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Despite the popular outcry over the demolition of all the roundabouts in Lokoja the state capital, at the weekend, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has reiterated his resolve to make the state an industrial giant capable of leading the nation to a new era of economic prosperity. According to a statement by Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, after meetings between the governor and players in the agriculture and mining sectors Abuja at the weekend, Governor Bello has identified the major sectors to move the state forward. “Kogi State has immense economic opportunities and my administration is prepared to tap into the potential to take the state to a new development pedestal,” he said. He noted that the administration’s policy is to expand the frontiers of possibilities in the state to make agriculture and mining the pillars of industrialisation. Also speaking, Mallam Idris Asiru, Special Adviser to the Governor on Finance, Economy, Commerce...

The Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello, has said that the ongoing demolition of roundabouts in the state capital, Lokoja has noting to do with any fetish beliefs. The people of Lokoja woke up yesterday morning to find out that all the roundabouts in Lokoja has been demolished by the state government. This was coming few days after the governor ordered the removal of all political bill boards in Lokoja metropolitan city. The demolishing may not be unconnected with the rumour making the round that charms and other fetish materials may have been planted in all the roundabouts in Lokoja metropolis. But in a swift reaction, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edward David Onoja said the governor took the decision to demolish the roundabouts to give the state capital a facelift by building more befitting structures. Onoja who refuted the claim in some quarters  that the demolishing of the roundabouts was based on juju scars, noting that the government was not part of the p...

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, says he is on a divine assignment in the state. Bello, who lost the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Abubakar Audu, was chosen as the candidate of the APC for the supplementary election which held after the death of Audu. Despite the stiff opposition from different quarters, he was sworn into office on January 27. Speaking in Lokoja, capital of the state, on Thursday when he received a delegation of the house of representatives’, which is in the state to intervene in the crisis rocking the state house of assembly, Bello said he remained committed to peace. “I welcome all of us here today and I thank God for the journey,” he said. “The subject matter that brought us all together here today is the seeming crisis that exists in the house of assembly; it is important that the house takes proactive measures this way. “It is a welcome idea and I am pleased that you are taking this step in making sure th...

Reposted from TotalPolitics.com Former Director General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Dr. Tom Adaba is one man who thinks the media hyped the refusal of James Faleke to be a deputy to Yahaya Bello. In an interview withGENA LUBEM in Lokoja, the media guru believes there will be a way out of the situation. He also accused immediate past governor, Capt. Idris Wada of marginalizing some parts of the state in a blatant manner. Excerpts: A new government has been inaugurated in Kogi state. As an elder How do you feel about this development? It is something to thank and praise God about. It is the beginning of a new dawn. It is our very firm belief that what we have crave for right from the beginning; that we should peacefully transit from one zone to another which never materialized has come to pass by the act of God. It is something that is new. Not only that, we have a digitally savvy person come in as governor of the state. He has ideas. I have had series of conversations...

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Alhaji Sanusi Abubakar, has donated a borehole to Kaida village in Gwagwalada area council of the FCT. Inspecting the borehole last week Thursday, the aspirant in the last Kogi governorship election, said the donation was an “act of service to humanity.” He said he has done it in his village in Kogi and he saw the need to do same in other villages where people fetch water from streams. “I saw that most communities in the FCT go to the streams to fetch water for drinking, bathing and even cooking. I felt that was not right and I have to do my little bit to try and change the situation,” he said. Abubakar added that water was essential and he would ensure his foundation donates boreholes to as many communities as possible. Residents of the village were excited over their new gift as women and children gathered to fetch water from the Indian Mac 2 hand pump borehole, which the contractor said rel...

... As court restrains committee The Kogi never ending drama has taken another twist as the group of 5 State Assembly Members loyal to the Executive Governor of Kogi State- Alhaji Yahaya Bello have secured a court injunction seeking to restrain the fact finding committee raised by the National Assembly to resolve the crisis surrounding the failed attempt to impeach the speaker - Rt Hon Momoh Jimoh Lawal.  The fact finding committee is expected in Lokoja tomorrow, may meet the brick wall in its assignment following the injunction as the committee is said to be interfering in a matter outside its jurisdiction.   The effort to secure restrain the committee from carrying out its function was made known by Hon Friday Makama the leader of the integrity group who addressed the press outside the court premises in Lokoja after securing the injunction.  He said "Under no circumstances will the so called committee be allowed to interfere in the affairs of Kogi State Assembl...

