Idris Hussein Kashim, an estate developer, claims that the state has long been messed up by past administrators and, thus, he has got his eyes fixed on the governorship seat of Kogi State. He spoke to a group of journalists. ONUKOGU KANAYOCHUQU JUBAL was there for LEADERSHIP.
As the race for the governorship of Kogi State hots up, a number of aspirants have declared their interests in the seat. You are one of them. Why do you want to be governor of Kogi State?
If you had asked me this question five years ago, I would have told you that I had no interest in politics and wanted to run my business; I would have expressed certain hope that our state would go well and become better years down the line.
Unfortunately, between that time and now, a lot of things have gone wrong and we are still trying to get things right in a state like ours. We need people who have got the heart and believe in their abilities to come remedy the situation in the state. The state has been so messed up, because, at every point in time, everyone who has been given the people’s mandate to govern takes care of himself first, before caring about the people’s welfare. Worse still when they hand over, they do so to friends and cronies who do not have the wherewithal to govern the state.
My only reason for running is to get things right and make the state work.
You said some things went wrong; what things?
Some people look at our state as one where anything goes. I think it is just because we have not been able to put square pegs in square holes. The state has got 23 of Nigeria’s 26 mineral deposits; there is no greater way in which a state can be blessed. My thoughts are geared towards getting these mineral deposits to work for us in increased capacity. To do this, all we need to do is to get like minds that will see how the whole thing can be done. All over the world, investors are looking for profitable ventures to invest in. If you can say to them ‘give me $10m’ with good reason, you think they’ll hold back? As far as the investments pay themselves, they will not worry about their money.
Whether I emerge governor or not, we must right the wrongs which have been perpetrated in the state, one of which is Dangote’s Obajana Cement project. Part of what accrues to the state has not been paid, but those who are supposed to speak out in the state are keeping mum, because they think that Dangote is doing us a favour. As a result, everyone who has governed the state is satisfied with taking peanuts, like bribes, from Dangote, preventing them from asking for what should rightly go to the state. If you are investing in the state and, evidently, it is profitable, you must plough some money back into the state. Kogi State has failed to develop as a result of set-backs like these.
Some time back, while Ibro was governor, David Jemibewon advised him to pronounce Obajana a free-trade zone, but it was never done. That would have, in some way, kick-started the development in the state, but it was not done.
I co-wrote a paper with some other people some time back and advised that Seven-up Bottling Company should relocate to Kogi. Also, I advised that, before they could relocate, the State House of Assembly must legislate and make their return legal, in order to protect their investment. I submitted it to the governor then and he promised to look into it. I also approached the Speaker of the state assembly and said ‘push this bill’. He agreed, but because they had no interest in it, they let that report slide. The fall-out of that inaction is that, today, banks in Obajana pay remittance to Dangote on our won soil. Today, no one in Obajana has more than 40 years to spend, because of the health effect of the activities down there and he pays them no dime for health insurance. The host villages have no electricity. Worse, no one is willing to stand up and say ‘this must stop’ and they’ll let no other person speak out.
The point is, I do not care about my ambition; I am more concerned about the welfare of the people of Kogi State and it is time to speak up. If Dangote will not do the right thing, he may have to leave the state with his investment. This is a democracy and if saying this will hamper my chances, so be it. I care less. If we want to peg the figures right, then what Dangote should remit to the state should be no less than N3bn monthly. We do not get more than N4bn from the Federation Account and if Dangote pays that monthly, we could be able to take care of things to a certain degree, say 90 per cent.
If you look at the NATACO car parks, by the surveys I made, what was drawn from the soil cost N530m monthly. If we put our acts together, that investment can get this state N1bn monthly as internally generated revenue (IGR).
The only professional course studied in Nigeria but lacks any practical value is computer science. Any computer scientist who graduates from a Nigerian university knows nothing about the practical aspect of it. Having noticed this, I went to India, where I discussed with them and carried out a study. We concluded that bringing a National University Commission-certified university solely for that purpose to Kogi State as an individual would be difficult; only as a state. As a state, it would be easier, because there would be a partnership with foundations that are ready to pay; all you have to do is just sign documents agreeing that the institution will generate income and the financiers will get their money back. I discussed with the NUC and it was agreed that, if such an institution came afloat, the graduates would only be given certificates after their internship and it is certified that they are true computer scientists. Natives of the state who are studying computer science can get 50 per cent rebate on tuition and, thus, we can build capacity and create ideas.
That done, in the next 10 years, any computer science graduate you see will be certified and the arrow will lead to Kogi.
These are some of the many ways Kogi State can become a pace-setting Nigerian state, without being a ‘beggar’ state to companies like Dangote.
Another point is this: All the petrol tankers taking petroleum products to the rest of the nation are down in the South, because they have tank-farms there. We have river banks in this state and we can build a tank-farm in Lokoja here. The cost of lifting daily is above N300m. If we can tap into just 50 per cent of that, that is N150m daily. It comes to about N4.5bn monthly and it can keep this state running. I promise Kogites that if I become governor, within six months of my swearing-in, our IGR can never be less than N7bn and it will grow over time. Mark my words. There is a lot in store for Kogi and it cannot be discussed here. Tourism, construction, hospitality, health, education and the rest are there to be tapped into. Kogi must be better for our children’s sake. This change we want to bring about must be generational.
Before you get to that point, you have to win your party’s ticket and get the support of all the other parts of the state that have been long overlooked. How do you hope to do that?
We need to understand that we are asking for change here and not power-shift. Also, as a candidate, I cannot guarantee the Okun-Ebira people anything. I can guarantee the state development and economic growth. No individual can guarantee power-shift, but an individual can guarantee change. If we look at it from the angle of change, if people from a particular zone continue to bring change, the state will queue behind them and, only then, power-shift can take place. How can we talk of power-shift when we have always been governors and the state has never been the better for it?
No matter how highly-placed you are and contesting for the seat of the governor, you are just one person and so am I. The only majority here is the electorate who must understand the times and should not make another mistake at the polls. On that note, we can look at ourselves in the face and get down to the business. The objective here is for the state to work based on competence, not power-shift and the people of Kogi know that. The awareness level is high and the people will make a shocking decision when the time comes.
If the people understand that Kogi is backward, economically and otherwise, they will not elect a riff-raff, an empty barrel, a glutton, a sweet-mouthed man to be the next governor.
You seem so prepared for the race, but are you prepared for imposition in your party?
You see, if Buhari, Kwankwaso, Atiku, Sam Nda-Isaiah and the rest could go through the rigours of primary before someone was elected to bear the party’s flag, I do not think that the issue of imposition will be discussed in our party. This is because of the degree of trust I have in the party’s leadership to do the right thing. There is no way there is going to be an imposition. Nothing will stop the party from conducting a primary election. If they allow a free-and-fair primary – which I am sure they will – destiny will prevail and the best man will take the party there.
Kogi Needs Mending – Kashim, Guber Aspirant
No comments:
Post a Comment