Two years after: Democracy is working in Kogi.

A look at the Challenges faced by the administration of Capt Idris Wada in the first Two Years, amidst scarce financial resources.
The jubilation that greeted the several achievements of Governor Idris Wada's mid-term performance, no doubts necessitated the convergence of the who is who from the state at the town hall meeting and the gala night organized to climax activities marking the two year anniversary celebration of the administration.

Observers agree that not many administrations will pass through the tortuous journey the Capt Idris Wada administration survived and still record monumental achievements in just two years.
Viewed against the excellent record of the Wada administration, the achievements achieved no doubt underscores the rolling out of drums by indigenes of the state who came out in their hundreds to add colour and their voices in commending the good work began by the Wada administration.
A cursory look at the Wada administration shows that it was able to confront the initial challenges and the subsequent ones along the way with focus, clarity and courage.
According to the former National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party, Senator Amadu Ali," democracy is working in Kogi state."
Speaking at the Town Hall meeting, Sen Ali said that the Kogi state Governor must be commended for finishing projects left behind by his predecessor.
According to him, this singular honour indicated that Captain Wada is working as he called on the people of the state to continue to give him adequate support so that he can move the state forward.
The elder statesman  stressed that gone were the days when unfinished projects were left behind as he called on other governors in the country to emulate the Captain Wada example.
Ali called on the Governor to always remain focused and urged PEoples Democratic Party, PDP supporters in the state to continue supporting the party so that in every elections The party will come victorious.
Also speaking at the occasion Rear Admiral Ibrahim Dirisu (rtd)commended the Captain Idris Wada saying that the people of Kogi state are fully in support of his administration. Dirisu who spoke on behalf of the people of Kogi West at the meeting said Captain Wada is ready to do more for the people as he appealed to those who have not joined the winning team to take the performance advantage of the administration.
In his speech, the former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Chief Patrick Adaba who spoke on behalf of the people of Kogi Central said  the governor's actions since assumption of office has been with the fear of God and objectivity.
He said projects in the state are well distributed across all the three Senatorial Districts of the state and called on the Governor to continue to remain focused so that dividends of democracy will be spread across the state.
The State ALGON Chairman, Mr. Aloysius Okino said the cooperation the Councils have enjoyed with the Governor is commendable as he thanked the Governor for all his efforts towards transforming rural areas especially through the YAD4Kogi programmes which he said has taken a lot of Borden off the shoulders of the council chairmen.
Okino also commended the Governor for the giant strides recorded in agricultural transformation which he noted has come to stay in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the National Assembly Members,Senator Nurudeen Obatemi said the coming on board of Captain Idris Wada into office as governor was full of challenges but added that they at the National Assembly appreciate what he has been doing in the state.

Abatemi commended him for having a cordial working relationship with his Deputy stressing that they have been able to transform the state since their coming on board.  
Abetemi said he is optimistic that at the end of his first tenure in government the state would have witnessed tremendous progress and achievements adding that they will continue to support his administration.
"In two years you have been able to move the state to become a center of positive discourse. Our governor have identified the need to be with the federal government as no decision is taken today at the federal government without the input of Captain Idris Wada" he said and urged the Governor to sustain the tempo.
To cap up the peoples summation about the present administration in the state, Prince Abubakar Audu,former Governor of the state at a gala night, commended the leadership style of Capt Wada.
The former governor who said the agriculture sector amongst other areas has experienced a turn around,urged the governor to remain steadfast and not to be distracted.
Audu said the state is now having a focused and an acceptable governor.
Audu said his dream as governor was to see the state grow and added that he is confident that the present administration will succeed. He urged Wada to continue to do more for the people .
Prince Abubakar Audu who unveiled a new Logo for the state,described his presence at the gala night as a measure of respect he has for the sincerity so far displayed by the Wada administration whom he said is working to transform the state.

In a State wide broadcast commemorating his mid - term score card as the governor of the State,
Governor Idris Wada  recalled that despite numerous challenges that bedeviled his administration, his government has still made some remarkable achievements.
Wada said, the September 2012 flood, dwindling fortune of State allocation from the Federal Government coupled with the numerous litigation against his emergence were the reasons he could not initially hit the ground running.
He however said his government has turned all those obstacles to a planning stage and has started building on them for a successful tenure.

