I just returned to base a few hours ago from Lokoja, capital of Kogi State. I had joined over 100 top ranking journalists and online publishers who went for a two-day annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) to which we belong. As a matter of fact, when over two months ago, a message came that Kogi State government would host the 2024 conference, first ever to be hosted by any state government and to be held outside Lagos and Abuja, the first thing that crossed my mind was that the message must have been sent in error. The thought was predicated on the fact that Kogi State had never been known to be so exposed and matured in terms of publicity blitz, that it would think of hosting such gigantic media event. For a fact, states that had held such event, including the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the past, have been few and far between. They are Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Lagos, Ekiti and one or two other states.
Well, I was not only proved wrong in my initial thought (of impossibility), but the event was successfully held between Tuesday, October 1 and yesterday, Thursday, October 3. In fact, the euphoria and smoothness that characterized the event spoke volume not only about the strength of character and receptiveness of the man in charge now, Ahmed Usman Ododo, but also about the new dispensation in the state. My thought that was later proved wrong was borne out of the simple, can-never-hurt-a-fly appearance and mien of the new man in the Lugard House, Governor Ododo. In fact, the first impression one would get from him, resulting from his gentle appearance would be “a man that is warming the Executive Seat.” However, being privileged to attend the GOCOP conference as one of the pioneer members, and being privileged to have a close-range interaction with the operatives in the government, and inspection of a few of Governor Ododo’s feet being planted on the sand of time, barely nine months sojourn in Kogi State governance, I would say, a far different impression has taken the better of me, and I’m sure, many of my colleagues too.
Deputy Gov Joel (middle), Amb Yusuf Mamman (left), Maureen Chigbo (right) GOCOP President After all, many of such colleagues, in the buildups to the conference, had expressed reservations and even fear about the danger we were set to go into, with insecurity, especially kidnappings being witnessed regularly in the state. Others also raised the issue of flood around Koton Karfe, near Lokoja around this time of the year. The flood used to cutoff travellers between Abuja and those in the South South and Southwest. As a matter of fact, many of the colleagues traveled to Lokoja between October 1 and today, October 4, when we left, with some kind of trepidation. Of course, I’m sure that when all of them return to base – Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Katsina, Enugu and others – they would have a serious rethink, and longing for the return to the state, which even in dream, they would acknowledge is peaceful, fast progressing, in no distant future.
Kingsley (far left), Ismail (far right) at GOCOP conference. Now back to the real thing happening in Kogi State: there is what I would call a rain of infrastructural development going on silently. They are roads, houses and several other constructions. There is restructuring of many sectors that have never been done before, all for the purpose of ensuring a faster move to the zenith. One of the examples of, perhaps, the silent development revolution going on in Kogi is within the precipice of the structure housing the seat of government, known as Government House. As the saying goes: “charity begins at home,” so Governor Ododo has obviously bought into this wise saying by first embarking on the restructuring of the government house, which he has done within the short period he has been on the saddle, so much that one doesn’t need much grammar to know that he’s serious about development across the state. We were briefly taken round the government house yesterday evening, October 3, by the Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Media, Ismail Isah and were truly marveled at such structure like State Executive Council Chamber, Banquet Hall, Press Gallery, and others which have been put together within just nine months. The governor wanted a situation where we would go on visit to numerous projects his government has executed in so short a time, but the online publishers were so preoccupied with the conference and other activities around it that they couldn’t make out time for such project tour. One would want to make it clear that the governor has achieved so much and moving so fast because he’s synchronizing very well with the system and with the subordinates; as confirmed by the Deputy Governor, Elder Joel Salifu, who jocundly delivered the address of the Governor at the conference yesterday because the governor had an unscheduled urgent assignment to attend elsewhere. The deputy governor, spoke so glowingly about Ododo, especially for picking a school Headmaster like him as his Deputy. Even the special adviser on media, Ismail Isah confirmed that the governor has been implementing whatever good and productive ideas brought before him. Also, the state commissioner for information, Kingsley Famwo, who the governor inherited from his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, showed that the idea of hosting GOCOP emanated from within the system which he, the governor bought-into. And therefore, such mind of listening to and implementing progressive ideas from the subordinates as has been identified with Governor Ododo, is definitely the key to personal and collective progress, for the general benefit of the state.