By Lateef Ibrahim Abuja
The presidency has commended the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo over the investment by his administration in infrastructure across the state, particularly in rural areas.
Addressing journalists who were on the tour of federal and state governments projects in Kogi, Temitope Ajayi, senior special assistant (SSA) to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, praised the governor for his emphasis on rural development.
The presidential aide noted that Ododo’s investment in infrastructure reflects that Tinubu’s reforms have released more resources to state governments across the country.
“We all can see, since we arrived at Kogi State on Saturday, we started this tour across the state on Sunday. This is the third day. And I think one thing that we have established or we can all attest to is the emphasis the state government has placed on rural development,” he said.
“And this, according to the Commissioner for Agriculture, this is a farm settlement. And our people across the country, they live in communities. They live in farm settlements.
“So, a governor, like Governor Ododo, taking development or bringing development to the people where they live, especially in agricultural beds, where farmers produce meat to get to the market.
“So, we commend the governor for the work he’s doing across the state, especially in rural development, health care, and education.
“And 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, funding critical infrastructure, building roads, building schools, hospitals, because of the reforms that President Tinubu started three years ago.”
He added that governors have 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,” Ajayi said.
“How the synergy between the states and the federal government delivers value to Nigerians wherever they are in the country. And we have seen that in Kogi state so far.”
Timothy Ojoma, commissioner for Agriculture in Kogi, said the construction of 12-kilometre community road in Otulutulu linking Iyale-Ogane-Enugu in Dekina LGA, said will facilitate transportation of farm produce to the market and residents’ movement.
“Without road, obviously, whatever they produce will go spoiled and of course, it won’t be of any benefit to the people that are farming and the people that need the crops,” the commissioner said.
“That’s why we are here. You can see this road extends from Iyale it goes to Ogane-Enugu in the first instance.
“This is the preparatory stage. You can see from both sides, it’s a virgin road, a new road that is being opened. One thing I just want to emphasize here, Kogi state, as we know, is a very, very large state.
“This is just a tip on the iceberg. Going around nooks and crannies of the state, you see that the governor actually is impacting on the people. One emphasis is this, no matter where you are, development will not be far away from you.
“You can see this is an interior part of the Dekina local government, part of Kogi State, but here we are. The suburban leader has brought development to the people. So that is that.”
‘ODODO HAS FULFILLED OUR FOREFATHERS’ WISHES’
Amodu Joseph, a resident of Otutulu community in Dekina LGA of the state, told journalists that the governor’s intervention in constructing the main road in the area has brought succour to the villagers.
“The situation of this road has been something very bad and the road have been hope for many people, especially the farmers in our area here,” Joseph said.
“And it has been a prayer by our forefathers for this road to be constructed which many of them are not able to witness this thing.
“So, it has been a thing of joy for our people and beyond because people that are even passing through this road, some of them are not from this place and they used to suffer a lot anytime they decide to pass this road. So, we really thank the government that remember us and decided to help us with the road. And we hope many more will come after this road.
“We’ll definitely support the governor because this road has been a promise by many candidates who are running for this same seat.
“Even our own tribal people have promised us many times and they didn’t fulfill the promise. But Ododo from another tribe that doesn’t even know much about us decided to help us with this road. So, why won’t we support him?”
“And if it takes us to vote for him many times, we will do it gladly because God used him to answer our ancestors’ prayers.
“And for president Tinubu who is giving the governor money to do this for him to remember us, we are grateful about it.”
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