Ododo Backs Kogi Unity Accord, Seeks Enduring Framework For Equity

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has thrown his weight behind the Kogi Unity Accord, urging stakeholders to build an enduring framework for peace, equity and sustainable development in the state.

Ododo stated this on Tuesday at the Government House, Lokoja, while receiving the report of the Kogi Unity Accord Committee, chaired by Hon. Bode Adeyemi, following extensive consultations across the state and a two-day summit on power and resource allocation.

The governor described the initiative as an opportunity for the people of Kogi to unite and resolve longstanding political and sectional differences, stressing that the responsibility for building a peaceful and equitable state rested on all stakeholders and not politicians alone.

He recalled that he initially resisted calls to accept political responsibility in 2023 because of the divisions he perceived in the state, adding that his upbringing had taught him to see people as members of one family.

According to him, the Unity Accord provides an opportunity for Kogi to make history by developing a template that would protect the interests of present and future generations.

“I will not be party to something that will solve a problem now and create a major problem for the future generation,” Ododo said, urging the committee to continue consultations and ensure that whatever consensus emerges is properly documented and protected.

He directed the committee to make the documents available to former governors, political leaders, members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, traditional rulers, retired public servants and other critical stakeholders for scrutiny and contributions.

The governor also called for a change in the way the people of the state perceive its resources, urging them to regard mineral deposits and other economic assets as commonwealth rather than resources belonging to particular geographical or ethnic areas.

He specifically cited coal, lithium and gold, stressing that the resources should be harnessed for the collective benefit of all Kogi people.

Ododo said the Unity Accord transcended partisan politics, noting that participants in the initiative cut across political parties and the three senatorial districts.
“This is not about politics. Whether APC, whether PDP, it is about Kogi,” he declared.

He commended the committee for demonstrating that a new generation of Kogi leaders could rise above inherited divisions and take responsibility for shaping the future of the state.

Earlier, chairman of the Kogi Unity Accord Committee, Hon. Bode Adeyemi, said the initiative was conceived to promote unity, equity and inclusive governance in response to longstanding ethnic suspicion and political divisions surrounding leadership recruitment in the state.

Adeyemi said the committee had embarked on extensive consultations before the Kogi-wide summit, including senatorial meetings in Kogi West and Kogi East and engagements across the 21 local government areas.

He said traditional rulers, religious leaders, community development associations, professional bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders participated in the consultations.

According to him, the engagements revealed that ordinary Kogi people were largely united, while political competition had contributed significantly to divisions among them.

He disclosed that the two-day summit held on September 30 and October 1 produced three major documents: the summit report, the communique and the October 1 Accord, also known as the Charter of Equity and Inclusive Governance for Kogi State.

Adeyemi said the documents reflected the views of stakeholders from across the state, adding that the committee also had video records of contributions made during the summit.

He disclosed that the committee would transmit the documents to the Kogi State House of Assembly, the State Council of Traditional Rulers and other relevant stakeholders for consideration and further action.

The committee chairman said its next phase would focus on taking the Accord to other critical stakeholders, with the ultimate objective of establishing a framework that would guarantee equitable development across the state irrespective of who occupied the governorship.

He described the initiative as a new dawn for Kogi, expressing optimism that it would strengthen unity and provide a lasting mechanism for addressing recurring political tensions in the state.