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has apologised for preaching wrong christian doctrine on tithes. He admitted that he was wrong in saying that any believer who does not pay tithes will not make heaven. Speaking at the ongoing annual national youth convention of the church at the RCCG Redemption City, Pastor Adeboye said: “I am going to be talking to everybody as soon as God permits me. I am going to apologise for making a mistake for saying that if you don’t pay tithe, you will not be making it to heaven. That is wrong. “That is not in the Bible. What the Bible says is to make peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God. What the Bible says is, to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man will make heaven. “It is possible to be right and wrong at the same time. I will prove it to you. For years, we taught that light travels in a straight line. Later we say it travels in waves.” Adeboye narrated his experience at one of the conventions of the ministry of Kenneth E Hagin in Tulsa, United States, where a man made a promise to give more than all participants at the convention. He said that all participants had given about 3.5 million dollars towards the building of the Rhema Bible College, and that the man promised he was going to give more than what everybody gave towards the project. “The man told me how he had started a business with 500 dollars and had told God if he blessed him, he would not insult Him with 10 per cent. “Five years after the man started the business, he said he was making a turnover of 50 million dollars. And that was what inspired me also to give towards God’s work violently. “If you want to dominate, you must know how to praise God violently. How did David become king? He was not the first in the family, he was not even recognised but he knew how to praise God. He did not do it gently but violently, with all his might. “Unfortunately, most of us don’t appreciate that. When we are much younger in the Lord, we praise God freely. As we begin to grow in the Lord, our praise becomes gentle, more civilised, and more polite. David, even after he became king, danced so vigorously that even his wife mocked him. “Your giving must be of the violent type. King Solomon gave thousands of burnt offerings to God and God said there would not be a king before or after him, and he would not fight a single war, because kings fight war to retain their domain and the Bible records that he has peace all round.”
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has said that he and his team hit the ground running from January 27 and have been silently transforming the state in all sectors. The governor, who spoke through his Deputy, Elder Joel Salifu, at the 8th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), yesterday, October 3, said that his government has been working hard on road infrastructure development, investment in food production, and other sectors. Governor Ododo said that Kogi state has not been joining nationwide protests to end bad governance because “we are seeing the impact of Mr. President’s administration and his economic policies. “we are doing our protests through mechanized farming with the view to bringing down the high costs of food in the state.” The governor said that his administration is all inclusive, regardless of tribe and religion, among other fault lines, adding: “this government is the people’s government. “We are silently turning things round in the state. “We have signed up for the open government partnership. We are working to ensure that the resources of Kogi state work for the people of the state.” He advised members of the GOCOP to be patriotic in their reportage of events in the country, especially on security issue. “We must all agree that you can only practise in a safe and secure environment.” The governor acknowledged the effort of President Tinubu to bolster national security, saying: “we will support President Bola Tinubu and will not lift our leg from the pedal (accelerator) until the battle against banditry is won.” He said that the federal government and the Kogi State government are working hand in hand to create a nation and a state of visions and opportunities. The governor noted that President Tinubu is taking progressive steps to make Nigeria great again, even as he urged those clamouring to take the country back to redirect their campaign. “Those who are saying Nigerians should take back their nation should know that Nigeria is already in the hands of Nigerians. I, as an individual, know that Nigeria is already in the hands of Nigerians. The question now is, what should we do with Nigeria”
Former Governor of Cross River State, Chief Liyel Imoke has recommended a good number of measures towards saving Nigeria from the age long power deficiency that had thrown many parts of the country into darkness. In a keynote address he delivered at the 8th National Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State yesterday, October 3, Imoke stressed that one of the measures would be to remove the system from the hand of what he called “private monopoly. “Reducing Nigeria’s power deficit requires a comprehensive approach that addresses generation, transmission, and distribution constraints. “The solutions involve infrastructure investments, regulatory reforms, increased private sector participation, and the adoption of new technologies such as renewable energy and decentralized systems. By tackling these challenges holistically, Nigeria can significantly improve its electricity supply, support economic growth, and improve the well being of its citizens.” Imoke, who served as minister of Power during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, regretted that electricity supply had continued to remain one of the most significant constraints to economic growth. He recalled that since1999, several power sector reforms have been introduced, but that Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution remain grossly inadequate. “With an estimated population of over 220 million, Nigeria’s current iinstalled capacity of around 13,000MW only manages to deliver 4,000-5,000MW on average.This is far below the demand of over 20,000 MW, leading to frequent blackouts and reliance on expensive