Kogi East leaders laud Tinubu, Ododo on infrastructure development

The Chairman of Ankpa Local Government Area in the state, Alhaji Ademu Muhammed Yahaya, led the commendation of President Tinubu and the state government as the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Presidential Communications Team continued their inspection of federal and state governments’ legacy projects in the state.

In Ankpa Local Government Area, the team inspected a 12-kilometre internal road, with a 24-kilometre double -side drainage network undertaken by the Governor Ododo Administration.

Addressing the team, Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr Joseph Oluwasegun, said the road network was a legacy project implemented by the state government through the Agro – Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) – a World Bank counterpart-funding project.

The commissioner, who also chairs the state ACReSAL, said the project comprising land reclamation, stabilization and channelization is a strategic intervention by the state government to reclaim degraded environment, control erosion and free more land for agricultural and other economic purposes, thereby enhancing food sufficiency and security.

“I want to first commend Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo for always according to counterpart funds for ACReSAL projects across the state utmost priority.

“The World Bank will only release its funds when the state government provides its counterpart funds for compensation and other ancillaries.

“Governor Ododo is one of the governors that do not default in the provision of counterpart funds,” the commissioner said.

He added that the project has improved livelihoods in the area and reduced poverty in no small way through the micro-loan component, which rural farmers and cooperative groups have immensely benefited from.

Engineer Oluwasegun described the intervention as a campaign promise to the people of Kogi East, which Governor Ododo has kept, adding that similar projects are ongoing in other senatorial zones of the state because of its impact and the multiplier effect for the citizens.

Oluwasegun said over $2m has been disbursed to cooperative groups in the community through the intervention, thereby reducing poverty and improving their livelihoods.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Ankpa Local Government described the erosion control intervention project in the area as the largest government project ever conducted in the local government.

“Ankpa Local Government is an old local government. It was in the Benue-Plateau State and later in the old Kwara State before the creation of Kogi State. But I can categorically say the project is the biggest and most impactful by any administration for this local government.

“We cannot thank the Governor and President Bola Tinubu enough. We will show our appreciation fully during the polls,” he said.

Also, a community leader and Secretary of Olubojo Community, Elder Yahaya Samuel, said the project had relieved them of years of hardship and economic loss arising from erosion menace and dilapidated road.

He expressed profound gratitude to the state government for the intervention and promised President Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress candidates in the area of massive votes in the 2027 polls.

At the Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, the team inspected the new College of Health Sciences building undertaken by TETfund under its 2024 Intervention as well as the university’s new Senate Building under the tertiary education intervention agency’s 2024 High Impact Intervention at the cost of N643m and N3.1bn, respectively.

Similarly, the team inspected the Iyale-Ogane-Enugu Road – a 60-kilometer rural road under construction in Dekina Local Government Area.

The State Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Timothy Ojoma, said the road construction is a reflection of the state government’s determination to open up agrarian rural areas, boost production and enhance commerce in the state.