Insecurity: Kogi to build FOB in Igalaland

Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello

The Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Monday said the state government would construct another Forward Operations Base (FOB) of the Nigerian Army in the eastern senatorial district of the state to support the war against criminal activities in the region.

Besides, the governor said he would embark on the auditing of the electricity situation in the district with a view to providing electricity for the various communities in Igalaland.

Bello said this at the palace of the palace of the Attah Igala, Dr Michael Idakwo, as part of his visits to the state owned tertiary institutions in the senatorial district.

He said the FOB that was inaugurated in Okene was the first one because statistics showed that the central senatorial district witnessed 52 percent of kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities recorded across the state.

The governor however said another one would be built in the eastern senatorial district before the end of the year to further assist the fight against crime in the area.

He said, “I believe in equity and justice, we have inaugurated a military Forward Operation Base in the Central. We started from the central because in armed robbery and Kidnapping central has over 52 percent and we needed to make the move to stem that tide and we quickly built that forward and we commissioned it.

“By the grace of God before the end of December we are going to build another FOB in Igala land because the issue of security is very key.

“I have toured round Kogi State and there is a vital observation I have made in terms of what is existing in the central and lacking in Igala land and that is electricity which make people to go to bed as early as 6:30 or 7 o’clock when it is early enough for people to continue to pursue their means of livelihood and everywhere is dark and when there is light, darkness vanishes

“We are going to set up a high powered committee to move round Igala land and for the people of Igala Kingdom come up with the power need of the people.
As a government we are going to take a lead in making sure that we bring sons and daughters of the land and our well wishers both home and abroad to come and help in providing the light”.

The monarch however lauded the governor for the on-going massive road construction and rehabilitation in the senatorial district.

Idakwo described road development as crucial to human existence, especially in the area of transportation of goods and services.

The Atta’Igala named some of the on-going road projects embarked upon by the Bello-led administration to include the construction of Okpo-Igaikeje-Ette road, Ankpa-Abejukolo road, Anyigba-Dekina-Shintaku road and Idah-Ibaji road amongst others.

He expressed delight that the road projects cut across the entire communities in the eastern senatorial district, stressing that the gesture would surely improve upon on the lives of the rural dwellers.