Kogi’s Infrastructure
By Aisha Audu
Since he took over the mantle of leadership as the fourth elected governor of Kogi State January 27th , 2016, Alhaji Yahaha Bello has committed a huge amount of resources towards the development of various sectors
His efforts has so far recorded transformation in critical sectors such as health, security,youth and women empowerment, education and infrastructure which are some of the key areas of focus of his administration.
Kogi State like others created along with it on August 27,1991 faced a huge challenge of inadequate infrastructure with attendant impact on its work force and negative effect on the state’s economy.
From the issue of inadequate housing and office accommodations to dilapidated instructures such as roads, health and learning facilities; Kogi has since creation being on a journey towards fulfilling the dreams of its founding fathers.
Perhaps, it was in this vein that Governor Yahaha Bello led administration like past military and democratically elected administrations before it, decided to take delibrate steps to tackle the trend
One of such initiatives is the construction of a new tertiary hospital, Kogi State Reference Hospital, Okene to help solve medical health challenges in the state and the nation in general.
The Reference Hospital is designed for the treatment of advanced medical conditions that had forced Kogites and Nigerians abroad for succour, it has Female Wards Male Wards, Emergency Wards, Surgical Wards, Medical Wards, VIP Ward, VVIP Wards, all of which are ten each in number.
It also has a Ward for Renal ailments and another one for Dental issues.
It has two different Laboratories (Hematology Lab and Histopathology Lab).
The Hospital is fitted with Ultra Sound Room for scanning, Mammography (Scanning for breast cancer), MRI Machine (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Oxygen Building, Hyperbaric Oxygen Center etc.
The Hospital has has Four Consultancy Rooms with Eight Call Rooms Three Elevators, Eight Pharmacy Sections, Antenatal Clinic, Neonatal Room, Nurse Station, Post Natal, Surgery Theatre, Collection Point, Blood Bank etc.
There are more than 12 Electrical Rooms, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with Nine bed spaces, Standard Theatre Rooms and Five well-equipped Libraries for doctors.
Some of the other interventions in the health sector include renovation, remodeling and re-equipping of 21 existing Primary Health Care Centres (one per Local Government) with solar-powered boreholes and electrification to help the success of the Healthcare-Plus Programme.
In addition, the state government has remodelled the Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja to enhance health care delivery in the Lokoja metropolis and its environs.
Along with the Anyigba Diagnostic Hospital that is being remodeled to enhance health care delivery at the Prince Abubakar Audu University College of Medicine
Other infrastructural projects conceived by Governor Yahaha Bello, include the construction and rehabilitation of urban and rural road networks across the state.
But one of the road construction work the stands out remains the Ganaja junction flyover project
Before now,the popular Ganaja junction area was renowned for traffic gridlock due to the strategic nature of the route. The ring road project has boosted vehicular traffic for both commuters and intracity road users
In his determination to ensure that the state witnesses a restoration of fortune in the educational sector, embarked on a massive school construction, rehabilitation and equipping programme
One project that readily comes to mind is the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara. Situated on a vast expanse of land, it is designed and built to provide first-grade training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines for Kogi Youths.
So far, the Governor Bello led administration has flagged off the commencement of works on more physical facilities for the first phase of the Campus development.
This phase will deliver the University Senate Building, the University Library, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Computing and Informatics, and Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences.
Still on education,the GYB Model Science Secondary School,Adankolo is one of the many put in place to advance the education sector in Kogi. The three-story imposing edifice is fitted with a total of 18-50 student capacity classrooms which means it can accommodate 900 students at once.
The ground floor contains the Administrative block. There are six standard laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Food and Nutrition, Agric Science, Home Economics, Wood Work and Metal work, 5 emergency exit routes, a large Agricultural garden, 1000-capacity CBT hall among other impressive facilities.
The governor also provided a standard pitch for Football as well as Volleyball, Basketball and Tennis Courts.
Realizing the importance of boosting the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Governor Bello revamped service delivery in the sector with the erection and equipping of the revenue house
The conducive working environment is currently boosting service delivery as Kogi moves to diversify its economy in a determination to wean the state from over reliance on federal allocation.
Still on the economy, the state government has initiated and completed infrastructural projects tailored towards enhancing the socio-economic growth of such as the Kogi State Rice Mill at Ejiba in the Kogi West Senatorial District of the state which is said to be the second largest in Northern Nigeria.
In addition, the state capital now wears a new look with the completion of the ultra modern events arena in Lokoja.
The 15,000 capacity Civic Centre also known as the Muhammadu Buhari Square can comfortably accommodate large crowds and it is equipped with security and communications facilities and gadgets for the safety and comfort of users
Also, the facility boasts of multi-faceted electronic billboards stationed outside making crowd control easy, as people can watch the giant screens to follow what is happening in the arena.
Yahaya Bello took significant steps to enhance the healthcare delivery system in the state by procuring an additional 21 ambulances for rural hospitals across the local government areas.
These ambulances, Toyota Hiace high roof buses, come equipped with various features such as patient and driver cabin intercom, oxygen supply system, portable and rechargeable suction machines,first aid boxes with emergency drugs, fire extinguishers, and wash hand basins.
The buses are also equipped with electrical systems, vinyl flooring, wall-mounted sphygmomanometers, and flexible examination lights.
