Kogi@32: SDP’s Ajaka tasks electorate on leadership

By Richard Elesho

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 11 November governorship election in Kogi State, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka, has identified poor leadership as a major challenge to development of the state.

He therefore called on the people of the state to reject leaders who pauperise and intimidate them in the coming election.

Ajaka made the comments in his goodwill message to the people on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the state’s creation.

He traced the history of the state from her creation on 27 August 1991, noting that her people were once part of the old Kabba Province before state creation separated them into different states.

“In these 32 two years, we have survived through several odds and challenges, and still wax strong as one people, integrated and united in very many ways.

“What has eluded the state over the years is infrastructural development and advancement in the key sectors of our economy commensurate with the age of our state and the abundant human and natural resources available in our land due to poor leadership.

“We have been unable to reach our optimum capacity due to lots of factors, but the most obvious is leadership. A focused leadership that can appropriate the several advantages available to our dear state and bring about rapid development that will end our status as one of the poorest states in Nigeria.

“As we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of our state today, we must individually resolve that as a people, we shall resist the entrenched retrogressive tactics to keep us divided by self serving politicians along primordial cleavages and focus on the goal of elevating our state to the pinnacle of development and economic prosperity.

“On our part in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) we undertake to provide the leadership that will leverage on our humongous resources to liberate the masses of our people from the perpetual abject poverty we have witnessed, especially in recent times, through sound economic and social policies.

“We promise that the dream of self-determination and visible development, which our founding fathers believe will end our basic challenges, will be realized.

“We call on all Kogites to use the opportunity of the November 11 Election to rise and take their destinies in their hands by ensuring that a leadership that dehumanises us through intimidation, violence and repression rather than pursue the mandate of welfare for the citizens is never again allowed to reign in our state.

“Never again should our civil servants be forced to engage in slave labour without payment or have tokens (otherwise called percentage salary) thrown at them.

“Once again, I congratulate all Kogites on this 32nd anniversary of existence as a state. There are better years ahead.”