BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
Soon after the colonial era and after the first and second Republic when free Education declared in the neighboring Old Western region was extended to part of the kogi west Senatorial district, there was no much concerted efforts from government to promote educational development in kogi west.
Though, during the military administration and when the state fell part of Kwara state before the creation of kogi state , so much attention was allotted to the development of Education in the west and by extension the now kogi west.
The background and affiliations with the west, old Kwara state, kogi had been the bane of the present educational development in the state , not untill the efforts to revive the scheme by Senator Sunday Steve Karimi in the 10th Senate from kogi west, through donation of 100 Million in his sheer desire to return the development of Education in the area to the regional good old days.
Aside empowerment, skill development and charity that had characterised the activities of the political class since the return of democracy in 1999, there was no clear efforts to declare such a huge chunk votes to Education like Senator Sunday Steve Karimi had done recently.
The payment of WAEC/ NECO fees was offset during the nine year rule of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Capt Idris Wada’s administration, but was outrightly stopped and politically reintroduced by the current administration.
Except, efforts by some federal lawmakers in their immediate federal constituency, there was no effort to support education development in the western Senatorial districts and by extension kogi state.
The 100 Million yearly Education endowment and scholarship fund introduced by kogi west Senator, Sunday Steve Karimi will go along way to support students of secondary, tertiary institutions at all levels from kogi west to resolve the quest for acquisition of both Basic and other levels of Education from the area.
With Education and development, no doubt other social services and security will follow in that order, to guarantee the advancement and development of kogi west.
It is obvious that the core kogi west from Okun largely benefited from free Education program organized and declared by the Obafemi Awolowo, SLA Akintola in the old western region, that had extended to some of their children owing to cultural and tribal affinity , therefore the wise decisions of Senator Sunday Steve Karimi was in the best interest of not only the Okuns, but kogi west.
The Karimi annual 100M scholarship and endowment fund is capable of attracting more students enrollment, aside payment of school fees at tertiary level, as efforts should be redoubled to attract more of such development to Health, provision of portable water , electricity among desiring social amenities, starving kogi west in the last two ans half decades.
For Karimi, he desire to be awash with accolades, not confrontation and condemnation, particularly his policy of continuity of projects and programs abandoned by the previous occupants.
One year down the line , Senator Sunday Steve Karimi is on course, and will bequeath many more legacies aside Education among many others.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar@gmail.com.
