The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada, has joined the league of aspirants, contesting the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state. But, in his own case, he is seeking a return to Lugard House, which he lost to Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in the state.
Wada joined politics barely six months before he won the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on December 3, 2011 and was subsequently sworn in, as the third democratically elected governor of the Confluence State.
The former governor, who came from the business background after retiring as a successful pilot, had poised to take the state to a new pedestal. However, the period between 2011 and 2015 was marked by paucity of funds, which hindered the new government from actualising his dream for the state. From the beginning, Captain Wada did not hide his feelings about lack of money, as the federal allocation was not enough to cater for the running of governance.
His supporters are, however, contending that despite these critical and other emerging challenges facing the nascent state, the then governor was able to leave the footprints in the sand of time.
Among his legacy projects, they say, are the Ultra Modern Lokoja Mega Motor Park, KOICA Nigeria/Korea Vocational Institute, Referral Diagnostic Centre, reconstruction of Kogi Hotels and General Hospital in Odu Ogboyaga, Kogi House in Abuja and numerous others. To crown it all, Wada completed Great Lokoja Water Works, new state secretariat and many road construction projects, they added.
READ ALSO:Tragedy waiting to happen: Deplorable state of Lagos police station
It is on record, however, that the administration of Governor Bello had at one time or another dragged Wada’s administration to various probe panels, until a court stopped any further probe.
According to a Wada supporter: “It is on record that Wada did what most governors hardly do in this country. He completed all the ongoing projects left behind by his good friend and predecessor, Alhaji Ibrahim ldris whose elongated tenure was abruptly terminated by the Supreme Court. The new secretariat complex, the Olympic size stadium, the Greater Lokoja Water Works, coupled with the reticulation of Barracks area of Lokoja, the Diagnostic and Imaging Centre near the state Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, and several others were the inherited projects completed by former Governor Wada.
“When he wanted to commence projects that were initiated by his government, the revenue from the federation account abysmally dwindled to as low as about N1.5 billion. The worst hit was the state workers’ salaries. He deployed his ingenuity and combined two-month allocations to pay one salary bi-monthly. As at the time he left office in 2016, over two allocations were in the state accounts for the incoming APC administration.
“Governor Wada was the first to meet the conditions for the bail out (N50 billion) programme of APC-led Federal Government to redeem the financially insolvent state. But it was not released to him because of malicious campaign engineered by APC chieftains in the state that the money would be used to fund gubernatorial campaign.”
Continuing he told The Nigerian Xpress: “The sum of N20 billion out of the N50 billion was eventually released to the Governor Yahaya Bello regime. Yet there are workers, who have not been paid salaries for months despite retrenchment in the workforce and billions of naira from Paris Club refunds. The consequent reactions from the decimated workers have been suicides and deaths, resulting from inability to fund medical bills of the workforce and their dependants.
“As at the time he left office in January 2016, the only money he borrowed from commercial banks to augment salaries was N800 million. His greatest crime among professional politicians was his frugal and prudent proclivity in management of scarce resources.
“Captain Wada had to resort to the capital market at the twilight of his administration to fund projects that were initiated by him. Out of N20 billion approved as bond, he got N10 billion in two tranches to fund the legacy projects. Bond-funded projects usually have regenerative components whose income could assist in repayment of the loan.”
At a media parley at the NUJ secretariat shortly after the declaration of his intention to contest for the governorship ticket again in Lokoja, Wada pleaded with the people of the state to return him to Lugard House, saying that his decision to join the race again is to tackle the gross lack of infrastructure and depressing economic plight of the people.
The former governor said although he lost the 2015 elections, he has what it takes for the PDP to recapture the state, noting that the dismal condition of the economy of the state and the general performance of the present government were enough for the people to look for alternative in addressing the many problems confronting the Confluence State.
READ ALSO:Ronaldo didn’t influence my Juventus move, says Matthijs de Ligt
“Within the resources available to my administration, I made the completion of inherited projects and payment of salaries a priority. What should inform the decision as to who becomes the next Kogi State governor should be about capacity and experience. My aspiration is about the people who now see suicide as an option.
“The November 16 governorship election will present to the people another lifeline; my past administration made transparency, accountability and honesty its watchword, and I appeal for the support of the PDP executives to enable me realise more,” he pleaded.
In particular, he lamented the poor condition of workers in the state, recalling that his administration was always up to date on salary payment, save for his last three months in office, one of which he attributed to disagreement with labour leaders, as to how best to utilise dwindled federal allocation and the others because monthly allocation had not arrived before his departure.
Further, he said the welfare of the people, their progress and the development of Kogi remain non-negotiable.
He urged the party executives to create a level playing field that would allow for a candidate that is passionate in actualising the dream of a better and enviable Kogi, to emerge as its candidate.
He said that it would be “suicidal if Kogi people mess up the only opportunity left in choosing a purposeful leader as governor. Our only lifeline should be well utilised and not traded off for peanuts, and for anti and progress.”