In his words, "In view of the magnitude of the flood disaster, the deployment of considerable human efforts and financial resources for its effective management temporarily affected our well laid out development programmes.
"The flood disaster was not the only serious challenge our Administration had to grapple with. I believe in the history of our nation, no State Governor has had to contend with as many litigation as I have had to do and as I am still doing. Apart from the Election Tribunal which terminated at the Supreme Court, there were eleven litigation, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. Three of them are still pending in the Supreme Court. All of them were deliberately instigated to distract, frustrate and immobilize us. In fact it has become the favorite pastime of some people to peddle rumors of my impending removal from office. Regrettably, the architects and financiers of these distractions are the most vociferous critics of our Administration.
"As if these were not enough to impede our progress all Governments at the Local, State and Federal Levels are grappling with dwindling resources which sometimes makes it difficult to meet basic obligations like salaries. In spite of these well known constraints we have recorded remarkable achievements in the critical areas of Good Governance, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Education and Human Capital Development, Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, Rural Development and Poverty Reduction as well as the Delivery of Health Services.
"The State has effectively keyed into the Federal Government’s Accelerated Rice Programme (ARP) and the Cassava Value Chain Programme. Under the ARP, the State has put 1,500 hectares of land under rice cultivation, while 250 hectares of land is being opened up in each Local Government Area. The land is being cultivated and allocated to women and youth co-operative groups.
The Federal Government is also collaborating with the State to establish Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZs) for Rice and Cassava. The Cassava SCPZ is located in Alape in Kabba/Bunu LGA. The State Government is working with investors like Dangote, BUA, Nigeria Flourmills, Chelsea Farms and American Rice Farmers and Cargill International to develop the SCPZs. Over 200 youths and women have been trained in Cassava Chips, Grits and Garri Processing.
Other breakthroughs include: "The Youth Advancement and Development Programme for Kogi State (YAD4Kogi) which is aimed at addressing youth unemployment in the State is designed for training unemployed graduates in Agro Entrepreneurship development involved 349 males and 244 females in September 2012. The second phase which took place in January 2013 involved 442 participants. YAD4Kogi Public Works consist of Primary school leavers, secondary school leavers and school drop outs who are trained to carry out environmental sanitation jobs in their various LGAs. The training which has been done in four phases between October 2012 and August 2013 has involved a total number of 3460 participants. The trainees who are called volunteers are property kited to carry out their assignments.
Wada also stated that aside development of rural areas, health improvements, sport and commerce,  the State government has been able to double the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, from N200 million per month to N400 million per month.
Capt. Idris Wada revealed that the state Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, has risen from N200 million per month to N500 million per month.
Wada made several disclosures about his administration during an interactive session with journalists as part of activities to mark his two years anniversary in office and presentation of his administration mid- term score card.
According to him, "When we assumed office, the internally generated revenue was between N70 million to N100 million but we have been able to increase the IGR to between N400 million to N500 million per month.
"We have been abe to achieve this by blocking all the loopholes and leakages through which money are siphoned. Also there is a systematic efforts to work with DFID to restructure the IGR in the state which will help to boost revenue generation in the state," he said.
According to the governor, the DFID is already training staff of the Revenue Board on how to improve the IGR, saying that the DFID has already provided 10 motorcycles and four Hilux vehicles to aid the work of the board.  "With the strategies already put in place to enhance the State IGR, in the coming months we would see a greater improvement on the IGR, especially now that we have already hit N500 million."
Wada however tasked the people to ensure adequate payment of their taxes stressing that payment of tax is a crucial obligation of the citizens which will assist the state developed.
The State governor also said the unhealthy development in the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to momentarily travel to Abuja.
The governor who stated this said he and his colleagues cannot afford to sit by and watch while the nation is shaking. He described the last few months for the country as a trial period for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
According to him, "Anything that affects the ruling party affects the entire nation, it is the collective resolve of the PDP governors
that the nation stays together as one indivisible entity.
The Governor said allowing the crisis that rocked the ruling party to continue unabated would amount to irresponsibility on the part of the governor's hence various meetings were being held in Abuja with a view to amicably resolve the dispute," he said.
Wada said PDP is currently on the path of rebirth and revival, stressing that they (PDP) have demonstrated the capacity to resolve their problem internally as shown in the resolution of the crises.
He further disclosed that his travels to Abuja was also to lobby and attract federal agencies to the state, saying that his administration's mission was to ensure that the federal projects
being embarked upon in their state are completed.

He added that with the several federal projects in the state and others executed by his administration, shows that the state is moving in the right direction and to the next level of development.
Other programmes held to mark the two year anniversary was the prayers in Mosques and an interdenominational church service.
At the interdenominational Church Service the present administration, Capt. Idris Wada disclosed is conscious of the expectations of the people, and so will gravitate in the direction of the peoples expectation.
Capt. Idris Wada, the Kogi State Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi noted at the church service that the administration is yet to attain its goal, however assured that it will keep pressing on in the provision of social infrastructures and in human capital development.
Wada who assured the people of adequate security for its citizenry, said sufficient attention will be given to education, towards restoring its lost standard.
The Governor disclosed that his administration has already begun rehabilitation, restructuring and massive upgrade of mission and other schools in the State.
The Governor who thanked the Christian Community for their constant intercession for his administration assured that efforts will be made for the State to continue to enjoy a peaceful, harmonious and coexistence despite its diversity.
The two year anniversary may have come and gone with the memories going to linger for long in the minds of the people.  One thing that has come to the fore is the purposefulness,commitment and sincerity of the two year administration in wriggling itself out of the challenge it met on assumption of office to one that has met the yearning and aspiration of the people.