Politicians usually save towards election as they knew it is easy to buy votes in the area than any other part of the state.
Since the creation of the state, the area lacks tangible social amenities and infrastructures. The only government hospital in the area is the Cottage Hospital situated at Ogigiri. Late Prince Abubakar Audu brought the hospital and christened it cottage. Cottage means hut, bungalow, chalet or small house. Is that a hospital? The Headquarter of the local government (Adogo) is nothing to write home about as it lacks drinkable water, good road, electricity, good infrastructure and standard schools. No single higher institution being public or private in the area. No single bank in the area. No MTN service in the area. How will such an area compete with other local governments in the state?
At the time of writing this article, there is no electricity in the area for the past seven months now. And the people have been sleeping in darkness. Although the state government is presently working to bring electricity back to the area, but the people didn’t know when it will be restored.
The university and HND graduates in the area end up doing Okada for survival as there is no hope of employment for them. Politicians have little or no concern for the unemployed youths. All they do is to use them for elections and dump them.
I therefore urge the state and local government to come to the aid of the people of Ajaokuta local government. Ajaokuta – Ebiya road should be revitalized. Pipe-borne waters should be dug across the fourteen wards of the local government. Specialize hospital should be built in the area. Youths should be engaged in meaningful development. Employment opportunity should be provided for the unemployed through agriculture. Higher institutions should be brought to the area to boost its economy and made it a commercial rather than residential area. The airstrip in the area should be expanded as Kogi state airport. This will boost the state economy and create employment for the suffering youths in the area. Tourist centres can also be built to aid the government and the people of the area. Government should liaise with Banks and MTN management to bring their services to the area. All these could be achieved with the help of the state and local government, the elected representatives of the area and the people of the area.
Mohammed James writes from Ajaokuta (08153744780)
Yesterday at 4:43pm · Sent from Messenger
James Bornagain Mohammed
When will Kogi youths get it right? By Mohammed James
The last time I checked, there was a rapid increase in the
educational status of Kogi youths. Many Kogi youths
have graduated from various universities, colleges of
education, polytechnics, etc, while several others are in
different institutions of higher learning. As many are
graduating, others are struggling to enter into higher
institutions. Even when Kogi state higher institutions
cannot accommodate the number of kogites looking for
admission each year, they travelled outside the state to
fight for admission because they have seen the relevance
of education to individual and societal development.
When education becomes paramount in a particular
society, the society is bound to progress and the people
are bound to be more civilized and exposed. But, that is
not the case in Kogi state. The youths are graduating, but
their level of reasoning remains stagnant. They only learn
how to read and write and not how to change the society
positively with their educational experience.
The advent of social media has helped the educated
ones, Kogi youths inclusive to be able to commend and
condemn government policies that are favourable and not
favourable to the masses. But Kogi youths use the social
media to promote disunity, hatred, nepotism, tribalism,
sycophancy, and enmity among Kogi citizens.
I have visited several social media platform where kogi
youths interact. I have never for once seen reasonable
post that can lead to unity and progress in the state. All I
could see is insults on one another. The youths tend to
attack individuals instead of issues discussed. You will
see either the Ebiras insulting the Igalas, the Igalas
insulting the Okuns, Okuns insulting the Ebiras, Ebiras
insulting the Okuns or Igalas insulting the Ebiras. Is this
what we go to school to learn? Did school pass through
us at all? These are some questions we need to answer
as youths of Kogi state.
Sometimes I began to wonder where are the youths
heading for? Can the present Kogi youths pilot the affair
of the confluence state in time to come?
I know Kogi is a multi-tribal state, but we have other
multi-tribal states that are not as myopic as ours in
Nigeria. The hatred among us in the state has even
migrated to other part of the country. We call ourselves
enemy for no just reason. I have witness a conversation
where guys from one tribe in the state are calling for war
against the other tribe(s). What do we owe ourselves that
we refuse to pay?
The origin of this hatred is from our politicians who
believe they can use tribal differences to gain popularity
and be voted into power. They tag hatred messages as “Power-shift”, and “Power-retain” as a form of campaign.
What does “Power-shift” or “Power-retain” has to do with
your manifestoes as a politician? And the myopic youths
who cannot reason beyond their nose will capitalize on
this to cause enmity and hatred among one another.
If you trace the history of Ebiras, Okuns and Igalas very
well, you will know that we are brothers right from the
beginning. The Ebiras and Igalas separated at Idah during
their ancestral journey, the Okuns and Ebiras were
extracted from Kwara state to merge with their brothers
in Benue state to become one, under the umbrella of Kogi
state. Why then the hatred?
