By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu
Authority is synonymous with responsibility, and the ultimate aim of governance is to provide better life for citizens , therefore Kogi State, being one of the richest states in Nigeria with great potential, is lucky to be endowed with a leader who is not ready to corrode the hopes of Kogi citizens with complacency.
Going by the demonstrated commitment Gov. Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, almost one year into his tenure, has shown consistently and remains focused in moving the state to another level of economic and infrastructural development.
From his emergence as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and series of other challenges, culminating in the Supreme Court judgement affirming his election, Ododo is tenaciously laying a solid foundation to serve the people better.
This demonstrates a streak of fortune, and thus fortified by fate, and after reaching the pinnacle of his gubernatorial ambition, the Governor is developing a sense of responsibility towards Kogi people.
Ododo’s administration started with determination on a very strong note, and armed with a clear blueprint of his administration, he stepped into bigger responsibility matching actions with words to transform Kogi State to enviable height.
Interestingly, Ododo, who has promised to prioritize the welfare of the people of Kogi State, has said that it was not part of his mandate to make noise, neither was he trained to react to the noise makers, but to always feel the pulse of the people and attend to their needs.
Kogi, as a transit state that borders ten other states, is in dire need of improved ways of addressing challenges of insecurity and incessant flooding which can impact other states bordering it, if left unaddressed, and the state can no longer afford to respond with the same inadequate measures that has led many into despair.
As the confluence gate-way to both the northern and southern parts of the country, Kogi should be a safe haven for all travellers, hence the need for improvement security.
It is for this reason also, that Gov. Ododo is putting into practise that political, economic or infrastructural amenities that are due to the people should be given them because of the numerous natural endowments nature has granted.
To buttress this, he has consistently prioritised the welfare of the people of the state particularly the civil servants when he approved with immediate effect N72,500 minimum wage, which is slightly higher than the N70,000 federal benchmark, for workers in its civil service and those at the local government level.
The Governor, an accountant, has assured that he was more committed to the overall welfare of all cadres of workers in the state.
He also gave tax relief to workers for the next one year, and has said that “no any Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax nor any form of deductions will be made from their salaries within the next one year.”
The governor has, since the last time pensions in the state were harmonized was in 2004, approved for the timely payment of pensions since he took office.
The feat attest to the outstanding achievements of the Ododo administration and has brought to the fore that there has been a high premium as part of measures to serve the peculiar needs of the people and stamp out poverty in the state.
But to sustain the tempo of the infrastructure development , the Governor has to take advantage and leverage on all the advantages and harness all the potential that Kogi has with its proximity to the federal capital territory, Abuja.
He must also further develop Kogi’s tourism industry which can make significant contribution in terms of income generation, and create jobs which will aid in maintaining stable employment.
A state that is blessed with enormous mineral deposits, Kogi’s potentials can only be harnessed to its advantage so that it can reach the promised land where the state will be a centre of attraction to other states in the country.
These all suggest that Ododo’s vision and performance is about growth and development, giving back to the society and fulfilling his electoral promises, but conventional wisdom says you need rule of law and strong inclusive institutions, as well as competitive economy that supports economic activities to be able to grow.
The duties of trust means being able to avoid the arbitrary abuse of power, in this regard the Governor appears to be conscious of the precarious nature of power by trying to do as much as possible to avoid the sad stories of yesterday’s leaders.
As his story continues to evolve, and as the Governor continues to steer the ship of Kogi, there should be a lot of motion with purposeful direction, he should always have the presence of mind, avoid being prodigal with resources, and remember that effective listening is crucial and that history will judge him.
But to succeed, he has to break rules. For Ododo to truly be a man of the people he must also bring an end to the existing bias in terms of major appointments of persons from Okene over others like Adavi and Okehi Senatorial districts.
The Governor cannot preach unity while creating divisions with such appointments, similarly, allowing loyalists inherited from his predecessors administration to stay in office will continue to hinder the smooth running of governance, and threaten the integrity and credible footprint that should be on his record.
The reality of governance is that few have left office with the standing they enjoyed on entering it, and implementation of policies is generally more worthy than the grandest of intentions, therefore Ododo must be wary of popular applause from a giddy multitude and to the utmost of his power, and while being mindful that every economic decision has consequences, must continue to render service and strive to promote the welfare and happiness of Kogites.
As icing on the cake, he must judiciously utilise the opportunity providence has placed on his lap to, at the end, develop strategies to avoid policy somersaults and be able to vindicate himself as having distilled the complex leadership into dividends of prosperity for Kogi people.
Dr. (Mrs.)Jumai Ahmadu, an Ag. Director, FCTA, is Founder, Helpline Social Support Initiative, Abuja.
