Wada ‘ll support power shift after 2nd term — Olowomoran

Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Kogi State, Mr. Kayode Olowomoran in this interview in this interview downplayed calls for power to shift to another Senatorial District in the state, noting if re-elected, the governor would do that after his second term in office.  Power is not what you sit down and expect it to be given to you. You have to work for it. In that direction Idris Wada is not an Igala governor but Kogi State governor. He is very sensitive to this very agitation and that is why he is still the better man we have at hand now. After his second term, he is going to support any candidate coming from any other senatorial region particularly from the West and the Central. If he has said this, then what else do we want from him again? If we are going to bring in another Igala man to come occupy the Lugard House (Government House), that will alter the calculations. It would mean that we are going to start afresh. So between eight and four years which one is closer? So you can see four years is closer,. What is four years in the life of a man that people cannot be patient? Your state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is known to be in crisis following the outcome of the recent ward congresses among other issues. Don’t you think the absence of oneness is likely to affect your chances? When you have a responsible leadership, you can be rest assured that you are going to get good results. When you have the competence to handle the elders, youths, women and the ordinary man on the street, then it becomes difficult to throw away a winning team. Governor Idris Wada is not an arrogant person, he listens to even the Okada riders in Lokoja. During the Ramadan period, he goes out to break his fast with people on the street. He also reaches out to Christians. So, for anybody to think the election is going to be a walk-over, the person is wrong. And I believe that people are still going to give him the mandate again. Senator Dino Melaye, who represents Kogi West in the Senate had expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress, APC is hundred percent sure of winning the election. Don’t you think that such statement should be taken seriously considering the bandwagon effect that earned the party success during the general election? He is an individual and in politics you do not come out and talk negatively about you ambition. That is his opinion. He expects that but the people know what they want and we are not playing to the gallery. We are saying that we need this man re-elected to consolidate what he has already started. Thereafter, some of us who are in PDP will go back to what we agreed upon. Now, this is the time to support the consolidation efforts. We have the culture of carrying everyone along in the PDP. That is why we are the largest party in Africa and we are still standing. Who are the APC, they are all PDP members. Wada has been accused of under-performance in the state. What can you say about that from the stand point of an insider? This is the first time we are going to have opportunity to build up Kogi State. He is a people friendly governor. Before you talk about the quality of anyone, it is important to look at his lifestyle. He is a trained pilot. That shows the kind of quality that God has given him as a person. The second thing about him is his approach to governance. He came in with loaded ideas on how to move Kogi State forward. He started that until the economy began to nose-dive. That actually had effects on Kogi like every other state in Nigeria. Kogi is not among the states that are worst hit in terms of not meeting statutorily obligations. What is the secret? The governor is very concerned about worker’s welfare. As I speak to you, my governor will not pay any political office holder until he pays the civil servants. What else do you want from such a man? I dislike it when we are compared with other states that have not been able to pay for many months. We must commend our listening President, who has approved a bailout for the states. Being a man who had already mapped out his plans, our governor has never allowed anything to distract him. We are beginning to look inwards to see the projects that will generate more funds for the state. We are blessed with over 33 geologically satisfied mineral deposits in Nigeria. Of this 33 we have 22 of them deposited here in Kogi state. If we invest in these mineral resources, we can be self sufficient. Whatever we get from oil revenue will just be an additional thing to us. If the Ajokuta company becomes functional, Kogi will benefit immensely from it. Same applies to Dangote Cement factory. That limestones deposit there can last Dangote for 100 years according to the research. There are also gold deposits in Okun land. It is against this backdrop that the governor began to look for investors. In his wisdom, he has called for Public Private Partnership, PPP, to harness our potentialities. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with some reputable companies that are ready to invest in our hospitality industry. And when they commence their activities, is is going to generate employment. What would you say are the legacies that the present administration have on ground? The legacies abound in the state. When you drive through Lokoja , you will see that the ongoing construction of the drainage system. He is giving the state capital a befitting look. . The foundation he is laying in the area of hospitality industry is fantastic. Those structures are not something that will give way in another 30 years. Things are looking up in Kogi and the best option for our people, is to support Wada’s re-election bid.