Press Release Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has directed all Local Government Council Chairmen in the state to submit the disbursement profile of January allocation tomorrow(Thursday). The Governor stated this yesterday in Lokoja following reports of disagreement between the council chairmen and the Nigeria union of Teachers, NUT. Governor Bello stated this through his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy,  Alhaji Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, saying the State Government is aware of the challenges facing some Local Government Councils in the state. He added that the Governor had earlier instructed that payment of full salary must be a priority to every Council Chairman. The Governor also frowned at attempts by some council chairmen to deny the 50 percent payment of salary to teachers, warning that such an act would not be acceptable to the State Government. Signed: Kingsley Fanwo Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has appointed Mrs Folashade Ayoade as the new Secretary to the State Government ( SSG). In a statement issued in Lokoja on Tuesday, signed on his behalf by his Chief of Satff, Mr David Onoja, the governor also named Alhaji Momoh Jubril as the new Accountant-General of the state. The list of appointees included 20 new Special Advisers and three Senior Special Assistants on print media, electronic and new media. The new Senior Special Assistant on print media is Mr Ademu Idako who was until the appointment the Correspondent of the Newswatch Daily and Chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Kogi Mrs Petra Akinti Onyebule and Mr Gbenga Olorunpomi are the new Senior Special Assistants on Electronic Media and New Media. Also appointed are Brig-Gen. Olusola Okutimo as the Security Adviser to the governor, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, Legal Adviser and Mr Abdulkareem Mohammed as the Director-General, Protocol. The governor also a...

Reposted from Today.ng The immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), has written to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the Malabu oil deal, saying the deal was transparent and was done according to the law. The former AGF, however, accused former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Abacha family for his ordeal with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), few months after his exit from office. In a letter to the vice-president, Adoke said he had already informed the incumbent AGF, Malam Abubakar Malami (SAN) after he was served with a letter from the EFCC inviting him to its office for an interview on the Malabu Oil Transaction with Shell/ENI that the resolution of the Malabo oil deal was done transparently. According to him, he was unable to immediately honour EFCC invitation as he was “in his end of semester examinations at the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands”. “However, on deep reflection, I found ...

B y Dr. Ozohu-Suleiman After the euphoria that greeted his emergence and eventual inauguration as governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello is gradually settling down to the business of governing the state. There is no doubt that Nigeria’s  youngest governor is taking on the enormous task of putting life to the long-held hopes and aspirations of the people of Kogi State for an inclusive government that will deliver socio-economic development to lift them out of the deprivation they have endured under the past administration. With high expectations birthed by the ‘new direction’ agenda in Kogi State, many in the state are waiting to taste the pudding as promised abundantly in the inaugural address of the governor.   Like the old maxim, the true test of a political leader is not how well he campaigned, but how effectively he is able to meet the responsibilities of the office. Although Bello’s emergence is widely seen as divinely ordained,...

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has ordered the immediate redeployment of some staff of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja. Those affected are the heads of Administration and Accounts departments and the Revenue Officer of the hospital. The Governor who was on an on-the-spot assessment of the hospital decry the sorry state of facilities at the hospital and queried a situation where some staff in sensitive positions have stayed put for about eight years even where it is obvious that things were wrong in the system they are paid to make better. The Governor who described health care as one of the cardinal programmes of his administration, promised to explore opportunities within and outside the state to upgrade health care facilities in the state and assured that everything will be done within the resources available to the state government to improve the welfare of medical workers in the state. He called for a change in attitude among the workers and urged them to...

By Ismail M. Kabir The independent national electoral commission (INEC) has declared Ahmed Salawu Ogembe of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Kogi Central senatorial re-run election held over the weekend. INEC returning officer, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi made the declaration this afternoon at the Okene local government secretariat. Officials from INEC, agents of the 5 political parties that participated in the election and other stakeholders from Kogi central district witnessed the event. This declaration is a reverse of the earlier decision by INEC when it declared the election inconclusive on Saturday following the cancellation of the exercise in about 27 polling units in Okene and Adavi LGAs where over 19,000 registered voters were affected. INEC reasoned that since the number of registered voters affected by the cancellation exceeded the leading margin by Ahmed Salawu Ogembe of PDP, no winner could be declared. Following further consultation by the electoral body, it resol...

"When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable" ~ Myles Munroe It time we ask whoever is going to preside over our local government to come out and tell the people the purpose and function of local government as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution. Too  many avoidable blunders have been made in Okehi local government but swept under the carpet. Time to carry the public along in the happenings of Okehi is now. It is called public office so all our activities must be made public to the good people of Okehi. The poor don't live in functional market economies as the rest of us do, but in political economies where corruption and broken systems extend from local government to moneylenders. Under the Local Government Act 1989, the function of local government is very broad. Sections 1 and 3A of the Act states that local government’s purpose is ‘…the peace, order and good governance…’ of their municipal district. In practice, this m...

