*Onukaba advises him to clear all the rot from the state urgently
Literary icon and former governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, has painted a grim picture of the state and called on the Governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who will be sworn-in Wednesday to save the state from the rot.
In an exclusive chat over the weekend, Dr. Onukaba said the task before the incoming administration is daunting. He called on the people of the state to “pull behind Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello for total redemption and progress”.
According to the playwright, the incoming administration must address the myriad of challenges confronting the state at the moment.
His words: “Kogi is in a big mess. The state is broke. Workers are owed months of salary arrears. Roads in the state are in deplorable condition. The public school system, especially at primary school level has almost collapsed. The state capital, Lokoja, is about the dirtiest city in the country. It stinks.”
Serious mistrust
“There is serious mistrust and suspicion among the different groups in the state over recent political developments and over perceived marginalization of some groups in the state. All these have to be addressed urgently.
“The state has not witnessed meaningful development in the last 16 years. I expect the new government to embark on a comprehensive staff audit in Lokoja and in the local government areas. The era of people being paid for doing nothing should be over. The era of people just sharing public money should be gone for good. We have to carry out a thorough staff audit to know if the state workforce is actually 28,000.
“We need to begin fixing critical roads, bridges, schools and healthcare centres. The incoming administration must be creative and innovative in its drive for revenue. It must raise internally generated revenue to the level where it can pay recurrent expenditure.
“The new government must embark on reconciliation of Kogites. The people of the state are right now, divided and suspicious of one another. The new governor should be a peace-maker, a unified and a serious leader”.
Onukaba called on the new governor to serve as the bridge to link the state and its people together.
According to him, “Kogi is in serious crisis. A period of crisis portends danger and opportunity. He can turn this crisis into an opportunity for Kogi’s rebirth through good governance and exemplary leadership.”
Faleke should accept Deputy Gov to rescue Kogi – Daniel
Also speaking, a former Instructor at the National War College, Commodore Michael Folusho Daniel (rtd) said the state has moved on from the death of Prince Abubakar Audu and called on the Governor-elect to address ethnic mistrust among the people of the state.
The retired Naval Officer also urged party leaders to rally behind the Governor-elect to enable him achieve great exploits.
He said: “Faleke should be grateful to God for being considered for the position of Deputy Governor in a party we worked to make a force to reckon with. We accepted him because we know it is God who gives power. I urge him to accept the verdict and join the party to rescue the state.”
Great exploits
“The newly-elected governor is a man of capacity. From his blueprint, we are confident of his capability to refocus our dear state and make it the envy of all.
“The people of Kogi State are pregnant with expectations. They want quick fixes. The Local Government Staff are in perpetual hunger while many roads in the state are death traps. The governor should take radical steps to plug leakages in the system and thoroughly investigate ghost institutions and staff.
“Our monthly wage bill is unacceptable and we can reduce this without sacking genuine workers,” he said.
Daniel called on the leadership of APC to come together without prejudices in order to tackle the challenges ahead.
