The Kogi State Government has entered into a partnership with Chinese and American firms to drive the state investigations profile and generate investments, worth billions of naira in the next five months.
The new partnership is aimed at decimating terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminal elements in the state.
The project will be financed by a Chinese firm, Hytera, with a repayment schedule to begin after three years of installation.
Already, the state government has brought over 16 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs from Chinese and some American firms to Nigeria to drive the investment plan.
Governor Yahaya Bello, while briefing newsmen before the commencement of a two-day interactive workshop on Kogi State Mission Critical Support System (KG-MCSS), a 21st Century Integrated Smart State/Security Architecture held in Abuja, said one of the fallouts from the meeting with the 16 CEOs of the Chinese firms centered around how to tackle insecurity and the problem of power in Kogi State.
Governor Bello expressed optimism that the project, which would be driven by a 5G network and a 30 Megawatt gas-powered electricity plant to be built by an American company, would not only ensure a safer Kogi State but would improve economic and infrastructural developments.
The governor said the project became necessary because Kogi was a confluence state bordering 10 other states, adding that the security report at his disposal indicated that there was an imminent threat by criminals which must be dealt with.
The governor said: “There cannot be any meaningful development economically without safety and security. Kogi State being the confluence state, we are a serious government this is ready to harness every of our resources for the benefit of our people.”
“We have done our best and we will continue to do our best, we have received several awards in terms of providing safety and security for our people and that is the call to do more and we will do more.”
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He also added that ” I want to assure the people of Kogi State that to the last day I will leave office, I will continue to cooperate with every of our law enforcement agencies and our citizens across board to make sure we fight these criminals.”
The Kogi governor also stated that ” The issue of safety and security is a continuous process. There is never a time you will have 100 percent and there is no one single solution you will get to have it all because criminals continue to evolve and we will continue to double our efforts.”
He added that ” The goal was to secure Kogi State with technology such that orderliness and safety are ensured without the archaic practice of armed operatives and roadblocks seen all over the place.
“When we deploy this technology, I am of the belief, looking at their background and pedigree, it is going to help not only Kogi but Nigeria at large.”
“I think in no distant time from now, Nigeria is going to be more secure than any other place, both soft and hardware are being purchased in quantum and we want to take a lead in Kogi State.”
Governor Bello stressed that ” So it is going to be beneficial to Kogi State and Nigeria at large and by extension all other North Central states and states that are contiguous to Kogi. If we take care of Kogi State, we have taken care of the Northern and Southern parts of the country,”
Chief Executive Officer, Kogi State Investment Promotion Agency (KOSIPA), Abdulkareem Siyaka, said the project was expected to provide over 685 thousand employment and would encourage migration to rural areas in the state.
He said the Chinese partners had requested the government to take care of the security and electricity aspects of the project so that they would in turn ensure that billions of naira worth of investment is attracted to the state.
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