diesel generators. “To fully grasp the magnitude and impact of this challenging sector, here’s some sobering data of the per capita electricity consumption for Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Ivory Coast based on recent data: “-As of the latest estimates, Nigeria’s per capita electricity consumption is around 150 to 200 kWh per year.This low consumption reflects challenges in electricity access, infrastructure, and supply. “-Ghana’s per capita electricity consumption is approximately 800 to1,000 kWh per year. The country has made significant strides in improving electricity access and reliability over the past decade. “-South Africa’s per capita electricity consumption is estimated at around 4,000 to 5,000 kWh per year. This figure reflects the country’s industrial base and higher levels of electricity access. “-Ivory Coast’s per capita electricity consumption is roughly 500 to 600 kWh per year. “Ivory Coast has been working to expand its electricity infrastructure and improve access to power.” Imoke said that despite numerous reforms and investments, the power sector in Nigeria has continued to struggle, adding that the challenge has been intractable and unresolvable. “Over the years, we have seen multiple instances of unfulfilled promises for power delivery. The question would then be, is there a solution in the face of growing demand? “To understand the magnitude of the challenge, I will first attempt to highlight some of the key constraints to reducing the power deficit and then I will proffer potential solutions to them. “However, I would start with reflecting on my stint as first, Chairman of the technical board and subsequently Minister of Power, when I introduced several significant reforms to revitalize the sector and lay the groundwork for the subsequent privatization and liberalization of the sector. As with all reform processes, there was strong resistance from entrenched interests.
“However, we made good progress largely because of the strong political will of President Olusegun Obasanjo who drafted me to the sector after a six day total national blackout. “These key reforms and initiatives include: 1. Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) of 2005, enacted during my tenure, set the legal framework for the unbundling and eventual privatization of the Nigerian power sector. The Act paved the way for: “-The unbundling of NEPA into 18 successor companies, 6 generation companies(GenCos), 11 distribution the companies (DisCos), and 1 transmission company (TCN). “-The creation of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the regulatory body to oversee the electricity sector, ensuring proper regulation, tariff setting, and consumer protection. “-The establishment of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) to facilitate the purchase of power from GenCos and its sale to DisCos. “-The eventual privatization of the DisCos and GenCos, took place after my tenure.”
Earlier, the President of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, advised more than 100 members of the Guild to always distinguish themselves as entrepreneurs in the online media community. Chigbo reminded members that online is the future of journalism, and that even traditional news organs have realized it and are rushing in. “We must know we are mediapreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the online media community.” She noted that the AGM is aimed at reinvigorating members’ businesses while adhering to ethical rules. On capacity building session that started the Day One, the President said that the choice of experienced members to serve as resource persons was deliberate, saying: “We have brought our members that have succeeded in various aspects to talk to members so that more people can succeed. That is what peer review does to us.
“Today is capacity-building, peer review, and talking to GOCOP partners. We also have our annual general meeting (AGM) today where we give account of stewardship.” Chigbo, who publishes Relnews, said that GOCOP has its own corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects. “We will visit an orphanage to give back to society. We recommend this to all our corporate members because we must put something aside each year in our different publishing outfits to give back to society.” She appreciated members for solidarity and support while commending Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the government of Kogi State for playing host to GOCOP members. She also commended the organizing committee for painstaking efforts to make Lokoja-24 a bright event, even as she She gave kudos to the membership committee for strict screening processes to make the Guild a credible group of corporate publishers.
The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has approved the sum of N3.3 billion for the payment of accrued rights (bond certificates) of a number of workers who retired under the Contributory Pension Scheme across the State. A statement today, October 3, by the State’s Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina, said that N1.5 billion of the amount is for retirees at the State level, including Ministries, Departments, Agencies, secondary schools and tertiary institutions while the sum of N1.8 billion is for those who retired in the local government service, junior and primary schools across the State. He said that the fund approved is undergoing due process at the Bureau of Public Service Pension and the Local Government Staff Pension Board. The Head of Service said that the approval of the amount is different from the regular monthly payment of pension and gratuities to retired public servants under the old pension scheme across the public service. He said that workers and pensioners welfare had topped the 5- point Action Plan of Governor Adeleke. “The Governor has been keeping with this promise since he came on board in November, 2022 going by his unhindered love for public servants and the entire citizens of the State.”
