I don’t stay in Kogi.
I have no business interest in the state.
I don’t think I will at any time be based in Kogi State.
None of the major political stakeholders is related to me.
Then you will now ask me, what is my issue? Why am I fighting for better governance? Why have I been on the neck of the government on the closure of six tertiary institutions in the state due to an on-going strike by workers?
The answer is simple, because I am Kogi.
That is enough reason for me. I have been at the forefront of demanding for a better Nigeria. I have led groups, organised civic clinics and been part of initiatives focused on building a better Nigeria; but how do I stand to build a nation when my state is in shambles?
Kogi State is arguably a one City State -Lokoja. No industries, the ones we have are moribund; thank God for Dangote in Obajana. We can safely assume that the state is a Civil servant state. The health sector is not top notch, education sector is in shambles and it has struggled to even build a reputation as a business friendly environment.
However, the issues did not start with the incumbent governor, Yahya Bello. A lot of the issues predate his administration. But as they say, the buck stops at the head. For now my grouse is the Education sector, it is sad that 6 state owned tertiary institutions are on strike and the government has been spinning propaganda.
Governor Yahaya Bello-led Kogi State government’s continued indifference to demands spelt out by the staff unions in all state-owned institutions, who have been on strike for over 3 months is appalling. Countless number of times, I tagged the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Petra Akinti Onyegbule on several social media posts trying to find out the thoughts of the government on the Strike, there was no response. The only seeminly government based response was from Gbenga Olorunpomi, who as at the time the crisis first began argued that GYB was on the issue. It’s been over three months after, there has not been any amicable resolution and the students have been at home, when their mates in other states are engaging in academic activities.
On a normal day, the Kogi State University, which is going to be my focal point, is not one of the best in the country. It needs a lot of attention, infrastructural rehabilitation, funding, and employment of adequate staff has hindered its growth and development, the on-going strike is just a reflection of the rot that the signature tertiary institution in the state represents.
One would expect that a Government that claims, it is focused on charting a new direction for the state will prioritise the education of its teeming youths, but the direction has slacked in this duty. For an administration to be in charge and six tertiary institutions are on strike at the same time? There is no excuse.
Weeks turned into months; there was no response from the government. The students who were at the receiving end of the seeming irresponsibility by relevant stakeholders were not engaged by the government- no constant communication to show that we are on the issue. Now, the students took their future into their hands, increased momentum on the social media and now the government is trying to spin it? Wow.
Why wait till now?
My activism on the issue got fired up when I saw a reaction from the supposed Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edward Onoja. Students who are at home for something they are not responsible for, some of them even voted for a government they believed will be able to act on their behalf on important issues and then after being ignored for months, they protest and you are giving them guidelines on how to air their grievances?
The only place I slightly agreed with him is the second part of the first sentence, “The lingering closure of Tertiary Institutions in Kogi State is not the handiwork of the Kogi State Government but it is our duty to reopen them by all means at our disposal” He should have just gotten busy with achieving this, than sending a very appalling pseudo-intellectual Facebook post.
In my efforts to get to the root of the matter, I put a call across to the ASUU President, Kogi State University, Dr. Aina. Before the day I made that call, I had never had any communication with him, but to make sure, I heard from all sides, it had to be done. He confirmed the strike and made it clear, that the major issue of concern was salaries for the lecturers. In his exact words: Have they paid the salaries and we have refused to come to class?
Anyway, the handling of the strike on the part of the Government has been poor. No effective communication, little or no show of empathy, and to think that there has not been any meeting specifically with ASUU as at Friday, 28th, 2017(Which is over two months since the strike started) is a “no no”.
There is no development in a state without a properly educated and well trained youth Population. Nobody will develop Kogi better than Kogi indigenes that have a connection to the state, as natural participants.
Sadly, the students are at home, how do they gain the necessary skills and training to champion the new direction?
I have no business interest in the state.
I don’t think I will at any time be based in Kogi State.
None of the major political stakeholders is related to me.
Then you will now ask me, what is my issue? Why am I fighting for better governance? Why have I been on the neck of the government on the closure of six tertiary institutions in the state due to an on-going strike by workers?
The answer is simple, because I am Kogi.
That is enough reason for me. I have been at the forefront of demanding for a better Nigeria. I have led groups, organised civic clinics and been part of initiatives focused on building a better Nigeria; but how do I stand to build a nation when my state is in shambles?
Kogi State is arguably a one City State -Lokoja. No industries, the ones we have are moribund; thank God for Dangote in Obajana. We can safely assume that the state is a Civil servant state. The health sector is not top notch, education sector is in shambles and it has struggled to even build a reputation as a business friendly environment.
However, the issues did not start with the incumbent governor, Yahya Bello. A lot of the issues predate his administration. But as they say, the buck stops at the head. For now my grouse is the Education sector, it is sad that 6 state owned tertiary institutions are on strike and the government has been spinning propaganda.
Governor Yahaya Bello-led Kogi State government’s continued indifference to demands spelt out by the staff unions in all state-owned institutions, who have been on strike for over 3 months is appalling. Countless number of times, I tagged the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Petra Akinti Onyegbule on several social media posts trying to find out the thoughts of the government on the Strike, there was no response. The only seeminly government based response was from Gbenga Olorunpomi, who as at the time the crisis first began argued that GYB was on the issue. It’s been over three months after, there has not been any amicable resolution and the students have been at home, when their mates in other states are engaging in academic activities.
On a normal day, the Kogi State University, which is going to be my focal point, is not one of the best in the country. It needs a lot of attention, infrastructural rehabilitation, funding, and employment of adequate staff has hindered its growth and development, the on-going strike is just a reflection of the rot that the signature tertiary institution in the state represents.
One would expect that a Government that claims, it is focused on charting a new direction for the state will prioritise the education of its teeming youths, but the direction has slacked in this duty. For an administration to be in charge and six tertiary institutions are on strike at the same time? There is no excuse.
Weeks turned into months; there was no response from the government. The students who were at the receiving end of the seeming irresponsibility by relevant stakeholders were not engaged by the government- no constant communication to show that we are on the issue. Now, the students took their future into their hands, increased momentum on the social media and now the government is trying to spin it? Wow.
Why wait till now?
My activism on the issue got fired up when I saw a reaction from the supposed Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edward Onoja. Students who are at home for something they are not responsible for, some of them even voted for a government they believed will be able to act on their behalf on important issues and then after being ignored for months, they protest and you are giving them guidelines on how to air their grievances?
The only place I slightly agreed with him is the second part of the first sentence, “The lingering closure of Tertiary Institutions in Kogi State is not the handiwork of the Kogi State Government but it is our duty to reopen them by all means at our disposal” He should have just gotten busy with achieving this, than sending a very appalling pseudo-intellectual Facebook post.
In my efforts to get to the root of the matter, I put a call across to the ASUU President, Kogi State University, Dr. Aina. Before the day I made that call, I had never had any communication with him, but to make sure, I heard from all sides, it had to be done. He confirmed the strike and made it clear, that the major issue of concern was salaries for the lecturers. In his exact words: Have they paid the salaries and we have refused to come to class?
Anyway, the handling of the strike on the part of the Government has been poor. No effective communication, little or no show of empathy, and to think that there has not been any meeting specifically with ASUU as at Friday, 28th, 2017(Which is over two months since the strike started) is a “no no”.
There is no development in a state without a properly educated and well trained youth Population. Nobody will develop Kogi better than Kogi indigenes that have a connection to the state, as natural participants.
Sadly, the students are at home, how do they gain the necessary skills and training to champion the new direction?