I will not fail to remind us that another source of our
hatred for one another is the fact that we want our
brother to be the number one citizen of the state no
matter what. But we have failed to realize that Kogi state
is one of the poorest states in Nigeria since its creation.
What has your brother who has been in power done to
savage the state? How have you benefitting from your so
called brother? Did your brother know you are living? Ask
yourself other questions. You know what I am talking
about.
It doesn’t matter who is in power. What matters is to get
the right person into power. The power to put the right
person into power is in our thumb. All we need to do is
to come together as one entity and vote out bad leaders,
not minding if he is your brother or not. Your neigbour
who cares for you is better than your brother who does
not know you are living. The earlier we realize we are
brothers in Kogi state the better.
Long live Kogi Youths
Long Live Kogi state
Long Live Nigeria
Mohammed James writes from Ajaokuta, Kogi state
(08153744780)
The last time I checked, there was a rapid increase in the
educational status of Kogi youths. Many Kogi youths
have graduated from various universities, colleges of
education, polytechnics, etc, while several others are in
different institutions of higher learning. As many are
graduating, others are struggling to enter into higher
institutions. Even when Kogi state higher institutions
cannot accommodate the number of kogites looking for
admission each year, they travelled outside the state to
fight for admission because they have seen the relevance
of education to individual and societal development.
When education becomes paramount in a particular
society, the society is bound to progress and the people
are bound to be more civilized and exposed. But, that is
not the case in Kogi state. The youths are graduating, but
their level of reasoning remains stagnant. They only learn
how to read and write and not how to change the society
positively with their educational experience.
The advent of social media has helped the educated
ones, Kogi youths inclusive to be able to commend and
condemn government policies that are favourable and not
favourable to the masses. But Kogi youths use the social
media to promote disunity, hatred, nepotism, tribalism,
sycophancy, and enmity among Kogi citizens.
I have visited several social media platform where kogi
youths interact. I have never for once seen reasonable
post that can lead to unity and progress in the state. All I
could see is insults on one another. The youths tend to
attack individuals instead of issues discussed. You will
see either the Ebiras insulting the Igalas, the Igalas
insulting the Okuns, Okuns insulting the Ebiras, Ebiras
insulting the Okuns or Igalas insulting the Ebiras. Is this
what we go to school to learn? Did school pass through
us at all? These are some questions we need to answer
as youths of Kogi state.
Sometimes I began to wonder where are the youths
heading for? Can the present Kogi youths pilot the affair
of the confluence state in time to come?
I know Kogi is a multi-tribal state, but we have other
multi-tribal states that are not as myopic as ours in
Nigeria. The hatred among us in the state has even
migrated to other part of the country. We call ourselves
enemy for no just reason. I have witness a conversation
where guys from one tribe in the state are calling for war
against the other tribe(s). What do we owe ourselves that
we refuse to pay?
The origin of this hatred is from our politicians who
believe they can use tribal differences to gain popularity
and be voted into power. They tag hatred messages as “Power-shift”, and “Power-retain” as a form of campaign.
What does “Power-shift” or “Power-retain” has to do with
your manifestoes as a politician? And the myopic youths
who cannot reason beyond their nose will capitalize on
this to cause enmity and hatred among one another.
If you trace the history of Ebiras, Okuns and Igalas very
well, you will know that we are brothers right from the
beginning. The Ebiras and Igalas separated at Idah during
their ancestral journey, the Okuns and Ebiras were
extracted from Kwara state to merge with their brothers
in Benue state to become one, under the umbrella of Kogi
state. Why then the hatred?
I will not fail to remind us that another source of our
hatred for one another is the fact that we want our
brother to be the number one citizen of the state no
matter what. But we have failed to realize that Kogi state
is one of the poorest states in Nigeria since its creation.
What has your brother who has been in power done to
savage the state? How have you benefitting from your so
called brother? Did your brother know you are living? Ask
yourself other questions. You know what I am talking
about.
It doesn’t matter who is in power. What matters is to get
the right person into power. The power to put the right
person into power is in our thumb. All we need to do is
to come together as one entity and vote out bad leaders,
not minding if he is your brother or not. Your neigbour
who cares for you is better than your brother who does
not know you are living. The earlier we realize we are
brothers in Kogi state the better.
Long live Kogi Youths
Long Live Kogi state
Long Live Nigeria
Mohammed James writes from Ajaokuta, Kogi state
(08153744780)
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