Sanusi Ohiare, the former executive director Rural Electrification Fund has promised to build an inland port and airport in Kogi state to boost the internally generated revenue and attract investments.
Ohiare who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kogi state made the promise after being screened for the party’s guber primaries in Abuja on Saturday.
He said Kogi has advantages such as the confluence of River Benue and Niger which would be harnessed to make the economic hub between the north and southern parts of the country.
The Kogi governorship hope also said he has the tallest profile amongst other aspirants having executed projects in all local government areas and communities in the state which added value to the peoples lives.
“Kogi has some certain advantages, for instance the River Niger and River Benue it used to be an old trade zone so we have plans to work with the federal government and private sector to build an inland port. This inland port comes with a lot of other benefits and investments.
“We have railway that is running between Itape and Warri, we want to connect it to Abuja, effectively to Kaduna and Kano and build an airport. The idea is to make Kogi the logistics hub of the country…Kogi can serve the northern part of the country in terms of business and trade.
“So, if we are able to do this, we have the Ajaokuta- Kaduna-Kano rail line that is being built and hopefully in the next one year or so it will be ready. We want to tap on that to build industries along this route. This will help to generate jobs, it will help to increase our revenue.
“In the meantime before all of these investments come in, we want to close the loopholes in terms of what we receive as internally degenerated revenue, open the tax net not necessarily increase but widen taxes so we can get more people to pay taxes and of course use this money judiciously so that people see can what we are using the money to do in terms of infrastructure and their welfare,” he said.
APC on Saturday screened the screening of governorship aspirants for Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo
states ahead of primary election slated for April 10.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed November 11, 2023 for the conduct of the three governorship elections.
Also, speaking with journalists after been screened, Smart Adeyemi, the senator representing Kogi west who aspiring for APC governorship ticket, called on Governor Yahaya Bello not to become a tribal leader.
Adeyemi said the call became necessary following speculations in some quarters that Bello was working towards ensuring that an Ebira man succeeded him.
He said:”Democracy is all about the people. And I want to appeal to Governor Yahaya Bello, who tried to be a statesman in the way he has done his appointment. But what will define Yahaya Adoza Bello’s administration is the courage to which he eventually decides who gives his support to. You should not allow people to turn into a tribal leader.
“Okun west in the last 30 years, we have not produced a governor. And we are not conquered, we are not slaves. So we are eminently qualified to govern our state.”
Meanwhile, meanwhile the Kogi East APC Leaders Forum (the Igala
speaking areas) has vowed to resist the attempts by the incumbent governor to pick successor amongst his Ebira kinsmen.
Akwu Umar-Goodman, spokesperson of the forum at a press conference in Abuja said Bello’s move was mission impossible as politics remains the game of numbers.
“Governor Yahaya Bello has never hidden his intention to impose his protégé from his tribe as successor come November 11 Kogi State Governorship Election, which is a
mission impossible.
“Because politics is a game of number and majority will always carry the day while the minority will always have their say,” he said.
Umar-Goodman also said the governor’s decision to declare some members of the Kogi State House of Assembly as terrorists was part of the plot to scuttle the governorship ambition of the deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Yakubu Ajaka.
He said, the Igala people are forced to break silence to stop the unbecoming and larger than life attitude of some privileged political minors that providence paved way for them but have refused to appreciate God in totality.
“The declaration of the Honorable Members of the State Assembly as Terrorist to persecute them and the suspension of Chairmen and a party stalwart and a leading governorship aspirant for that matter, was hastily done without recourse to due process, better still party constitution.
“It is like the case of given dog a bad name just to cut-off the head. The whole exercise was borne out of envy, jealousy and hatred for the rising political profile of Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the kid on the block.
“We, the Igala people, are seriously injured and stigmatised by this pronouncement. We condemned it in entirety and reject completely the appellation,” the Kogi East APC leaders spokesperson said.
