"Let There Be Light", Governor Yahaya Bello's Magic Touch.

"Let There Be Light", Governor Yahaya Bello's Magic Touch. 

By David Olu Anuwe.

Ogori- Magongo Local Government Area was created on the 5th December, 1996 out of the then Okene Local Government Area by the Military Administration of General Sani Abacha.

The first settlers in the Local Government are believed to have migrated from Ile-ife, in the present day Osun State of Nigeria.

The Local government is made up of Ogori and Magongo communities. 

Ogori Community on its part is situated in the Central Senatorial District  of Kogi State.

The people of Ogori or Ogorians as they are commonly called have a history that dates back to about 500 years ago. They are believed to be a product of multiple migrations of the Yoruba and as such their origin is tied to the ancient home of Yoruba lineage Ile-Ife and Prince Akinibiyi, an ife man is believed to be the founder of Ogori land.

Ogori and Magongo communities were connected to the then Rurual Electrification Board (REB) in the early 80s with a generator that powers the communities for 12 hours daily.

This, the communities enjoyed for many years.

Towards the late 80s, 250KVA transformers were installed at Eni, Okesi, Oshobane and Illeteju areas of the community. 

The two communities were enjoying this light to the envy of neighbouring communities like Lampese, lbilo, Ososo, all in Edo State.

All through 1990 to year 2000, the communities were connected to and enjoyed the National Grid and continued to enjoy the steady power supply.

However, towards the end of 2010/2011, disaster struck. The Ogori community was thrown into darkness following some damages and high tension wires supplying current to the community had a major problem.

All efforts by the Ogori Decendant Union (ODU) to resolve the problem proved abortive.

The administration of former Governor Idris Wada tried all it could but to no avail. 

A transformer was even procured to step down the current, but the said transformer parked up after few days of use. 

For over three years, Ogori community was in total darkness until His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello’s magic fingers did the wonders for the community thereby ending the dark era.

Governor Yahaya Bello was declared winner of the 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election after he was chosen on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the replacement for the Late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Immediately he assumed office, Governor Bello rolled out his transformation agenda and went ahead to appoint technocrats to pilot the affairs of the State Ministries and parastatals.

In the course of his meetings with his appointees, Governor Bello discovered that Ogori community, where his then Chief Press Secretary was from is in total darkness. He immediately directed his Commissioner for Rural Development to assess the situation and get back to him.

The Commissioner carried out his assignment and upon reporting back, the Governor wasted no time at all. 

The community was amazed when the Governor in his magnanimity ordered that a mini-sub station be installed in the community to permanently end the power problem. 

The name of the injection substation in Ogori is the 5.0mVA, 33/11KV injection S/S located at the community. 

Two numbers of 11KV feeders, radiated from the injection S/S substation namely; Secretariat 11KV feeder and 11KV Ayeromi feeder  to power the community.

 

This mega State of the art substation was built by His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

The Ogori community celebrated for weeks, praising Governor Yahaya Bello for this wonderful project.

What others dreamt of, Governor Bello made it happen in reality at Ogori. 

Governor Bello's initiatives during his first term in office including the electrification of Ogori community which he thought would transform the social-economic lives of the people. 

There's no doubt that the single act of restoring electricity to a community in need will in turn improve the APC's chances in the forthcoming governorship elections slated for the 11 of November, 2023.

The Kogi APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman who won the April APC primaries was the former Auditor General for Local Government in Kogi State.

Governor Yahaya Bello is indeed a man of his words. He is development driven, he believes in the transformation of Kogi State owing to its vast human and natural resources. 

Alhaji Bello has no doubt chosen a man who he is convinced would sustain his legacies and improve upon them.

Ogori community will  forever be grateful to him now and would be ready to play its role in making sure more projects and dividends of democracy are enjoyed. 

Indeed, Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello is a man with the magic touch!