KOGI TWO YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE FLIGHT BY CAPT IDRIS WADA

Sworn in as the third elected governor of Kogi State on the 27th of January, 2012, Capt Idris Wada has not relented in his efforts and vision to move the state to the next level with his uncommon transformation programmes.

 Situated on the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, Kogi state experienced one of the worst flood disasters in the history of the country in 2012 which had a profound impact on the government and the people of the state. But the history of the 2012 flood disaster in Kogi State has an uneasy dichotomy; while over 623,690 people were  displaced, 61,775 houses were destroyed and 304,775 hectares of farmlands washed away across nine local government councils of the state on one hand, the 2012 flood disaster in kogi state on the other hand triggered a new agro initiative as the Wada administration embarked on aggressive dry season irrigation rice farming, exploiting the flooded river banks of Niger and Benue into fertile rice farmlands. 


from Agricultural Development to Road Construction; Water Supply to Health Care delivery; and Education to Housing, a lot has been achieved despite constraining financial resources and other challenges. In the area of Agriculture for example, regular and Fadama farmers across the State have been provided subsidized fertilizers, improved seeds and extension services and procurement of excavators, mounted planters, harrows and levelers, harvesters and water pumps for farmers use in the council areas.

In the 2013 Christmas and 2014 New year celebrations, "Confluence Super Rice" became the People's choice as bumper harvest of over 40,000 metric tonnes of rice from the dry season rice farming was made. 

With His strong determination for food sufficiency for all kogites, Confluence Super Rice will be exported to all states of the federation and beyond by the end of 2014. Under Wada's government Agricultural policy, the twenty one local government areas of Kogi State are large farm owners deeply engaged in Cassava and Soya Beans cultivations.
These initiatives include the over N50b state owned Cassava processing factories in Dekina and Staple Food Processing Zone in Kabba Bunu local government areas respectively.

These achievements are the products of the Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS), a four-year rolling plan designed by the "Think Tank Committee"  which forms the framework for accelerating the state’s economic development, put in place at the inception of the present administration.

Within his second year in office, capt Idris Wada not only effectively positioned kogi as the emerging hub for agriculture in Nigeria but has also facilitated tremendous in-flow of foreign direct investment into agriculture particularly in Sugar Cane, palm trees, Cassava and Rice production and processing.

In kogi state today, the name "Wada" is synonymous to discipline as The governor's quest for an organized, determined and progressive society has turned Kogi civil service into a hard working, result-oriented, contented and dependable machinery for socio-economic development.

Capt Idris Wada has implemented several life-transforming programmes such as the innovative Youth Advancement and Development for Kogi (YAD 4 KOGI), under which the government is  employing over 4000 graduates youths monthly across the state since assumption of office.

delivering essential social services to the people of Kogi State, the Wada's government has had its most notable and admirable successes in the provision of healthcare delivery.  It is through the health sector that the Wada transformation became firmly institutionalized in the hearts and minds of the great majority of the people who never before had a government providing for their essential needs this way.

The present Kogi State Government under the leadership of Capt Idris Wada has laid more  emphasizes on public health, preventive care, health education, free programs for periodic medical examinations, immunizations and other preventive measures. Aside his messianic deliverance in this sector which has earned the Eagle Soaring Captain and the state the Award for the best Polio Eradication governor and the state in the North-Central and among the best three in Nigeria respectively,  Captain Idris Wada government has constructed and equipped over sixteen primary Healthcare centers across the state with dilapidated ones revitalized and equipped for public use.
In alleviating the suffering of the affected flood victims in Kogi State, the Wada led administration made a spontaneous response by the construction of over 270 housing estate mainly for the flood victims.
Aside this, one of the eleemosynary of Capt Wada's government would be seen very soon in its planned construction of over 1,000 houses to civil servants mostly living in Lokoja at owner occupier basis.

51 Rural Water Projects, involving the provision of motorized bore holes and 20m3 Capacity Pressed Steel Over – head tank; installed with 30KVA Generator is currently on-going in some Local Government Areas and health institutions across the State.
In addition, Kogi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, has drilled bore holes at about 107 locations in 13 Local Government Areas of the State, mostly, the West and Central senatorial districts of the state.

Capt Idris Wada's administration is meticulously and currently coursing artificial darkness occasioned by absent of electricity supply in many rural communities of Kogi state with the completion of over thirty rural electrification projects, while others are at an advance stage of completion.

Strategically, the Wada's administration constructs an average of 100kms of asphalted roads per year, stretching across the three senatorial zones of the State.  Consequently the State Government as at 30th November, 2013 has been able to award for construction and rehabilitation of at least 109 roads with a total length of 905.5 kilometers.  Out of these 905.5 kilometers of awarded length of roads, over 651.5km length of asphalted pavement has been achieved with associated drains, culverts and bridges.

In education, the present administration has made tremendous input,
Faculty of Medicine, Kogi State University, ANYIGBA,College of Education Technical, Kabba and Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja have witnessed massive infrastructural development. The consistent and noticeable increase in the pass rate of students from the State in WAEC and NECO exams today is the product of commitment of the present administration to education at both primary and secondary levels.

In the period under review, Kogi state has achieved coordinated development between urban and rural areas, in economic and social fields. The state has made simultaneous progress in economic, political, cultural, social areas under the astute leadership of Capt Idris Wada. Nevertheless, Wada's administration did not takeoff very early,from kogi political Tarmac, but the journey so far has been a progressive one with The Eagle-Soaring Captain as we can now see, Under shared prosperity and effective governance, his administration’s inter-connected policy programmes designed to economically empower the people of Kogi State which is aimed at creating inclusive prosperity for all stakeholders through agriculture, strategic infrastructure, human capital development and youth empowerment is today yielding results.
ONOGWU MUHAMMED

LOKOJA-KOGI STATE.