House of Representatives has rejected the long time media reference to it as Lower Chamber in the National Assembly. The House therefore called for recognition of its equal legal status with the Senate in Nigeria’s bicameral legislature. “Members emphasised that both chambers must concur on all Acts of Parliament, affirming that neither chamber is superior or inferior to the other.” According to a statement today, October 2, by the Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Dr. Philip Agbese, the position of the House was contained in a motion he raised along with over 200 other members today on the floor of the House. He said that the motion raised concerns about the longstanding misrepresentation of the House as the “lower chamber.” “This motion is particularly relevant following Mr. President’s Independence Day speech, which listed the Speaker after the Deputy President of the Senate, and both Presiding Officers conferred with the same honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). “Consequently, the motion argued that the Speaker, as the nation’s number four citizen, follows the Vice President and President of the Senate in precedence, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) ranked fifth. As such, members urged for the Speaker to be considered for the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) to reflect his office’s status and position in the National Order of Precedence. “The misunderstanding regarding the purported rejection of the honour arose from an amendment proposed by Rep. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, which was ultimately deemed inappropriate and withdrawn. “We must use this opportunity to educate some segments of the media that contributions from Honourable Members during a debate do not constitute House Resolutions. The media must diligently report what the House, in its collective wisdom, adopts as a resolution on any particular issue. “It is important to reaffirm that the House did not reject the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honour conferred on Speaker Abbas by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The House celebrates this prestigious award conferred by Mr. President in exercise of his powers under the National Honours Act. “It serves as a tribute to the Speaker’s distinguished service to the nation and underscores the vital role of the House of Representatives in Nigeria’s development. “We wish to clarify therefore, that this is not a matter for personal advancement of the Speaker, but a multi partisan request for recognition of the institution of the House of Representatives by all stakeholders within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic institutions. “The media is urged to accurately report that, in view of the foregoing, the House resolved to respectfully urge the President to consider upgrading the honour to align with the National Order of Precedence. “The House subsequently referred the motion to an Ad Hoc Committee, which will include representatives from the Zonal and Regional Caucuses and will be chaired by the House Leader for further legislative action.”
Members of the House of Representatives, drawn from various political parties, are grumbling over what they called “demeaning” national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) being proposed to be conferred on their Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas by President Bola Tinubu. The House insisted that the President should confer the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCFR) on Abbas instead of the “demeaning” Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) while conferring GCON on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. Moving a motion of urgent public importance during today’s (October 2) plenary session, the Deputy Spokesman of the House, Philip Agbese, described as unacceptable the treatment of the House of Representatives as if it were inferior to the Senate, in apparent reference to the conferment of the GCON on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. Agbese said that in the order of protocol, the Speaker is ranked 4th, questioning why the CJN, who is ranked 5th, was accorded a higher honour. It would be recalled that President Tinubu announced the conferment of different categories of honors on the nation’s leaders during his Independence Day speech yesterday, October 1.
There is currently a raging dispute between singers Davido and Wizkid with each of them calling themselves names. The dispute is now dominating social media,as Wizkid describing Davido as “No talent.” It all began in the late hours yesterday, October 1, when Wizkid took to the microblogging platform X with a subliminal tweet, “Beg me! just like…” After his post, it didn’t take much time for his fans and other X users to decipher that the post hinted at a viral video of Davido. Wizkid’s fan tweeted: “Wiz at this point, anytime you like, you drop the Album. Na dem need us,” and in response, the singer said, “Bingos got nothing on starboy General!! till infinity.” In another post, he said: “Frogido!,” throwing shade at Davido, yet again. “Pussy boys dropping mids again! 80 trash ! “We got 80 albums for any song y’all drop! Pussy boys!” Wizkid wrote. When an X user asked Wizkid, “So if you no beef @davido your song won’t sell ??,” he replied, “I don’t beef wack niggas! We all know he’s wack! No talent!” The Afrobeats star’s decade-long beef and rather tumultuous relationship dates back to 2014. Back then, on 28th of July, Wizkid put out a post on Twitter (Now X) after his show in New York and ahead of his London concert. In the tweet, Wizkid said: “proper shows, proper venues,” in what was considered a diss at Davido, who also recently held his concert. Then Davido took a swipe at Wizkid on Snapchat. In the post, Davido stated that the “Pon Pon” sound was the popping sound and all other sounds were “less” in what was considered to be a dig at Wizkid, who teased his third album, ‘Sound From The Other Side’. It was all downhill from there.
