Why Kogi is underdeveloped, by Ozigi

Ahead of the November 21 Kogi State governorship poll, the candidate for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Emmanuel Enesi Ozigi is upbeat over his chances of sweeping the poll.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja, he believed that the citizenry in Kogi State would not be swayed by religious and ethnic considerations when they cast their votes.

Ozigi, an Abuja based financial consultant and a real estate developer, was unanimously adopted as the party’s flag bearer after the other two aspirants in the race, Frank Onaji and Onimisi Isaac, stepped down for him.

Assuring that he would ensure transformation of all sectors of the state’s economy through ‘bottom-top and participatory’ approach to governance, he believed that he had the wherewithal to deliver the goods in Kogi State.

According to him: “There is a yearning for change, even in the central, eastern and western part of the state, there is a desire for a change of governance in the way things are being done. The fact that the two flag bearers -Abubakar Audu and Idris Wada are Igalas from the eastern part of the state does not give platform for success. As I rightly said, it is a desire for the whole state not just because I am from the central part of the state. My ticket is not a single or individual desire but a collective desire.

“It is obvious there are governance issues in the state, there are things I could bring to bear that would alleviate the poverty level of the state. If you look at the decay in the infrastructure of Kogi, you look at the potential Kogi has, you will agree that it has not been exploited. Is it in terms of human resources, natural resources, in terms of tourism, education, in terms of all other sectors that will galvanise the economy of the state that is yet to be exploited? My own programme would be pro-poor programme that is basically citizens driven, a citizen- centric programme we are going to look at and as we do that, we want to open up the economy of the state to the wider world.”

Pledging to be accountable to the people of the state, he said that rather than dwell on the issue of power rotation, the citizenry in logo should be more preoccupied with voting for a candidate of his calibre with a clear sight on how to develop the state.

“The west and central part of the state have been yearning for change and there have been meetings upon meetings, alliances and independent assessment of who and who should come up and who should run first and even the eastern part that have been governing the state want a change because they are asking themselves that we have been running the state in the last sixteen years and we cannot see any meaningful change and so let’s try other areas and see whether we would benefit from this.

“The state is not looking at either religion now or where you are coming, but who would deliver exactly what would please the citizens of the state and that is the strong point we have. The issue is that people would not vote wrongly this time around. What we are driving at now is vote for what would develop you and what your children would enjoy because if I have to give you money now it is like trading your future off because if I give you money now I will have to recoup the money back.