KOGI State is one of the most endowed states in the country, as the state is blessed with several mineral resources.
It is, however, unfortunate that we find the state in the financial mess it is today.
I was so happy when Alhaji Yahaya Bello became the executive governor of the state; I was happy because Alhaji Bello was a thriving businessman before joining politics, and he would use his experience to take Kogi out of the doldrums.
Since the return of democracy, the state has not really enjoyed the dividends of democracy.
Civil servants are being owed several months of salary arrears, and this is just not good enough for a state that is well-endowed.
I believe Governor Bello needs time to change the fortune of the state, and one area I want him to focus on is the extractive sector of the economy.
From Kabba, to Olamaboro, to Dekina, to Ogori-Magongo, every part of the state is blessed with one mineral resource or the other, and it is a good thing that the Federal Government has given states the permission to mine the resources in their domains.
I, therefore, hope that Alhaji Bello will capitalise on this Federal Government policy and take the state to the next level.
We have lime, gold, zinc, bauxite, among other resources in different parts of the state, and Governor Bello should set himself apart from his predecessors by establishing a company that will start mining these resources.
If this happens, I bet it that in a matter of years, Kogi will become the highest earning state in the country, surpassing Lagos State.
- Wisdom Obuseh,
and then