Media professionals kick-started the 8th National Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lokoja, Kogi State capital with discussion about whether to charge fees for news items. At the day-one of the conference today, October 2, resource persons, including Olumide Iyanda (publisher of QEDNG), Max Amuchie (publisher of the Sundiapost) and Dotun Oladipo ( publisher of Eagle Online) spoke on Digital Marketing, Maximizing Advertising Opportunities) and Website Optimisation). Iyanda and Amuchie stressed the need for the online publishers to differentiate between news that are of social value and the ones that are of commercial values.
The Publishers were advised to learn to divorce themselves from the mentality of “reporters” and embrace the “commercial aspect of the business, to be able to pay staff salaries and meet up other demands. The 2024 conference is being hosted by the Kogi State Government with a plethora of partners and sponsors identifying with the Guild. The two-day conference provides a veritable platform for dissecting critical issues of security, power and economy in the country. The confab is expected to explore the theme: “Nigeria: Tackling insecurity, power deficit, and transitioning to digital economy.” Former governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, will give the keynote address. The event will also attract business lunch with GOCOP sponsors and heads of corporate communications of organisations and media advisers in the country. The main conference that is open to the public is tomorrow, October 3. Confirmed speakers for the event include Yusuf Mamman, former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, who is the conference chairman, Lt-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, former Nigerian chief of army Staff (rtd), and Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The conference will also feature a panelists session involving Rotimi Ajayi, a professor of Political Science at the Federal University, Lokoja, and Debrah M. Ogazuma, an edutainment communicator and veteran broadcaster.
Iyanda
In 2021, Boss Mustapha, as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, keynoted the conference and spoke on: “Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria.” Professor Mahmood Yakubu, chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, delivered the keynote at the 2022 edition themed “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.” Corporates and organisations on the list of sponsors and partners are National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Delta and Lagos State governments, Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Other sponsors are the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and T-Pumpy Concept Limited.
Dotun Others are Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Emadeb Group and Dangote Group, TotalEnergies, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Setraco Nigeria Limited, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Access Bank plc, Zenith Bank plc, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Fidelity Bank plc, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc (STI), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to name but a few.
Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has complained of being ambushed by lawyers at a reception in honour of the newly inducted young Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Barrister Yunus Abdulsalam. Dasuki, who was suddenly appointed as the Chairman of the Occasion complained of what he called “an irony of being ambushed into the role. “I thought ambushes were a common occurrence only in military contexts. I never expected to be ambushed by lawyers at an event celebrating a distinguished legal practitioner like Barrister Yunus Abdulsalam.” He however commended Yunus for his dedication to justice. “Barrister Yunus has proven to be a prolific lawyer, passionately advocating against injustice and championing the rights of citizens through his impactful litigation.” Dasuki acknowledged his discomfort with public speaking, saying: “while I don’t typically enjoy speaking in public forums, I must embrace this unexpected honor. “Congratulations to the celebrants, and I wish you all a joyful ceremony.” The event attracted a host of dignitaries, including prominent politicians and technocrats such as Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, Dr. Yusuf Lawal, Alhaji Abdulbaqi Jimoh, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mahe Dan-Iyan Ilorin, Alhaji Bolakale Kawu, and Prof. Kamaldeen Omopupa. From the judiciary, notable figures included Justice Mohammed Mohammed, Justice Adam Abdullahi El-Ilory, and esteemed Senior Advocates of Nigeria such as Bar A. U. Mustapha SAN, Bar Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, Bar Abdul Muhammad SAN, and Bar Mohammed Ndayako SAN. The business community was also well-represented, with seasoned bankers and entrepreneurs, including Alhaji Saliu Kayode Muhammad, Chairman/CEO of Inspiration Technology Ltd, Hameed Jodah, Managing Director of Taj Bank, Alhaji Tajudeen Ajibola Adeta, CEO of Global Legend, Alhaji Lukman Mustapha, an immediate past Executive Director at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Lami Ahmed, former board member NNPC. Source: PRNigeria
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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has apologised for preaching wrong christian doctrine on tithes.
