sabotage, they lose credibility. Without credibility, protests become ineffective.
Regarding the validity or otherwise of the emergency rule in Rivers State, it is imperative that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors approach the Supreme Court immediately. They should seek a definitive clarification on whether the proclamation is ultra vires or constitutional.
For whatever it’s worth, they owe Nigerians that responsibility!May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
Abiodun KOMOLAFE,ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419 – SMS only.
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