Tinubu has done well to deserve second term – Presidency

• Kogi has secured schools with tech, trained vigilantes, Info commissioner

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has done exceedingly well and he deserves to be re-elected come 2027, Baaroyin Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties and Director of Media and Publicity for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors has declared.

Chief Rahman, who stated this on Sunday during an inspection tour of federal and state projects in the Kogi West area of the State, cited the impact of his economic reforms on states and the visible infrastructure projects across the country.

According to him, “You are aware that this inspection of projects by federal government and state government has been put together by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in conjunction with the Presidential Media Team. We are going around Kogi West”.

He noted that the team had seen government-led interventions in critical sectors during the tour.

His words, “We have seen for ourselves government-led intervention in the area of family health care, intervention in road infrastructure across some local governments”.

Rahman explained that Kogi State has 21 local governments and the first phase of the road intervention is already covering eight of them.

“We are told that there are 21 local governments in Kogi State. This first phase of this road intervention is across eight local governments. And we have seen the quality of work,” he said.

The presidential media aide equally inspected educational and environmental projects, including the Model Science Secondary School and an erosion control project in the area.

“So, we were in Mopa-Moro. For me, this speaks to the person, the character, the governance philosophy of Governor Usman Ododo,” Rahman said.

He described Governor Ododo as humble, fair and moderate, adding that the projects reflect those qualities.

“If you know Governor Ododo very well, you know that he’s very humble. He has a sense of fairness. He has a sense of moderation. And this spoke to some of the projects that we have seen,” he said.

Rahman referenced the road project in Mopa-Moro, which the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, said was the first inner-road intervention in local governments in the history of Kogi State.

“For instance, when we saw the road in Mopa-Moro, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, told us that is the first intervention in terms of inner roads in local governments that we have seen in the history of Kogi State,” he said.

According to him, that speaks to a governor who is egalitarian and committed to spreading development.

“That speaks to a governor who is egalitarian, who wants to bring development across the board,” Rahman noted.

He also commended developments at Kogi State University, Kabba, saying significant progress had been made in just two years.

“And the Kogi State University, Kabba. We saw what has been done in just two years,” he said.

“I think Governor Ododo has shown clearly that he believes in grassroots development, he believes in education and empowering the people. Some of the scriptures we see on the board there spoke to the importance of education.”

Rahman said Kogi now has three universities, which he described as a positive development for the state.

“Now, we have three universities in Kogi. It is wonderful,” he stated.

He linked the progress in the states to reforms introduced by President Tinubu, saying the policies have freed resources for sub-national governments to deliver projects.

“And I think this has been possible by the reform that Mr. President has put in place. The reform has freed resources to the sub-nationals. And that’s why you have projects here,” he said.

Rahman said the President’s performance justifies a second term.

“I think the President has done so well to deserve second term. And I think his achievement will speak for him to be able to get reelected in 2027,” he said.

We’ve secured our schools with tech, trained vigilantes – Kogi commissioner

Speaking at the Model Science Secondary School, Okebukun, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the investment of the Kogi State Government in Model Science Secondary Schools is aimed at reversing the trend of parents moving their children to private schools.

Fanwo said the quality of facilities in the new public school now surpasses what is obtainable in most private schools in the area.

He added that the aesthetic and functional quality of the school is already influencing parents’ choices.

On security, Fanwo said the state has put in place a multi-layered architecture to protect students and staff, especially following past incidents.

He explained that the structure involves local government chairmen, trained vigilantes now absorbed into the civil service, local hunters, and the police.

Fanwo disclosed that technology is also being deployed, with monitoring linked to a control room in Lokoja.

“We also have some other areas. We are putting technology into it. We will not tell you where it is. But as we are entering here, right from the control room in Lokoja, they have seen our vehicles entering this place. But we won’t go deep into that.”

“With what happened in Osara, we have been able to put technology as part of our security architecture. And that is helping us a great deal. So, our puppies are very safe.”

He assured that designated government schools are secure.

“And, you know, when you hear things like the attempt to kidnap and all of that, except you go to a miracle center, if you are in a designated government center, it is safe and secure.”

Speaking on healthcare, Fanwo said education and health are top priorities under the “governance pillars” of the Ododo administration.

He noted that beyond building facilities, the government is also focused on access and affordability.

Fanwo said remodeled primary health care centers have been taken to villages across the state, while the state health insurance scheme is expanding reach.

“In most of the villages that you see in Kogi State, they have brought those remodeled primary health care centers to the place. And also, on affordability, you know, our health insurance scheme is one of the best in the country, not just because we have just commissioned a new fantastic Head Office for it, but because it is reaching the grassroots.”

He added that pregnant women and children aged zero to six access free medical care as part of the government’s social security agenda.

“And, you know, people are accessing it. And apart from that, pregnant women, they access free Medicare. And in the words of the governor, he does not want people to die in the process of giving birth to life. And also, the other area is zero to six children. When you take them there, they don’t pay anything.”

“What this is telling us is social security. A government that wants to defend the poor, the children, who will grow up to learn about what government has done for them to enable them to grow and then be able to repay this by being patriotic and contributing to the development of the state.”

The Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University, Kabba, Prof. K.I.T. Eniola, said the university is targeting August for the completion of new student hostels.

Speaking during an inspection of projects, Prof. Eniola said the university is currently constructing a 300-room hostel for male students designed to also teach hygiene and self-care.

He explained that the design of the hostel prioritizes students’ welfare and independent living.

He said the hostel will accommodate between 300 to 400 male students, with a similar design planned for female students.

The VC attributed the progress to increased revenue available to the state government through the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu.

Prof. Eniola also spoke on TetFund interventions at the university. He said two laboratories abandoned by the defunct College of Education, Technical, Mopa, which was previously on the campus, have now been completed within eight weeks.