By Christopher Oji
Kogi State Government has signed a $60 milion deal with the Peoples Republic of China for the provision of high technology security architecture.
The two governments that signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), at Kogi State Government House, Abuja, yesterday, said the technology would help in the fight against insecurity and pull out millions of youths from unemployment.
Governor Yahaya Bello disclosed this during the opening of a two-day interactive workshop on “Kogi State Mission Critical Support System: A 21st century integrated smart state/security architecture.”
The project would be financed by a Chinese firm, Hytera, with a repayment schedule to begin after three years of installation.
According to Bello, the state is expected to realise millions of dollars worth of investment within five months if the project was well executed.
He expressed optimism that the project, which would be driven by 5G network and a 30megawatt gas powered electricity plant to be built by an American company, would not only ensure safer Kogi State, but improve economic and infrastructure developments.
The governor said the project became necessary because Kogi was a confluence state bordering 10 other states, adding that security report, at his disposal, indicated there was imminent threat by criminals which must be dealt with.
Bello said: “There cannot be any meaningful development economically without safety and security. Kogi State being the confluence state, we are a serious government 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.
“Coming at this moment to partner us cannot be overemphasised. It is a strategic time and we will continue to do that so that Kogi State can be as developed as the Peoples’ Republic of China.
“I want to assure the people of Kogi State that to the last day that 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.
“There are imminent threats. We receive credible intelligence everyday, but by the grace of God, we will decimate them. We will crush them and deal with them.
“The issue of safety and security is a continuous process. There is never a time you will have 100 per cent 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.”
Chief Executive Officer, Kogi State Investment Promotion Agency (KOSIPA), Abdulkareem Saika, said the project was expected to provide over 685,000 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 over N591 billion worth of investment is attracted to the state.