Following the successful inauguration of Gov. Yahaya Bello for the second term in office, Kogi stakeholders have called on him to address the infrastructure deficit, deepen and institutionalise reforms in the public service.
A cross-section of the people who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lokoja, revealed their expectations of the Bello-led administration’s second term.
They expressed optimism for better performance as the first tenure provided the governor the opportunity to study and adequately familiarise himself with the political exigencies of the state.
They believed that the governor’s second tenure which started on Jan. 27, was an opportunity for to consolidate on his achievements and address identified lapses in policies.
Mr Ben Adejoh, a public servant, who congratulated the governor and his deputy, Chief Edward Onoja on their successful inauguration, urged them to deepen and institutionalise the various reforms they started during the first tenure.
He said this became imperative to ensure that the benefits of such reforms, to sanitised the public service, were not thwarted.
“They should deepen the reforms they started in their first tenure in the civil service, security services, revenue and infrastructure. More so, the governor should look at infrastructures, the roads need attention and then the state needs to be unified as a people,’’ he said.
Dr Adeiza Abdulrahman, President General, Ebira Peoples Association (EPA), said there was a general infrastructural decay across the entire three senatorial regions of the state.
He said: “First and foremost, while he (Bello) is working on security, we also wish that he focuses on infrastructure development of the entire state because that is the only way to ensure investment in the state.’’
On Tourism, Abdulrahman said, “A lot of things are in this state that can attract investments but without security and without reasonable infrastructure, I think we’ll not be able to do that.’’
Mr Idris Miliki, a Human Rights activist and Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), urged the governor to prioritise social infrastructure development and ensure good governance.
Miliki also urged Bello to continue his policy on inclusiveness and participatory governance and establishment of a state-owned television station, to enlighten the people about the policy and programmes of his administration, saying that the establishment of such media organisation was overdue.
Malam Nda Mohammad, an artisan, urged the governor to address the issue of percentage payment of salaries to local government staff in his second term.
He recalled the plight of local government civil servants during the governor’s first term.
“Sometimes, they got 25 per cent of their total salary, sometimes, 40 per cent. If it is not possible to pay them 100 per cent, they should be paid at least, 80 per cent of their salary.’’