Images of Ebiraland

WRITTEN BY BALOGUN OMEIZA DAVID. How time flies. Just like yesterday, the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, the State capital in Kogi State was filled to the brim. Faces of men, women, boys, girls, the handicapped and the aged were seen as they all trooped out in large numbers to usher in a government that was bent on charting "A NEW DIRECTION" for the state. Different bodies were present and also groups to witness this epoch making inauguration. To the glory of God Almighty the inauguration has metamorphosed into a hundred days in office for His Excellency, Alh. Adoza Yahaya Bello (AYB) and I deem it fit to congratulate this man of rare qualities and also to dissect the achievements of some of those he has saddled with responsibilities in his kitchen cabinet. Without mincing words, it is known to all and sundry that His Excellency met Kogi State swimming in the murky waters of backwardness and under development. The administration of Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada from whom our pres

By Rekiya O. Sanni A hundred days ago, the Governor of Kogi state was sworn in. Our people and the whole country marvelled at what has been variously characterised as a miracle and an epoch-making event. The Bello Support Group (BSO) wishes to thank God for the victory of having Change instilled in our beloved State; we are grateful to God for giving us a Governor of our dreams. Indefatigable, detribalised, focused and highly motivated towards excellence. In the light of this, and the many landmark and impact feats ongoing, we congratulate His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on his one hundred days in Office, as the Executive Governor of Kogi State. We have seen the delight in the faces of the entire workforce in the state – both Local Government services, State Government services – as you have taken up the Augean task of sanitizing the Civil Service; plus the recent gesture geared towards ameliorating the working conditions of the Labour union at large state-wide. We are also a

 Member representing Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency, Hon. Kabir Ajanah has empowered over 450 youths through the first phase of his empowerment scheme. The programme, which was held today at his Obangede hometown in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, had its beneficiaries from the 22 wards in the Adavi/Okehi constituency. In his speech, Ajanah noted that most of the beneficiaries had been trained by his scheme on small and medium scale enterprises, while others are faithfuls of his party, All Progressives Congress. "We have successfully trained people to be computer literates and they shall be empowered as graduants with a Computer Machine. "We have also trained people to be specialist in tailoring work and today they shall be empowered with Tailoring Machine as graduants. "We have trained people in Vulkanizing work and today they shall be empowered as graduants to stand on their own. "There are these beneficiaries of a motorcycles to which most part

BEING TEXT OF AN ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO OF KOGI STATE TO THE STATE’S WORKERS ON MONDAY, MAY 1 (MAYDAY), 2016. The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Honourable Simeon Achuba. The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Honourable Umar Imam The Chief Judge of Kogi State, My Lord Justice Nasir Ajanah Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Her Honour Mrs. Ayoade Folashade Arike The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Honourable Edward Onoja The Head of Service (Acting), Kogi State Civil Service, Political Appointees and Members of Government. Leaders and Members of the Nigerian Labour Congress Leaders and Members of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria Great Nigerian Workers! Ladies and Gentlemen, May 1st every year is a testimonial to the indomitable spirits of men and women, the Workers, who play the most invaluable roles in the Development of any Society. It is a day set aside by the World to pay deserved tribute to the people who cons

By Muhammed D. Adano The late sir Ahmed Bello,  Premier of the northern Nigeria once said that " If we do not blow our own Trumpet no one would do so for us -for they are too busy blowing theirs". I was privileged to attend Governor Yahaya Bello inauguration January 27th, 2016 at Lokoja. One of the speakers, a bonafide Kogites, a distinguished senator representing the good people of Kogi West senatorial district  spoke on 'How God win'. Senator Dino Melaye began by saying that the vote of Almighty God has won. He went further to say that the people of Kogi state from Central, East and to the West casted their votes for Prince Abubakar Audu but God voted for Alhaji Yahaya Bello  and returned elected". #Godwin-Ohomorihi Ohun. God has spoken why some people contesting with the word of God. The stadium witness reverberated with ovation and my Governor Yahaya Bello wept openly during his inaugural speech presentation. Before leaving the podium, the Governor posited

