A group, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), has urged the Kogi Government to harness the state’s economic potential to improve infrastructure and living conditions.

The organisation’s executive director, Idris Abdul, made the call in a statement issued on Friday in Lokoja on the occasion of Kogi’s 35th anniversary.

Mr Abdul said the anniversary should provide an opportunity for reflection and assessment of the state’s development journey.

He said the state possessed enormous potential in tourism, mining, agriculture, housing, transportation and industrialisation, which could generate employment and increase internally generated revenue.

According to him, the government should particularly prioritise tourism development by reviving abandoned facilities and transforming major tourist sites into revenue-generating attractions.

He identified Confluence Beach Hotel and Kogi Hotel among facilities requiring urgent attention, saying their revival could create jobs and boost economic activities.

Mr Abdul also urged Governor Usman Ododo to personally assess the potential of Mount Patti and develop it into a major tourist destination.

He said Kogi’s strategic location at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers also presented opportunities for developing marine transportation.

The rights group urged the government to invest in land, water and air transportation to take advantage of Kogi’s proximity to several states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Mr Abdul also called for a clearer housing development strategy, stressing that housing should be treated as both a social necessity and an economic investment.

He urged the government to review its relationship with privately-owned cement factories to secure greater benefits for housing and infrastructure development.

The organisation also expressed concern over the condition of roads in the state, particularly potholes in Lokoja, and called for increased investment in road infrastructure.

On water supply, CHRCR described the situation, especially in Lokoja, as worrisome, considering the city’s location between two major rivers.

It urged the government to develop sustainable water infrastructure capable of providing potable water to residents across the state.

The organisation further called for an environmental conference to review policies and address sanitation, environmental degradation and associated health risks.

On governance, Mr Abdul urged the government to strengthen accountability, citizen participation and inclusiveness while ensuring that political appointments had clearly defined responsibilities.

He also called for the implementation of the state’s anti-corruption framework and urged the governor to revisit the Anti-Corruption Law.

According to him, the necessary legislative process should be facilitated towards establishing an anti-corruption commission in the state.

Mr Abdul also advocated upgrading the state’s Social Protection Register and developing a comprehensive social investment policy based on vulnerability and need.

He urged greater transparency in the legislative process, including proper gazetting of laws and making them accessible to citizens.

The organisation acknowledged recent improvements in security and urged the government to sustain the gains while strengthening community participation in security arrangements.

Mr Abdul said the anniversary should serve as a wake-up call for stronger leadership and development-oriented governance, adding that citizens deserved improved living conditions.

Kogi was created on August 27, 1991, by the military administration of former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida. 

(NAN)