An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in the 11th November Kogi State governorship election, Dr. Sanusi Ohiare, said his profile dwarfs other 17 aspirants jostling for the party’s governorship ticket.
Addressing journalists after his screening on Saturday in Abuja, a former Executive Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ohiare said it was time for someone with his kind of skills to come in and consolidate on what Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello has done.
He said while he was not trying to look down on other aspirants, he maintained that his profile dwarfed his competitors.
When asked what stood him out of the other aspirants, Ohiare simply answered, “Check our profiles. I am not trying to downplay anybody’s efforts but if you look at our profiles, the kind of leadership we need now is to move the state forward you will know that none of them come close to me.
He said if he emerges as the next governor of the state, he would transform Kogi and turn it to a logistics hub.
He said: “Kogi has some certain advantages, for instance the River Niger and River Benue it used to be a trade zone. So we have plans to work with the federal government and private sector to build an inland port. This inland port come with a lot of other benefits and investments. We have a railway that runs between Itakpe and Warri. We want to connect it to Abuja, effectively to Kaduna and Kano and build an airport. The idea is to make a Kogi as the logistics hub of the country. Kogi can serve the northern part of the country in terms of business and trade.”
According to the governorship hopeful, “Kogi has certain advantages, for instance, the River Niger and River Benue used to be an old trade route. We have plans to work with the federal government and private sector to build an inland port. This inland port comes with a lot of other benefits and investments.
“We have a railway that runs between Itakpe and Warri, we will get it connected to Abuja, effectively to Kaduna and Kano and build an airport. The idea is to make Kogi the logistics hub of the country.
“Kogi can serve the northern part of the country in terms of business and trade. So, if we can do this, we have the Ajaokuta- Kaduna-Kano rail line that is being built and hopefully in the next year or so it will be ready.
“We want to tap into that to build industries along this route. This will help to generate jobs, it will help to increase our revenue.”
To his plan, Ohiare said efforts would be made to boost the state’s internally generated revenue.
He, however, said his intention was not to increase taxes but widen taxes so we can get more people to pay taxes and of course use this money judiciously so that people can what we are using the money to do in terms of infrastructure and their welfare.
