***Initiates KOSOPADEC, Gender bills, townhall meeting, intervenes in electricity, education, reconstruction of LGA secretariat
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
DEPUTY Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, has reeled out her achievements as legislator representing Ibaji Constituency in the last two years saying the journey has been a good one.
Rt Hon. Egwaba, one of the two females in the 25-member Assembly and first female Deputy Speaker while speaking with newsmen on her stewardship in the last two years, expressed her gratitude to God.
The first female legislator to represent Ibaji State Constituency said her first major breakthrough and the achievement dearest to her was passage of the bill for the establishment of Kogi State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (KOSOPADEC).
Hon. Egwaba who was recently honoured with a traditional title of Iganya Attah Igala by His Royal Majesty, Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche-Akpa among other Chieftaincy titles from her community, said satisfaction of her constituents mattered most to her.
She revealed that the Executive/Private bill which took her to Delta, Imo and Bornu states to understudy their passed and gazettes laws was passed and assented to by former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello who played a great part.
“KOSOPADEC Law has given me fulfillment. It’s something that till tomorrow, I will be proud of. I say, even if I don’t have any other thing to do again, I am fulfilled”, she said.
Hon. Egwaba also announced that Ibaji Local Government Area is soon to enjoy electricity power supply courtesy of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who, through her intervention, has initiated plans to supply solar powered electricity to the riverine communities.
She said that initial plans to draw electricity to the Local Government failed because of the terrain as most of the concrete poles mounted by the Power Holding Company of that time all collapsed and the cables vandalized.
“The Ray of Hope came about a month ago, I had to meet the Executive Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo one-on-one and I brought some few key issues concerning Ibaji before him.
“We agreed that if the electricity supply of AEDC cannot be brought down there, solar energy could alternatively serve, and he bought the idea overwhelmingly.
“So, plans are underway to power Ibaji Local Government Area with solar. The Rural Developing Agency has gone down there to undertake some studies on what can be done to commence work.
“You see, I came in with a vision and a dream for my constituency. My first assignment was to hold the first ever Townhall meeting with my people to chart the way forward and from our conversation, we identified our key challenges and possible areas of intervention.
“We identified education as a big challenge mostly because of the terrain and topography of the entire Ibaji land, with our children running to neighbouring communities and states but we intervened.”
The grassroot legislator said with the intervention, Primary/Secondary Education in the area has been revived and revamped with seven WAEC accredited schools from the hitherto only Government Secondary, Onyedega where students could register for WAEC.
Hon. Egwaba also said that she is currently renovating and reconstructing Ibaji Local Government Council Secretariat burnt down about 12 years ago during a political upheaval arising from conflicting ideological leanings.
Rt Hon. Egwaba said she embarked on the reconstruction and rehabilitation project from her private purse with loan facilities to justify her people-oriented disposition, as functionality of the Secretariat matters very well to her constituents.
Presently I’m also working on a bill for Gender Equal Opportunity and it has passed through second Reading and would be passed sooner or later.
“It is still at the embryo level of legislation because there are some clauses we have to remove or amend and I have moved many motions and our roads with resolutions and I thank God for the successes.
“I came in as a fresher representing Ibaji constituency as a first woman from that constituency and behold, favour found me again and I was elected as the Deputy Speaker and being the first woman to attain that position in the House. I say thank you to the Almighty”, she said. (Ends)