Scorecard of Hon. Ibikunle Abubakar Amodu as SSA on Youth Empowerment (West) to Kogi State @ 1st Anniversary

By Kelvin Oluseyi Eleta

Following the appointment of then Comrade Ibikunle Amodu Abubakar, popularly known as ‘Prime’ on May 5th, 2021, as Senior Special Assistant on Youth Empowerment (West) to the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, his jurisdiction Kogi West Senatorial District has been drastically immersed in core service oriented initiatives and the people have not been able to recover from his constant bombardments with dividends of democracy.

Without any form of sentiment and sugarcoating, we shall take our time to peruse some of the several humanitarian and core developmental projects facilitated by Hon. Ibikunle Amodu Abubakar in the span of just one year as an appointee of His Excellency.

Due to his robust experience as a student union activist and member of several youth groups before his appointment, Hon. Amodu was able to hit the ground running immediately he was presented with his appointment letter by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Folashade Arike Ayoade. He commended his activities with visitations to prominent kings and rulers across the senatorial districts, familiarized himself with them and officially presented himself to them as a tool for national development and sure bridge to the government. He enjoyed a copious amount of acceptability by his people and subsequently began to enjoy the cooperation of the good people of Kogi West; as he effortlessly began to deliver on his assignment across major communities, towns and villages in the area.

In his first three months in office,Hon. Amodu set up a Youth Empowerment Scheme having a total of 26 beneficiaries who receives stipends on a monthly basis under his monthly payroll. An initiative he tagged “Food First.” An idea conceived out of the desire to make available access to daily needs particularly feeding; as he believes that for youths to be productive and able to reason clearly, they need to be properly or adequately fed.

Few months after his appointment, the social media witnessed a different kind of empowerment scheme where Hon. Amodu came out publicly soliciting for funds to enable him facilitate a borehole project; which he later named “Omi Asuku” in his water embattled community, Ayegunle Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area. The campaign received at first negative criticism as to why a Government official would be ‘begging’ for public funds to facilitate a project. But weeks into the online campaign, the project received a swift turn up by well-meaning friends and family of Hon. Amory and funds started rolling in up to the tune of N1,548,500 in weeks with Osaseyi Foundation as the highest donor.

The project which was facilitated by Oriyomi Drilling Service was commissioned by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pharm. Jamiu Abdulkareem Asuku who was ably represented by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Danga Abdulmumin. The Commissioner expressed his satisfaction with the project, especially the approach Hon. Amodu derived to come up with funds to facilitate a timely delivery of the borehole. In his magnanimity, the Commissioner then promised to provide an extension of two more stanchions to be connected to the borehole and located in different areas of the community to further ease the situation of water scarcity faced by the people.

Shortly after the commissioning of the borehole project, Hon. Amodu implored the Honorable Commissioner to make a stop at the abandoned Nilo Water Dam located in the community along the Eba River water bank, to inspect the facilities and see to a possible revamping of the facility. Nilo Water Dam was designed to serve three communities in the area, Ayegunle, Iyah, and Ayetoro Gbede if fully operational. The Commissioner visited the site upon the request of Hon. Amodu, and after inspecting the facilities he promised to see to a quick revisit of the facility to see that the Dan is up and running, and the beneficiary communities beginning to enjoy it’s dividends.

Due to the empowerment initiative of Hon. Amodu, and his tactics of crowdfunding to facilitate a borehole project for his community, through the project he secured a partnership with the foundation of a prominent son of Ijumu Local Government Area. The Osaseyi Foundation, chaired and founded by Comrade Richard Osaseyi, an oil & gas magnate, philanthropist, and well known community builder.

Through Hon. Amodu’s partnership with the Osaseyi Foundation, numerous projects has been executed across Kogi West Senatorial District. Few weeks ago the Foundation in synergy with Hon. Amodu secured the release of five inmates who could not come up with the payment of fines attached to their sentences as pronounced by the court of law. The foundation also in synergy with the office of Hon. Ibikunle Amodu Abubakar also facilitated the drilling of a borehole in a community at Kabba Bunu Local Government Area.

Lastly, we can categorically state that Hon. Amodu is responsible for the payment of not less than ten students’ school fees through his “Education is a Must Campaign.” His empowerment schemes also cut across widow support programs, the underprivileged, vulnerable youths, and countless programs financially sponsored by his office.

All these in just one year. A year filled with service oriented antecedents. Hon. Ibikunle Amodu Abubakar, a former National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) frontier, former member of National Youth Council of Nigeria, and well known youth crusader and community worker, has been able to define clearly what representation means in just a year as an appointee.

Congratulations to Hon. Ibikunle Amodu Abubakar as he clocks a year in office. And our deepest appreciation to His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello and his workaholic Chief of Staff, Pharm. Jamiu Abdulkareem Asuku for giving him the opportunity to serve.