Kogi State at 34: A State in Need of Development – Comrade Milik Idris
By Amuda Jimoh – Lokoja
As Kogi State celebrates its 34th anniversary, a group, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), has raised concerns about the state’s development and progress.
In a press release signed by the Executive Director, Idris Miliki Abdul, the group noted that despite the state’s potential, it has been plagued by numerous challenges, including lack of state-owned television, poor infrastructure, corruption, and lack of accountability in governance.
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The CHRCR expressed disappointment at the current state of the state’s media institutions, citing the recent attack and vandalization of Prime FM and the neglect of other media houses.
The group called on the government to pay more attention to media practitioners and their institutions, stressing that a responsible media can foster friendship, support democratization, and enhance civic culture.
The CHRCR also highlighted the poor state of infrastructure in the state, including roads and water supply.
Miliki noted that the state’s roads are in a deplorable condition, with potholes being a major characteristic of all roads in the state, even in the state capital.
He also said that the water situation in Lokoja, the state capital, is also worrisome, despite the state’s strategic location at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers.
He called on the government to prioritize development and good governance, noting that the state’s potential can only be harnessed with effective leadership and management.
The CHRCR also urged the government to review its relationship with privately owned cement factories to make it more productive and beneficial to the state.
He made several recommendations to the state government, including:
– Establishing a state-owned television station to promote information sharing and development
– Developing a strategy for housing development and looking at it from a commercial perspective
– Reviewing and upgrading the social protection register and developing a social investment policy
– Reviewing the environmental policy and holding an environmental conference to identify challenges and come up with strategies for intervention
– Improving the transport sector and putting in place strategies to create employment and generate revenue for the state
The group also called on the government to prioritize anti-corruption and accountability issues, noting that the passage of the Anti-Corruption Law is not enough without the establishment of an agency to enforce it.
As Kogi State celebrates its 34th anniversary, the CHRCR is calling on the government to take immediate action to address the state’s development challenges.
The group believes that with effective leadership and management, the state can harness its potential and become a model for development and good governance in Nigeria.
