Dr Idris Omede, a former president of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who is seeking the PDP ticket to contest the Nov. 16 Kogi governorship seat, has promised to pay attention to education, if elected.
Omede, who addressed newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, named other sectors that would receive special attention to include health, agriculture and security.
The PDP aspirant, who formally flagged-off his campaign project: “Omede Idris Believe 2019 Project”, said that Kogi had abundant resources and had no reason to be a poor state.
Omede, a former commissioner of health in the state, who inaugurated Local Government Coordinators of his campaign project, said that Kogi was the gateway to many states and should take advantage of the steady inflow of people to grow its economy.
“People come into the state every minute. Their presence means everything we grow here will have the needed market. These are major factors that should help us to raise our internal revenue profile.
“Past govermments, and even the present one, have relied on over-taxing petty traders to raise revenue. This strategy can only impoverish the poor.
“Our plan is to explore all the areas of possible economic development without exploiting anybody.
“Kogi is supposed to be a crops processing zone. When you process, you create jobs and generate enormous revenue through the various chains, but we have not taken full advantage of that.
“We hope to involve the Bank of Agriculture and Dangote Group to achieve these laudable plan. We are already making our contacts,” he said.
Omede said that his aspiration to be governor of the state was pushed by the need to close existing development gaps and add value to the foundation laid by the founding fathers of Kogi.
“We want our friends, Kogi people far and near, to give us their support and see wonders in the area of good governance that will ensure transformation from rags to riches,” Omede said.
Omede’s campaign coordinator for Okene, Mr Yusuf Bello, in his remarks, said that God Almighty had blessed the state with abundant natural and human resources.
“What Kogi requires is the right leadership. Once we get it, it will be a model for other states to copy,” he said.
The coordinator said that Omede had made his mark in the medical profession and urged the local government coordinators to work toward ensuring victory in the primary and secondary elections.