Ododo Can Imaginatively Use The Rocks Of Okene And The Yams Of Igede, Idoma To Make A Way In Northern Politics
The Oasis Reporters
February 26, 2025
No progress can be made if people continue to do the same thing over and over again and yet expect a different outcome.
Imagination and innovation must come into play at a certain point to get a change.
Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State is believed to be of the Igbirra ethnic stock like his predecessor, Yahaya Bello.
In times past, gubernatorial leadership of Kogi State used to be exclusively in the hands of the Igala ethnic group, right from the first democratically elected governor, Prince Abubakar Audu until he suddenly died about the time he was expected to be declared the winner of a gubernatorial contest.
He had ruled Kogi State twice (first in the Third Republic and second, in the Fourth Republic). His first tenure was from January 1992 until November 1993 and the second from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003.
He died due to a bleeding ulcer before the announcement of the election results on 22 November 2015, while seeking to be re-elected as governor on the platform of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
Then the gubernatorial election primaries runner’s up of the All Progressives Party, APC, Yahaya Bello inherited the votes that had been cast for Abubakar Audu and became the governor.
Both Usman Ododo and his predecessor, Yahaya Bello are of the Igbirra ethnic group with Okene as their cultural and political headquarters, a people on a largely rocky terrain which is not conducive for agriculture. The highly enterprising Igbirra people are therefore to be found mostly in other imaginatively productive aspects of the economy, making them a very wealthy set of Nigerians.
Still a lot more of the people would love to become farmers on the land if only the rocks can just vanish. This may be one reason why there are a lot of quarry companies established there.
Now this is how Ododo can come in and make a way.
The land of Israel was pretty much rocky when it was sold from one bit to the other to Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Europe that led to World War II between 1939 to 1945.
With their backs against the wall, the Jews had no other choice and therefore bought as much as they could and went to work, removing the rocks inch by inch to become one of the world’s most innovative agricultural countries in the world, exporting fresh produce and industrial products all over today.
In 2023, the total value of agricultural production in Israel was 37.7 billion Israeli shekels, nearly $10 billion which is about 1% in total GDP of the Israeli economy.
Today, over fifty Israeli companies operate in Nigeria in the spheres of construction, infrastructure, hi-tech, communications and IT, agriculture and water. One of them is
Israeli Solel Boneh International construction company.
These companies come from a region that was known to be rocky. They removed all to build fertile agricultural lands. Their expertise in moving rocks is not in question. They are legendary.
Ododo Can invite them to Igbirra land. Let them move rocks and let the Igbirra people have agricultural land. Rocks cost money as they are used for road and bridge construction.
Negotiate with Igede local governments as well as Idoma local governments who would never have their roads constructed by their State governments, perpetually under Tiv dominance.
One reason Abubakar Audu fought politically to break away from the old Benue State in order to become Kogi State.
Luckily with the local government financial autonomy now in place under the Tinubu administration, the time to strike deals for development is now.
Let the Israeli companies take as much rocks as they want to the financial value of constructing roads from the South South state of Cross River.
Luckily, the Federal government is reviving the long planned and abandoned federal road from the South South to the North Central.
Let the Israeli companies link Igede and Idoma lands by road through that axis. This would help open up the long neglected bush paths of Igede land and Idoma lands. These are major yam and other foods main production belt, but kept without access roads for their yams to rot. The bush paths for only bicycle is and motor cycles would now possess car and lorry Parks.
Not only would Igbirra land need yams and other foodstuffs, the rest of Nigeria equally wants them as fast as possible since some of the crops quickly perish.
With good roads, the Idoma and Igede local governments of Obi and Oju can build Trailer parks for the yam markets that would be revenue yielding to the local governments. Thus paying back the road construction bonds would be easier.
Do it, Ododo and the goodwill can easily propel you to the leadership cadre in northern politics, a pedestal long dominated by the Fulani since independence without much progress for the people of the north who have between 10 to 20 million out of school children in Northern Nigeria, becoming the religious extremism feedstock that has stunted Nigeria’s growth.
Be the daring alternative, Ododo.
Greg Abolo
gregabolo@gmail.com
