Mustapha Audu, son of late former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, has lamented the slide in the fortune of the state, declaring that the trend has informed his resolve to contest for the governorship of the state in the days ahead. He says he wants to change the course of things for the good of all in Kogi State.
Mustapha who is one out of the sons of the late acclaimed father of Kogi State accused Governor Yahaya Bello of leading the state to decay three years in the saddle and as such has let the people down.
“Honestly, Governor Yahaya Bello has let the people of the state down. He has ignored staying true to the foundation laid by Prince Abubakar Audu who gave the state its head start at its inception.
“After three years in office, all you see in Kogi at the moment is decay; there is no infrastructural development, salaries of the workers are not paid; many are dying because civil servants in the state cannot get their salaries. To say the least, his is the worst time civil servants have had a rough patch with the government through unpaid salaries. Go around the state all that you see is a general apathy towards the government.
“Sadly, with what we see around us, the general feeling is that the governor has not done well because his government is not working for the people; subsequently, the expectations of the people are not being met; for instance, we currently have the highest level of poverty in the state. It is all around us for everyone to see. Insecurity and ethnic violence are at their peak. Political intimidation is extremely rampant. Meanwhile, Kogi has continued to remain the poorest state in Nigeria.”
Against this backdrop, Mustapha says he is being motivated to offer himself for service to the people so that together, the state can be salvaged.
“I hope to focus on human capital and youth development and women empowerment. I will earnestly create jobs by attracting businesses to Kogi State; we want investors to come here will invest in our natural resources. I hope to embark on rapid and continuous training for our people so as to improve their skills and competencies in agriculture and other key sectors of the economy. That way, we can collectively achieve sustainable development for the state in no time.”
Mustapha says, for now, he is focused on erecting a formidable structure which he believes will accommodate all and sundry in the state, insisting that he looks forward to a new Kogi State that will work for all.
“For now, I have not chosen a political platform yet. But we are consulting widely and concentrating on building our movement: Kogi First, Kogi for All; this is a movement I believe all Kogites can relate with,” he maintains.