By Correspondent.
…Our mandate is for unity, development – Ododo assures As part of efforts towards victory at the November 11 polls, the All Progressive candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo alongside a delegation of party stakeholders visited Kogi indigenes resident in neighbouring Kwara state in a bid to dialogue with them and canvass for their support.
The party flag bearer in his address assured the people that the mandate is for the unity and development of Kogi state with a keen interest to serve humanity and not deviating from the remarkable blue print set by governor Yahaya Bello who has laid a solid foundation of good governance.
While he thanked their host for being good ambassadors of the state in Kwara, he affirmed that Kogi state is blessed with various natural and mineral resources in commercial quantity and his government is willing to further ensure the judicious use for the benefit of the state and its people both at home and away.
In his remarks, leader of the delegation and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bar. Deedat Ozigi noted that they were in the state to identify with and seek the support of the Kogi community in Kwara while they similarly want to demystify deceits by some political elements of the existence of ethnic, religious and political divisions in the state. He affirmed that such claims were false and governor Bello who met a Kogi state that was largely polarised has in the last 7 years united the state more than ever before.
He reiterated that the APC held a free and fair primary election with a candidate emerging to face a general election, he said that the party deemed it necessary to meet with Kogi citizens in some neighbouring states. He attested that governor Bello has performed in the last 7 years of his governance and his successor would perform better in all aspect, as he was not expected to maintain the status quo or take the state backward but rather surpass previous achievements.
The commissioner said that security situation before Governor Bello’s emergence was at an alarming situation but the governor faced it head on to a stand still up until the level that the state is regarded as the most peaceful in Northern Nigeria. He expressed that the Agenda being promoted in Kogi state under governor Bello’s leadership was simply the Kogi Agenda and such disposition was what is expected of the citizenry, both home and abroad
Describing the candidate to the host, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo said Ododo is a humble, dynamic individual and a goal getter, adding that the party’s candidate is a man who knows how to achieve success in any given task because he has been part of the success stories of the New Direction government under the leadership of Governor. Bello.
Mr. Fanwo mentioned that the administration of Governor Bello has invested greatly in several sectors ranging from health, education , rural electrification, infrastructural development and so on, which cuts across all the three regions of the state. He highlighted specifically the Reference Hospital in Okene which he hinted has ended medical tourism in the country while there were other state of the art infrastructural drive all across the region including the lightening up of remote villages in Kogi East.
He said the party and the leadership in the state have trusted Alhaji Ododo with the continuity mandate which would ensure the sustenance and consolidation of the solid foundation laid by Gov. Bello while he noted that the candidate even after emerging as the elected governor come November 11 would continue to dialogue with the Kogi indigenes in diaspora and also extend dividends to them.
Speaking on behalf of the host, Alhaji Jubril Mahmoud and other representatives of other regions expressed their delightedness to receive an unprecedented visitor and a flag bearer of the political party, such that has never been witnessed since the beginning of democratic dispensation while they revealed that work was on going in mobilising Kogi citizens with voters card registered to Kogi state, while they promised to work more to ensure that he emerged victorious.
While they thanked the incumbent governor for the numerous work done in the respective regions, they noted that they were ready to work with their people at home in a bid to ensure the victory for the ruling party.
A very highpoint of the meeting was when the state governor, Yahaya Bello called in to interact briefly with the delegation’s host. The Governor thanked the people for the continued support of his administration assuring that the party was heading to victory with their support. He also called on them to continue to support their host governor, Abdulrahman Rasaq and remain good ambassadors of Kogi state.
Other speakers including the State Party Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, The Chief of Staff, Pharm. Abdulkareem Jamiu, Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Hon. Bashir Gegu, Former Deputy Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Rabiu Alfa, The Rector, Kogi State Polytechnic, Dr. Usman Ogbo and Prince Bashir Abubakar Audu all admonished their host to throw their weight behind the APC flag bearer to further guarantee a more prosperous Kogi state.