Earlier, the President of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, advised more than 100 members of the Guild to always distinguish themselves as entrepreneurs in the online media community.
Dotun
Ododo, A Silent Worker In Kogi State, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman
I just returned to base a few hours ago from Lokoja, capital of Kogi State. I had joined over 100 top ranking journalists and online publishers who went for a two-day annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) to which we belong.
As a matter of fact, when over two months ago, a message came that Kogi State government would host the 2024 conference, first ever to be hosted by any state government and to be held outside Lagos and Abuja, the first thing that crossed my mind was that the message must have been sent in error.
The thought was predicated on the fact that Kogi State had never been known to be so exposed and matured in terms of publicity blitz, that it would think of hosting such gigantic media event. For a fact, states that had held such event, including the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the past, have been few and far between. They are Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Lagos, Ekiti and one or two other states.
My thought that was later proved wrong was borne out of the simple, can-never-hurt-a-fly appearance and mien of the new man in the Lugard House, Governor Ododo. In fact, the first impression one would get from him, resulting from his gentle appearance would be “a man that is warming the Executive Seat.”
However, being privileged to attend the GOCOP conference as one of the pioneer members, and being privileged to have a close-range interaction with the operatives in the government, and inspection of a few of Governor Ododo’s feet being planted on the sand of time, barely nine months sojourn in Kogi State governance, I would say, a far different impression has taken the better of me, and I’m sure, many of my colleagues too.
After all, many of such colleagues, in the buildups to the conference, had expressed reservations and even fear about the danger we were set to go into, with insecurity, especially kidnappings being witnessed regularly in the state. Others also raised the issue of flood around Koton Karfe, near Lokoja around this time of the year. The flood used to cutoff travellers between Abuja and those in the South South and Southwest. As a matter of fact, many of the colleagues traveled to Lokoja between October 1 and today, October 4, when we left, with some kind of trepidation. Of course, I’m sure that when all of them return to base – Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Katsina, Enugu and others – they would have a serious rethink, and longing for the return to the state, which even in dream, they would acknowledge is peaceful, fast progressing, in no distant future.
Now back to the real thing happening in Kogi State: there is what I would call a rain of infrastructural development going on silently. They are roads, houses and several other constructions. There is restructuring of many sectors that have never been done before, all for the purpose of ensuring a faster move to the zenith.
One of the examples of, perhaps, the silent development revolution going on in Kogi is within the precipice of the structure housing the seat of government, known as Government House. As the saying goes: “charity begins at home,” so Governor Ododo has obviously bought into this wise saying by first embarking on the restructuring of the government house, which he has done within the short period he has been on the saddle, so much that one doesn’t need much grammar to know that he’s serious about development across the state.
We were briefly taken round the government house yesterday evening, October 3, by the Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Media, Ismail Isah and were truly marveled at such structure like State Executive Council Chamber, Banquet Hall, Press Gallery, and others which have been put together within just nine months.
The governor wanted a situation where we would go on visit to numerous projects his government has executed in so short a time, but the online publishers were so preoccupied with the conference and other activities around it that they couldn’t make out time for such project tour.
One would want to make it clear that the governor has achieved so much and moving so fast because he’s synchronizing very well with the system and with the subordinates; as confirmed by the Deputy Governor, Elder Joel Salifu, who jocundly delivered the address of the Governor at the conference yesterday because the governor had an unscheduled urgent assignment to attend elsewhere. The deputy governor, spoke so glowingly about Ododo, especially for picking a school Headmaster like him as his Deputy.
Even the special adviser on media, Ismail Isah confirmed that the governor has been implementing whatever good and productive ideas brought before him.
Also, the state commissioner for information, Kingsley Famwo, who the governor inherited from his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, showed that the idea of hosting GOCOP emanated from within the system which he, the governor bought-into.
And therefore, such mind of listening to and implementing progressive ideas from the subordinates as has been identified with Governor Ododo, is definitely the key to personal and collective progress, for the general benefit of the state.