By Kingsley Fanwo In the last 48 hours, we have watched in measured awe, how a few renegades under  the former Speaker and former principal officers of the House, who have become suddenly interested in the affairs of Kogi State at a time when their intervention should have quietly flown in as compliments to the administration that has shown that what Kogi has been lacking all along was purposeful leadership. As much as possible, those of us on the side of history have restrained ourselves from playing up the politics of the State House of Assembly for a dichotomy of reasons. One, what happens in the State legislature shouldn't be the concern of the Executive in a democratic setting that protects the principles of power separation. Two, we have clearly seen a nexus between the agitators for control of the House and politicians who crave to change the capital of Kogi to the Atlantic Ocean. However, there are certain salient enlightenment we need to roll out to douse the thirst of ...

By Mary Amodu, Lokoja Introduction Our correspondent, Mary Amodu   conducted an opinion poll survey on issues agitating the minds of the people that should be a major priority to the new governor. The eessence of the survey was to help determine the major needs of the people as a major departure from the tradition of imposing project on the people rather than the people determining the nature of the project they desire. It is our conviction that they can never be a sustainable development except a need assessment is conducted. Methodology The survey utilised telephone contacts especially in some areas we could not get to physically and public affirmation method and the universe of the poll were ordinary kogites on the streets  in Kogi State, many are concerned about the economic and social challenges in the state. It is our believe that the new government does not have the luxury of time and we need a scale of preference about what the priorities of the people a...

Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, on Thursday met President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. That was the first time Bello would be meeting the President publicly since his recent inauguration as the state governor. He arrived the Presidential Villa at a time Buhari was meeting the nation’s service chief and the Inspector-General of Police. The governor waited patiently for the meeting to end before he met with the President. The meeting lasted for about 20 minutes. As he emerged from the President’s office, Bello joined some Muslim faithful to pray inside the Villa’s mosque located behind the President’s office

The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal and 14 other lawmakers supporting him on Wednesday presented a petition to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, requesting the House to investigate the crisis rocking the Assembly. Recall that on Tuesday, a group of five other lawmakers purportedly impeached Hon. Lawal and other principal officers of the House and in their place installed Hon. Umar Umar as the new Speaker while four others had announced themselves as the principal officers of the State House of Assembly. But the Hon. Lawal group stormed Abuja and presented their petition dated Wednesday, February 17, 2016 and titled “Act of impunity by Governor of Kogi state Alhaji Yahaya Bello and five members of Kogi state House of Assembly: Call for investigation on the illegal act of five members of the Kogi state House of assembly led by Honourable Umar Imam in the unlawful announcement of the purported impeachment and remov...

Five members of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday morning impeached the Speaker, Hon. Momoh Jimoh and chose Umar Imam as the new Speaker. Friday Sanni who briefed journalists about the impeachment said the Speaker was impeached for not carrying other members of the House along in the affairs of the House. He also claimed that since the new Governor, Yahaya Bello and the Speaker are both from the same senatorial district, the Speaker should vacate the seat. Meanwhile, 15 members of the House who were seen at Hon. Jimoh’s residence insist Hon. Jimoh remains the Speaker and that their signature was forged to perfect the impeachment. The post Kogi Speaker Impeached appeared first on Channels Television.

The Kogi State Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has directed as follows: All Permanent Secretaries are to proceed on a 30-days compulsory leave with effect from tomorrow, February 16, 2016. However, this directive does not apply to the Permanent Secretary, Government House. Also exempted are Permanent Secretaries on acting capacity. The Accountant General of the State has been relieved of his appointment. The most senior staff who should ordinarily take over from him is affected by the directive on Permanent Secretaries and is to proceed on compulsory leave effective tomorrow, February 16, 2016. Consequently, the Accountant General is to hand over to the most senior staff after the staff affected by this directive. In the same vein, all Director of Local Governments (DLGs), all Treasurers of Local Governments,  all Education Secretaries, all Cashiers to Local Governments in the state are to proceed on 30-days compulsory leave effective from tomorrow, February 16, 20...

Edward Onoja David was the chief strategist in the Yahaya Bello gubernatorial campaign. He is also the Secretary to the transition committee charged with the responsibility of ensuring a smooth transition in Kogi state. In this interview with GENA LUBEM in Lokoja, he speaks of the determination of Governor YAHAYA Bello to run a people oriented government when sworn-in amongst other issues. Excerpts:   What exactly is the mandate of this committee? Our core mandate includes interfacing with the outgoing government in order to have a smooth take off of administration for the incoming government. We are also to ascertain the assets liability obligations, statements contracts by the outgoing government and report appropriately to the governor-elect. Equally, we are to recommend as appropriate measures that will aid the incoming governor to ensure good governance that will impact meaningfully on the lives of majority of citizens of Kogi state. We are to also suggest ways and activiti...

