By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
Kogi State Governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and immediate-past state Commissioner of Finance, budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Idris Asiwaju Ashiru, has indicated that no amount of money can buy the conscience of APC Governorship Delegates in the State.
Hence, he said, he is only counting on the goodwill, love and tenacity of the delegates whom he describes as ‘Change Agents’ in Kogi State.
“I hope our honourable delegates will give me opportunity to serve our state in higher capacity and I will make them and the state proud and happy if elected candidate based on merit, exposure to governance and the experience I have garnered under purposeful leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello whose legacies I intend to build on tenaciously.
“If elected Governor of Kogi State, my administration will build on existing development programmes in the state, to actualize the economic vision of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration I had been part of since its inception having served meritoriously for eight years.
Speaking on Monday at the state Governorship Media Parley, organized by Kogi State Council of Nigeria union of Journalists (NUJ), held at the Press Centre in the capital, Lokoja, Mr. Ashiru, indicted that he had acquired relevant leadership skills and cognate experience in governance more than any of his competitors as his antecedents and leadership attributes in the course of service to the state in different capacities, are well known to the people of Kogi State.
“Based on exposure and experience, I’m the most qualified to be Governor of Kogi State having had the privilege of working with Governor Bello to develop the state thirty two years development plan on the basis of which the state recorded infrastructure Projects in critical sectors of the economy, and the projects are verifiable and tangible to Kogi State citizens.
“My administration will be a continuation of Governor Bello’s administration because I have contributed my ideas to the running and success story of the state economic team led by our dynamic and progressive Governor Bello whose selfless spirit of commitment to incisive development policies and governance, has re-defined political leadership in the state.
“I have worked on the state economic council and represented the state Governor on the national economic council as well as participation in international economic engagements on behalf of the state in the US, China and Dubai.
“I will also use my professional skills and good understanding of the economy of our state to reduce cost of governance and institutionalize meritocracy in governance and entrench merit system in our public service.
“Kogi State will experience more developments that would be products of Governor Bello’s current 32 years state development plan now on course.
“Due to the efficiency of the accountability and transparency unit in the ministry of finance, budget and Economic Planning, under my watch, the state government secured a grant of US5million from the World Bank for specific Projects that have been successfully executed to the glory of God and humanity.”
Asiwaju Ashiru, identified attitudinal change and shared determination of citizens to excellence in governance as the panacea for sustainable development and Economic prosperity of the state, where inputs of development stakeholders matter.
According to Ashiru, Kogi State is in the process of building two hydro-Power stations in Eastern and Western part of Kogi State under an ambitious Joint power Project with the Chinese government while the state will tap from the abundance of coal deposits in the state as a renewable energy option for Kogi State.
He said the state is currently in partnership with 19 Northern States to generate 100 megawatts of solar energy.
The project, according to Ashiru, is being financed by Nigeria’s Finance Ministry, to deliver alternative energy source to Nigerians, particularly in the Northern region with comparative advantage for