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INAUGURAL SPEECH
ALHAJI IBRAHIM
IDRIS ON MAY 29TH, 2003
I thank
the Almighty Allah, who has fulfilled his
promise by making it possible for me to
stand before you as the third Executive
Governor of Kogi State. The glory belongs
to Him. I salute all the people of Kogi
State, men, women and youths, who God has
used in various ways to elect me to pilot
the ship of this State for the next four
years. May Allah reward each and every one
of you bountifully. The race to Lugard
House which started a couple of years ago
ended on April 19th, 2003 in a
free and fair election which was won and
lost. I salute my fellow contestants,
especially the immediate past Governor,
Prince Abubakar Audu, whose Conduct was
devoid of rancour and unpleasantries. In
any contest, there can only be a winner;
however this victory belongs not only to me
or the People Democratic Party, but to all
Kogites irrespective of party affiliations.
I
am aware that the expectations of our
electorate is very high, yet my
administration is very much aware that the
task before us is a daunting one. My
experience during my campaign trips showed
me the seriousness of the task before us.
My administration is inheriting a state
whose indigenes are severely divided against
itself on ethnic grounds, frustrated by a
comatose economy, extreme poverty and lack
of basic amenities. The only viable
industry in the State is the highly
demoralized, intimidated, politicized and
brutalized public service, that had remained
docile for effective contribution to growth.
Yet we shall not be daunted. Yes, we shall
not be intimidated because we have the human
and natural resources to address these
political, social and economic problems. We
shall not be frustrated by these problems
because we individually and collectively
have the will and determination to lift our
people from the bondage of poverty, hunger,
ignorance and disease. Indeed we shall
together restore, in no distant future, that
confidence and productive spirit in all
Kogites, one which has earned us respect,
and sometimes envy in the past.
My
dear people of Kogi State, even when we are
justifiably angered by the situation in Kogi
State, we must not lose focus of where we
want to get to. On my part, given your
mandate and guided by he constitution, rule
of law and the fear of God, my
administration shall vigorously and
steadfastly work towards transforming the
State, within the corporate entity of
a united Nigeria into a viable,
sustainable and prosperous geo political
economy with the wealth of the state
equitably and fairly shared amongst a people
living in peace and harmony, sharing common
values and destiny, irrespective of ethnic
and religious differences.
To
this end, I pledge to run an administration
that is open, transparent, accountable,
efficient and above all, humane. A critical
ally in our pursuit of good governance will
be the bureaucracy. We must therefore
prepare and strengthen the public service at
both the local and State Government levels,
psychologically, to provide the necessary
back up for my administration. The civil
service will be restructured to reflect our
commitment to a transparent, accountable,
corruption free services to the State.
Meanwhile, I have directed an assessment of
all outstanding salaries and allowances due
to all civil servants with a view to making
payments, as soon as possible. Similarly,
all payments due to pensioners are being
compiled for payment.
To
our royal fathers there is no need for them
to be afraid. My administration will always
respect and uphold the dignity of our
traditional institutions and ensure that
they are insulated from partisan politics.
The injustice in our traditional institution
will be addressed to ensure their relevance
to their communities. I am therefore
soliciting the supports and cooperation of
our royal fathers in maintaining security
and promoting peaceful co-existence amongst
all tribes and religions.
In
the coming days ahead, I will address the
people of Kogi State to elaborate on my
administration policy thrusts with specific
pronouncements on some burning issues that
will begin to move the state forward. Also
I will start intense consultations with all
members of all sectors of the economy and
society for a collective salvage mission of
Kogi State.
Finally, I want to pay tribute to the former
Governor of the State, Prince Abubakar Audu,
for his efforts in the State. He has tried
his best. What is left for us is to make a
remarkable difference in all aspects of life
in Kogi State.
After all politics has to do with power that
belongs to God. Divine power in the hands
of human being is justified only in view of
service, never for domination and less still
for personal gain and selfish interest
alone. This is my sacred pledge as Governor
of Kogi State. May God help us all. |
