Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former Chief of Naval Staff and the All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the November 16 Kogi State governorship election, Admiral Usman Jibrin (retd) has lamented that the state experienced its darkest days under the current administration of Governor Yahaya Bello.
Speaking after picking his APC Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, the retired naval officer said that he was on a rescue mission to redeem the state from the clutches of maladministration, stagnation and destitution.
While decrying the condition of civil servants in the state after he was presented the party nomination form at the secretariat of the ruling party after paying the mandatory N22.5 million, he lamented that it is only in Kogi State that a permanent secretary takes motorcycle to the office on a daily basis.
“There are serious challenges in my state that need urgent intervention. Civil servants in Kogi State are beggars. It’s only in Kogi State that permanent secretary goes to the office on motorcycles popularly called okada. People are dying every day as a result of non-payment of salaries which is sad news.
“So, the large crowd that followed me to the APC national secretariat to obtain my nomination form signifies that there are urgent needs for change of leadership in Kogi State. I’m on the rescue mission. Please join me in this race to save our state from the bad administration,” he noted.
“We have to salvage Kogi from the menace of bad government we found ourselves since the last three and a half years. The state needs change. The situation needs men with experience, courage and political will like me. The state needs men prepared to confront the challenges. The state has degenerated rapidly, leadership has failed completely and development has come to a standstill just as infrastructure have broken down completely. This period is the darkest period in the life of the state,” he said.