To be a leader does not
only entail assuming a position of authority and power. It is about having the
capacity to translate vision into reality.
The Governor of Kogi
State, His Excellency, Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada is one of such rare visionary
leaders of our time.
His vast experience as
a widely travelled international pilot and exposure to public administration
enabled him to understand that continuity in governance ensures sustainable
development and discourages dubious practices in government.
The vision statement clearly
defined the direction and has remained the guiding principle of the administration.
So far, the Governor has left no one in doubt that he is truly a leader driven
by the passion to serve his people.
Determined to rewrite the
history of Kogi State, Governor Idris Wada adopted four cardinal development
priorities as a platform for achieving good governance.
These priorities were
geared towards improving Education, Agriculture, Health and Social
Infrastructure and human capital development.
Indeed, Kogi has in a
short time has undergone an agricultural and industrial transformation, made
possible by the influx of foreign investors to stimulate the state's economy as
a result of which Kogi now plays the role of a catalyst, culminating in the
signing of about 20 Memoranda of Understanding which have led to investments running
into several billions of naira.
The attraction of
foreign partners into the state's economy is anchored on the political will of the
governor and the creation of an enabling environment for businesses to thrive
in the state.
A consortium of
investors from Saudi Arabia, including the Alkatani Group, a Saudi family
business with 73 years experience in oil and gas, steel plant development and
pipeline, led by its Vice Chairman, Sheik Salla Alkatani, in attestation, said
it was lured into investing in Kogi because of the confidence they had in the
leadership. Meanwhile, the partnerships will come with mutual benefits to both
the state and the investors.
A proportion of the
profit is also earned by the state thereby enhancing its Internally-Generated
Revenue profile.
With an Internally-Generated Revenue which
Governor Wada said has risen to N500 Million from an inherited N150 Million,
the State's IGR is likely to hit N1 billion by June 2015 if the current level
of growth is sustained. In his words, the Governor said: “We have
been able to achieve this by blocking all the loopholes and leakages through
which money is siphoned. Also there is a systematic effort to work with DFID to
restructure revenue generation in the state”.
On
the importance of local and foreign investments, Governor Wada emphasized that
good governance is a major attraction for investment in any society.
“I am
creating an atmosphere of Good Governance, transparency, accountability and
equity and people see my body language, they know my antecedents and they are
willing to come and establish in the state”.
The achievements of the governor in the few years after taking
over office, has made the call for the governor to seek another term in office
loud and keeps reverberating across the State.
From all indications,
it is obvious that Captain Wada, given the current tempo of his developmental
strides, would have etched his name in the annals of history as a great achiever in the governance and
positive transformation of Kogi state.
For many in Kogi State,
if Capt. Wada has been able to place the
state on a strong economic pedestal, and he is laying a solid foundation for
the takeoff of the state's educational, agricultural, infrastructural and
industrial revolution, then it only behooves on the people, that beyond 2016,
what should occupy their minds is continuity and consolidating
on the gains achieved by the present people-oriented administration in the
state.
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