By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Traditional rulers, academia, residents as well as members of the State Executive Council in Kogi State are united in their resolution to support the re-election bids of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo come 2027 general election.
They argued that both President Tinubu and Governor Ododo have performed incredibly well, especially, in the area of provision of infrastructural facilities, which are very visible across the various parts of the state.
This resolution came into the open during a three-day inspection tour of federal and state governments projects organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team in Kogi state.
During the tour, which took members of the team to the three senatorial districts of the State (Kogi West, Kogi Central and Kogi East), the highly elated people of the Senate argued that one good turn deserves another.
For instance, while fielding questions from journalists in the course of conducting journalists round rural roads and other projects in the confluence state, the state, the Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Abdulsalami Ozigi declared , emphatically, that the reforms of the Tinubu-led administration are been enjoyed by all.
The political and traditional leaders from Kogi as well as the indigenes reasoned that the synergy between the Tinubu-led federal government and the state government under the leadership of Governor Ododo which led to massive infrastructural development and social services across the state can be best rewarded with massive votes for both of them.
Alhaji Abdulsalami Ozigi said those projects were possible with the increased funding from the federal government as a result of the reforms of the Tinubu-led administration.
The rural roads and other infrastructural projects, according to him, have opened up and connected communities for increased economic activities and enhanced conditions of living.
According to the Commissioner, “We must appreciate the President of this country, the father of the nation, because our governor did not mince words, he did not pretend to let us know that without having the resources, enough resources, from the federal government, precisely from the President, we would not be able to have all these different that we are enjoying today.
“So we see no reason why we should not key in properly to his agenda to see that he returns in 2027 so as to continue this good job because without that goodwill, without that enablement, without that financial resources, we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy this roads that we are seeing today,”.
On his part, the Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Dr Joseph Oluwasegun similarly assured, when he took the team round some projects, saying both Tinubu and Ododo would be appreciated with “our votes.”
The Tinubu administration, according to him, had enabled the Kogi governor to construct 15 kilometres of internal roads in Egbe and appoint two commissioners and other top government functionaries from the area.
His words, “We cannot talk about the governor without appreciating President Tinubu who has given him more funds to work for us and also created the North Central Development Commission to accelerate our development.
“We want to appreciate the two leaders with our votes in the next elections and our people will do it enmasse and make them return to their respective offices,” the commissioner said.
Continuinng, he said, “We the people of Egbe will show them the depth of our appreciation when we go to vote in the forthcoming elections”.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in the course of the inspection of the 60Km Iyale-Ogane-Enugu road, the Commissioner for Agriculture Timothy Ojoma, noted that people of Dekina and other places where the road traverses were grateful to President Tinubu and Governor Ododo whom they are willing to support in next year’s polls.
According to Ojoma, “The road links Iyale, Ogane-Enugu. You can see by the roadside, these farm settlements and some hamlets around here. It’s important because this is a local government, if I may classify it, it’s about the biggest local government in the entire nation.
“So you can see this is just one part of it and most of the people you are seeing here, they are farmers. And their farm produce need to come from the interior to the market and to where people will take from.
“Without road, obviously, whatever they produce will go spoiled and of course, it won’t be any benefit to the people that are farming and the people that need the crops,” he said.
The Obobanyi of Ohionwa Clan, in Ihima local government area of the State, Dr Ahmed Jimoh Eneji was full of gratitude to the state and federal governments for the reconstruction of a road which, according to him, was first constructed in 1982, assuring that his subjects would appreciate the gesture and others in the 2027 polls.
He said, “We have seen the dividends of democracy, they have excelled in all of this. We have just shown little application before, we will now show more than that in the next election.
“You can see this road, I think, if I can remember correctly, that should be around 1982 or 1983 that this road was constructed and since that time, the whole thing disappeared but today, it’s a mini-Lagos.
“For us to show the appreciation to the government, we are waiting to support the government through the coming election.
‘We appreciate what they have done for us and we are going to show the appreciation in the forthcoming election”, he stressed.
Speaking in same vein at Egbe Mekun township road, the Ighare of Okwaa Egbe, Adedoyin Bolaji, expressed appreciation to the state government for putting increased resources from the federation to impactful projects, assuring both the governor and president of his subjects’ support.
“We are grateful for this township road. We know it is because the governor has the support of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu that we are able to benefit this much.
“We are promising both of them, when it is time for us to vote in Yagba West, all our votes without exception is going to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and Jagaban, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Tunde Rahman Govenror Ododo for bringing development to the people of the state through proper deployment of approved funding freed up by the policies of the Tinubu-led administration.
His words, “We commend the governor for the good work he’s doing across the state, especially in rural development, health care, and education.
“Again, it also speaks to the fact that the states, the sub-national governments across the country are able to do more now in terms of funding social services, critical infrastructure, building roads, building schools, hospitals, because of the reforms that President Tinubu started three years ago.
“All the governors have all attested and also confirmed that they are able to do as much as they are doing now because they have more fiscal power.
‘They have more resources to be able to do what they are doing. So, again, we have seen the synergy,” he added.
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