Godwin Osiyi, the erstwhile factional speaker of Kogi House of Assembly, has said that the leadership crisis in the House has been resolved. Osiyi, who disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Saturday in Lokoja, said it took the intervention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve the impasse. He said that the Acting National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, summoned members of the party in both factions to Abuja and advised them against allowing the executive arm to influence their choice of who led the house. According to him, the chairman “pleaded passionately” with the two factions to sheath their sword and allow the incumbent speaker, Momoh-Jimoh Lawal, to continue in office pending the determination of legal issues surrounding the governorship election. “For me, no sacrifice is too big for my party. We have decided to downplay our crisis, come together and resolve to support the leadership, hoping that the leader...

The Commissioner of police in Kogi, Mr Bansen Gwana, told newsmen in Lokoja that three other members of the four-man kidnap gang escaped with bullet wounds. Gwana urged orthodox and traditional hospitals in the state to report any patient with bullet wounds to the nearest police station. He said policemen and local hunters were combing the bush to fish out the fleeing kidnappers who he said were in military camouflage. Those rescued are Aliyu Akaba Mustapha, Adele Adeyemi and Musa Afegbua. Mustapha said he was traveling to Ebiya village in Ajaokuta Local Government when his vehicle was flagged down by the suspects at a spot on Adogo-Okene road. Mustapha said the suspects, who were all in military camouflage, stopped 11 other vehicles and started robbing passengers of money, handsets and other valuables one after the other. According to Mustapha , the suspects later decided to kidnap him and three other persons and have trekked into the bush for about 30 minutes when the kidnapper...

By RMD This is the story of the lion of the North, otherwise known as the Kabba Provincial Secondary School Okene, in Kogi State Of Nigeria. The school that drives students to deed of Valour, the seat of Excellence, where boys from all over the country learn early, in their formative years to survive. Ours is a school, where the dignity of labour, hard work, honesty and diligence are ways of life. For one can easily distinguish, a ''Lion'' (for that is how a product of P.S.S Okene is fondly called) from the rest wherever they are to be found. Their sense of direction and commitment to success make them the envy of lesser schools in the country. Ever before MAMSER, Mass Mobilisation for Self-sufficiency Social Justice and Self-reliance was launched, it is on record that the students were mobilized to build Lawn Tennis Courts and games pitches through direct labour. The students build swimming pool (built in 1956-1958) which makes the school the only school in Nigeria ...

The Ebira Renaissance Group (ERG) has read with keen interest the publication of Kogi East Elders’ Council on the Graphic newspaper of Wednesday, the 3rd of February, 2016 and is quick to place it in context in order to humbly but appropriately react to it for appreciable mutual understanding given the tone of the subtle threats contained in the write up. A man can be as good as his words especially when a group of distinguished elders representing a community make a statement, the benefit of doubt should be given to assume that they are as worthy as their words. A deeper look at the characterization of KEEC and its aversion would quickly earn them a similitude to the fictional characters of the “Chichidodos” who hate excrement with a passion but feed on maggots. It is in this light that the ERG would want to make the following clarification and comments. The title itself is an admission that hitherto, the government of Kogi State has not been working in the inte...

I must use this medium to first and foremost congratulate his excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello of his victory despite all hurdles surrounding the last gubernatorial election in Kogi state as it is written in the holy book that power belongs to God and he bestow on who he deem fit. I must commend his excellency for his first decision by reinstating the sacked LG chairmen in Kogi state following a judgement of the court of appeal ordering the reinstatement, its a good development for the nations rule of law in a sane Democratic settings. Considering the state of disrepair some public institutions in Kogi state have been from time past urgent attention and reformation is needed before the total collapse of the key governmental institution, and in carrying out this tedious task all hand must be on deck. In my last article I pointed out areas in which Kogi state has been relegated development wise due to the mismanagement of the previous administration. Kogi state is blessed with so many na...

KA political support group, Kogi Central For Damisa (KC4Damisa) has endorsed Hon. Ahmed Tijani Yusuf of the PDP as their preferred candidate for the February 20th National Assembly re-run elections in Kogi state. Hon. Ahmed Tijani Yusuf aka Tijani Damisa is the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the Okene/Ogori-Magongo federal constituency in the forthcoming INEC rescheduled election following the Abuja appellate court's nullification of the election that brought Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Bello of All Progressives Congress (APC) to office as member representing the constituency at the lower house of the National Assembly in March 2015. In the release signed by Annabel Salami on behalf of the support group, the group declared it's total support for the candidacy of Tijani Damisa in the  February 20th election. Below is the official release: PRESS RELEASE The KC4DAMISA group have made a clear choice and a bold stand in endorsing Hon. Ahmed Tijani Damisa for Ho...