Kogi State Chief of Staff suggests ways of creating encouraging investment climate
Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Edward Onoja, has suggested ways of making a state an investment hub. He stated this against the backdrop of Saturday's commissioning of an Army Base in Okene Kogi State.
He was particular about the relevance of adequate security measures.
Here are his views:
It is obvious to all persons of good conscience that the greatest catalysts for Investments in any economy are:
1. Security of Life, Property and Investments.
2. Modern Infrastructures (Power, Roads and Utilities).
3. The nature and quality of Government's Strategic Plans and Policies and the amount of Political Will present to execute them.
4. A Functional Public Service that is free of waste and serves its full productive function as the Engine of Development.
5. Land and Ease of Access to Land and economic opportunities.
6. Natural Endowments and Minerals Resources.
7. Quality Human Resources
8. Export Commodities and Available Markets.
9. Internal Sources of funding independent of the vicissitudes of external factors (IGR).
Kogi has 5,6,7 and 8 in abundance. It is more endowed than nearly any State in Nigeria, save perhaps the Oil Rich States of the Niger Delta. The world is moving fast to substitute fossil fuels. The good news is that Kogi will still have relevant industries after the oil is gone. The Largest Iron and Steel complex, Cement manufacturing and now Marble producing concern in Africa is In Kogi State.
1,2,3 and 4 were nonexistent or completely wrecked before January 27, 2016. Any Government in Kogi State that is responsible and has an eye on posterity ought to put its resources in them to complete the essentials required to migrate the state from its Civil Service status into the commercial nerve centre for which its physical location confers on it a distinct advantage.
Anyone who true to himself will agree with me that His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello has taken the Bull by the horn in the fiercest Political Environment in the country and is creatively transforming what is available into what he believe Kogi should be.
Early in his Administration he had his plans and policies codified into a Blueprint. Education, Health, Job Creation and Youth Engagement, Infrastructure and Utilities as well as Public Sector and Pension Reforms became the 5 focal areas of his New Direction Agenda.
The beauty of his Blueprint lies in its simplicity. By integrating the 9 drivers (catalysts) of economic growth above into an omnibus template, each of the 5 thematic areas expands in scope and can be implemented to achieve multiple objectives in synergy with the others.Thus when new educational facilities are added or old ones renovated, the Education thematic area simultaneously meets part of the Infrastructure and Utilities goals while satisfying its own unique objectives of providing quality training for our youngsters. This synergy can be repeated in an infinite number of combinations. This is the only way to leapfrog Kogi State towards Lagos, Anambra or other ‘performing’ States in the shortest possible time.
Of course, somebody may wonder where the money to execute these lofty blueprints will come from. The answer is that there is no easy answer. However, having doubled our IGR in less than 12 months, we are aspiring to double it again in the next 12. Additionally, we have eliminated so much waste from the system and that translates to more disposable income for the Government. The screening exercise alone has free up nearly N10bn extra annually for capital projects. Other sources are in the pipeline which it will be premature to reveal now.
One thing that sticks out which our many years of believing that unless and until it's my Kinsman working predominantly with those of our kinds it's then that we can unlock our abundant already acknowledged potentials. If not it will always remain ” Kogi has abundant potentials)”We know that's proven falsehood because it's been 25 years on before God Almighty did what he believed was the best through once in a life time event- Our leader Prince Abubakar Audu had to pay the Supreme prize ( May his souls Rest In Peace). And my region the great Igala Kingdom is the worst by many Social indices which sadly stares us all in the face. So who can still face his true conscience and still say it's Tribe,Religion,Class or other primordial considerations that should rank higher than Character, capacity and the passion for selfless service.
His Excellency is on an Assignment to build bridges across barriers we created over time by tearing down those mad made barriers of Ethnicity,religion etc. The Project KogiFirst birthing the Kogi of our dreams is a must deliver. And his actions are louder by the day on this.
Like His Excellency never tires of saying, as long as God and Good continue to be with us, this is the job we must do, as excellently as our abundant political will and the prayer, goodwill and support of all Kogites.
#KogiFirst #KogiRising #GodOverEverything,#GodIsGreat,#GodIsLove
Let love conquer!
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