Yagba group parleys Kogi Senator on improved governance, service delivery

● Body Seeks Constituents’ Participation in Bills Processing

Yagba Action Group (YAG), a body of professionals and technocrats from the three Yagba local council areas in Kogi State on Sunday met with the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi.

Delegates were selected from Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro Councils, respectively. Led by former presidential adviser, respected author and media scholar, Dr Tunde Olusunle, the group engaged with the legislator on sundry developmental issues affecting the constituency. The interface held in Karimi’s Abuja residence.

The meeting deliberated on the socio-economic state of Nigeria, Kogi State, Kogi West, and Yagba. It acknowledged the pressing challenges faced by the region and highlighted the need to address issues related to road infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, empowerment and security. YAG stressed the importance of formulating a comprehensive socio-economic plan to uplift the living standards of the people.

The group lamented the condition of federal roads and educational facilities especially, primary and secondary schools within the constituency. They drew the attention of their host to the complete disconnection of salient parts of Yagba land from the national electricity grid. The area commonly known as “Yagba South East” in Yagba East for instance, has been deprived of electricity in the past 11 years. YAG commended the synergy between Karimi who is from Yagba West and Leke Abejide (Yagba East) who represents Yagba federal constituency in the House of Representatives, in addressing issues of concern to the people of the constituency.

In particular, the hybrid advocacy of both parliamentarians for the rehabilitation of the very important but sadly decrepit and long abandoned Kabba-Egbe-Omuaran-Ilorin federal road, was acknowledged. Karimi and Abejide were equally saluted for the level of progress attained in ongoing palliative repairs between Ilu-Hagba and Ejiba. Beyond the temporary fix of infrastructure, however, the Yagba Action Group called for more action on the part of their representatives towards ensuring outright reconstruction by the federal government of all non-motorable accesses within Okunland. This should include Aiyetoro-Gbede-Egan-Abugi and Kabba-Omuo roads which impact the socio-economic well-being of the people of the zone.

YAG took specific note of Karimi’s initiative to compliment efforts at tackling of the menace of kidnapping and banditry through his wholly self-bankrolled construction of a military facility in the area. Of particular acknowledgement is the Forward Operating Base, (FOB) presently approaching completion, located at a critical intersection of three contiguous states: Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti. The project is located on the outbound section of the Kabba-Aiyetoro Gbedde-Mopa-Isanlu-Egbe road, into Kwara, Ekiti and Osun states. Senator Karimi has also instituted a N100m annual bursary scheme for students, as well as a N100m revolving facility for small scale businesses for women, across the seven local governments in Kogi West. These are in addition to 1,963 bags of DPK Fertilizer and 437 bags of Urea recently distributed to farmers across the three federal constituencies.

YAG acknowledged the valuable contributions of the Senator to the law-making process in Nigeria within the short period of his first year in office as evidenced by the number of bills and motions initiated by him. YAG, however, demanded for more bills and motions with direct and tangible concurrence with the needs of the people in the senatorial district. YAG further requested from the Senator, more pointed citizens’ participation in the process of initiating and analysing such bills. This the group proposed, should involve inviting stakeholders in the senatorial district to make contributions to the bills through periodic Town Hall Meetings. In general, the group applauded the Senator’s performance during his first 14 months in the 10th National Assembly. They expressed willingness to work with him to address the identified issues and improve the socio-economic well-being of the people.

General Coordinator of the group, Engr Toba Adebayo Belushi said: “As a group of professionals and stakeholders of Kogi West Senatorial District, we are gathered free from partisan or profit biases. We are fair and impartial. Not affected by extraneous influences. We are here because we recognize the need to establish a clear agenda for our National Assembly representatives, Senator Sunday Karimi and Rt Hon Leke Abejide, in the main. Key areas of our concern include getting our representatives to lobby the MDA’s to attract road, water, electricity and health infrastructure to the constituency. Our people at home are demanding outright reconstruction of federal roads within the senatorial district some of which have become almost impassable, job creation, more empowerment schemes, enhancing security collaboration among communities within Okun land and establishing a constituency feedback system”

Responding, Senator Karimi thanked the group for the visit which he said offered the opportunity of brainstorming on issues of development, while exploring possibilities through setting of priority tasks for him and his colleagues in the National Assembly. He promised to work on the position paper presented by YAG in ensuring that all the issues raised are addressed. He also expressed his readiness to engage and work with other groups of stakeholders in Kogi West towards improved governance and enhanced service delivery.

Also in attendance were: Dr Babatunde Fanisi, lecturer at Kogi State University, Kabba, and Bolanle Ampitan, former Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs. There were also Olamide Adedoro who lectures at International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), Affiliate of University of Maiduguri, and Ayodeji Awarun, a former banker. Joyce Seke Ampitan, an agro-biotech specialist; Ralph Agbana of The Guardian and Sunday Mayaki an IT specialist featured at the meeting. Yemisi Oshaloto, a member; Moses Babatunde, a banker; Deacon Dayo Ipinjaro, group secretary, an accountant, Shola Bamidele and a host of others, also attended.