The menace of ghost workers has taken a dangerous dimension in Kogi state over the years. Today in the state; there exist ghost workers and ghost ministries, ghost schools and ghost staff, ghost contractors and ghost contracts, ghost pensioners and retirees all of which continue to drain the state's coffers thereby renders it incapable of carrying out its basic responsibility of providing infrastructure, maintenance of law and order and so on. No doubt the astronomical unemployment rate in Kogi state and In the country today is in part exacerbated by the widespread incidence of ghost employees in both State and Local governments’ administration. As a direct consequence of this fraud, qualified kogites and Nigerians often find it difficult to get a space in both government and private establishments whose nominal rolls are brimming with fictitious characters but who nonetheless monthly cream out humongous pay checks from their victim establishment. According to the May/June 2001 e

Mary Amodu- Lokoja The Kogi State, Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello expressed shock in the demise of the Oba of Benin, HRM Omo N'oba Erediuawa as loss of the nation's gourd of history and tradition "one of the nation's most revered royal fathers,  a monumental loss to the Benin Kingdom, Edo State and the nation. The departed royal father is one of Africa's finest cultural Ambassadors and a pragmatic leader with a chemistry of ancient values and modern leadership. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello described the late Oba as a promoter of Afro-centric solutions to challenges confronting Africa and father to all who believes in a united and prosperous Nigeria. Bello express his heart-felt sympathies to the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole over the loss of an invaluable father, adviser and an inestimable companion in the advancement of Edo values and development." I pray for the repose soul of the departed ro

President Muhammadu Buhari has received with sadness and an immense feeling of great national loss, news of the passing away of the highly revered traditional ruler of Benin Kingdom, Omo  n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa. On behalf of the Federal Government, President Buhari extends sincere condolences to Governor Adams Oshiomhole,  the people of Benin Kingdom and Edo State on the passage of the beloved monarch who had ruled over his people since his ascension to the throne in 1979. The President extends  special  commiserations to  Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa and other members of the late Oba's immediate family. President Buhari assures them of the fullest sympathy and solidarity of the Federal Government and all Nigerians as they mourn Oba Erediauwa who will always be remembered as one of the most outstanding traditional rulers of his era. As the late Oba goes to join his very illustrious royal ancestors, President Buhari believes that his place of honou

The present administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello has restated its commitment towards ensuring that youths in the state are carried along in all its programmes and policies. This assurance was given last week by the special Adviser to the governor on youths; sports and students affairs, Comrade Arome Adoji, while speaking on behalf of the present administration in the state during an award presentation ceremony by the Education Management students Association of the University of Ibadan, F.C.E Okene undergraduate programme. Speaking, comrade Arome who said “the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a government of the youths” disclosed that within the short time this administration came on board, it has granted scholarship to 500 Kogi State students schooling in Kwara State. He also disclosed that the present administration is presently in discussion with the central bank of Nigeria for a loan facility that would be channelled to empower about 5,000 youths of the state. The special

It is no gainsaying that the 6th NEC of the Ebira Youth Congress, at inauguration, inherited a seemingly more volatile Ebira terrain featured with a messy security situation. To say the least, the land has appeared more vulnerable, hapless and helpless in recent times as such that could not be let be by the EYC naturally. Amidst the insecurity episode, suddenly occured the regrettable loss of one youth-agitator against the epileptic power supply. And of course, the stride of the EYC to immediately quell the dust raised therefrom cannot be taken away. On-the-spot assessment, meetings with the relevant axes, mass media plea and sue for calm were our major potent activation unto the feat. For the records, the occasion of our inauguration as the EYC National Executive Council was held as Ebira youths wallowed in the shared melancholy of a statesman - Pastor Joseph Suleiman, whose son was still languishing in the ruthless hands of his captors. After then till now, suchlike iniquities are s