Ohiare promise to build inland port, airport in Kogi
…as APC screens Kogi, Bayelsa, Imo guber aspirants
…Igala APC leaders resist plots by Bello to pick Ebira successor
By James Kwen
Sanusi Ohiare, the former executive director Rural Electrification Fund has promised to build an inland port and airport in Kogi state to boost the internally generated revenue and attract investments.
Ohiare who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kogi state made the promise after being screened for the party’s guber primaries in Abuja on Saturday.
He said Kogi has advantages such as the confluence of River Benue and Niger which would be harnessed to make the economic hub between the north and southern parts of the country.
The Kogi governorship hope also said he has the tallest profile amongst other aspirants having executed projects in all local government areas and communities in the state which added value to the peoples lives.
“Kogi has some certain advantages, for instance the River Niger and River Benue it used to be an old trade zone so we have plans to work with the federal government and private sector to build an inland port. This inland port comes with a lot of other benefits and investments.
“We have railway that is running between Itape and Warri, we want to connect it to Abuja, effectively to Kaduna and Kano and build an airport. The idea is to make Kogi the logistics hub of the country…Kogi can serve the northern part of the country in terms of business and trade.
“So, if we are able to do this, we have the Ajaokuta- Kaduna-Kano rail line that is being built and hopefully in the next one year or so it will be ready. We want to tap on that to build industries along this route. This will help to generate jobs, it will help to increase our revenue.
“In the meantime before all of these investments come in, we want to close the loopholes in terms of what we receive as internally degenerated revenue, open the tax net not necessarily increase but widen taxes so we can get more people to pay taxes and of course use this money judiciously so that people see can what we are using the money to do in terms of infrastructure and their welfare,” he said.
APC on Saturday screened the screening of governorship aspirants for Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo
states ahead of primary election slated for April 10.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed November 11, 2023 for the conduct of the three governorship elections.
Also, speaking with journalists after been screened, Smart Adeyemi, the senator representing Kogi west who aspiring for APC governorship ticket, called on Governor Yahaya Bello not to become a tribal leader.
Adeyemi said the call became necessary following speculations in some quarters that Bello was working towards ensuring that an Ebira man succeeded him.
He said:”Democracy is all about the people. And I want to appeal to Governor Yahaya Bello, who tried to be a statesman in the way he has done his appointment. But what will define Yahaya Adoza Bello’s administration is the courage to which he eventually decides who gives his support to. You should not allow people to turn into a tribal leader.
“Okun west in the last 30 years, we have not produced a governor. And we are not conquered, we are not slaves. So we are eminently qualified to govern our state.”
Meanwhile, meanwhile the Kogi East APC Leaders Forum (the Igala
speaking areas) has vowed to resist the attempts by the incumbent governor to pick successor amongst his Ebira kinsmen.
Akwu Umar-Goodman, spokesperson of the forum at a press conference in Abuja said Bello’s move was mission impossible as politics remains the game of numbers.
“Governor Yahaya Bello has never hidden his intention to impose his protégé from his tribe as successor come November 11 Kogi State Governorship Election, which is a
mission impossible.
“Because politics is a game of number and majority will always carry the day while the minority will always have their say,” he said.
Umar-Goodman also said the governor’s decision to declare some members of the Kogi State House of Assembly as terrorists was part of the plot to scuttle the governorship ambition of the deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Yakubu Ajaka.
He said, the Igala people are forced to break silence to stop the unbecoming and larger than life attitude of some privileged political minors that providence paved way for them but have refused to appreciate God in totality.
“The declaration of the Honorable Members of the State Assembly as Terrorist to persecute them and the suspension of Chairmen and a party stalwart and a leading governorship aspirant for that matter, was hastily done without recourse to due process, better still party constitution.
“It is like the case of given dog a bad name just to cut-off the head. The whole exercise was borne out of envy, jealousy and hatred for the rising political profile of Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the kid on the block.
“We, the Igala people, are seriously injured and stigmatised by this pronouncement. We condemned it in entirety and reject completely the appellation,” the Kogi East APC leaders spokesperson said.
