From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Dino Melaye who is also a governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the November governorship election has promised to boost the state’s Internal Revenue Generation (IGR) and to embark on massive development of Agricultural and Tourism Sectors if given the mandate to rule the state.
Dino boasted that he can conveniently run the state effectively without relying on the federal allocation with a robust revenue generation capacity and proceeds from agriculture and tourism potentials that are in abundant in Kogi state.
Senator Melaye also gave an assurance to revive the state economy and bring it to an enviable height within four years based on his lofty ideas and experiences already attained in governance.
Melaye disclosed this at a Press Parley organized by the Kogi State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for governorship aspirants, at the NUJ Press Centre, Lokoja on Wednesday.
The governorship aspirant however, regretted the pervading poverty and penury owing to maladministration and widespread corruption of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), led by the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
While noting that countries now depended on ideas to revolutionize their economies, he promised that Kogi, under his watch, would not depend on handouts in the form of monthly allocations from the Federation Account to survive.
Melaye, who is the Senate committee chairman on aviation, said he would revolutionize agriculture and transform the abundant mineral resources in the state into tangible products that would earn the state good income.
He said that through ideas, galvanized and harmonized by quality leadership, Singapore was transformed from a Third World country to an economically-advanced nation, while Dubai became a high income generating city in United Arab Emirate.
“In four years, we will revive the economy of Kogi and the state will become the envy of others. I have gone around the world and I am sure that I have the necessary capacity and exposure to achieve this.
“I am talking about Kogi State and the generations yet unborn. Let us have public nursery schools, develop education, health and other core sectors to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and restore the middle class.
“The paradox of Kogi is that in spite of our abundance, we are poor. Kogi is too rich to be poor. We have to prepare our youths for the future through ICT. Today, ideas have overtaken oil.
“We are focused and intellectually mobile with a vision and mission to drive the process.
“I will operate Kogi like an independent country. Kogi occupies 30,354 square kilometers of land, with a population of about 4.7 million people,” he said.
The senator, who disclosed that he would contest the presidency of Nigeria in the next eight years, stressed that his governorship aspiration was divine.
“I am an emissary sent to emancipate the people of Kogi State from economic cowards and financial scavengers,” he declared.
End.
