On this poignant 26th anniversary of his passing (November 6, 1999–2025), we reflect on Dr. Steven Makoji Achema (1947–1999), the visionary Igala patriot and political titan from Kogi State.
A veterinary medical practitioner by training, he rose as a champion of his people, serving as Senior Special Assistant on Labour Matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo. As a gubernatorial aspirant and key architect of Kogi’s political landscape post-1991 state creation, Achema empowered young Igala graduates in local governance, mobilized a formidable think-tank of intellectuals, and forged alliances that propelled Prince Abubakar Audu’s 1999 governorship victory—ironically, on the eve of his tragic death in a road accident en route to a PDP congress.
Hailed as the “Moses of Igalaland” for leading his kin from political marginalization, Achema’s selfless drive for equity, resource harnessing, and unity endures. Though yet to be fully immortalized beyond Idah’s handball stadium, his legacy inspires Kogi’s ongoing quest for inclusive progress, reminding us that true icons build bridges beyond their time. Rest eternally, Dr. Achema—your light guides the Confluence State.
