CODWA Slams Gov Ododo For Extravagant Appointment Of 1,192 Political Aides, Warns Of Repeating Predecessor’s Mistakes

Ilorin, Kwara State- The Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) has condemned Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo’s recent decision to appoint 1,192 new political appointees, calling it an act of extravagance and prodigality.

The advocacy group described the move as an act of “extravagance and prodigality,” drawing sharp parallels between Ododo’s actions and the notorious spending patterns of his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, who has since gone into hiding.

CODWA argued that Bello left the state “bleeding and in the intensive care unit” of underdevelopment and dehumanization.

In a statement released on Thursday, Executive Director Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye questioned, “What can Ododo possibly accomplish with the staggering number of 1,192 political appointees?”

The statement read, “A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Folashade Ayoade stated that the Governor has approved the appointment of the so-called aides.

“For how long will Kogi State suffer from leaders who have left the state in a dilapidated condition?

“These appointments are nothing but a further waste of limited resources.

“Except for the late Abubakar Audu, Kogi state has been RULED by mediocre leadership without vision and Political Will to develop the state.

Comrade Otitolaye said that instead of the Governor exploring ways to liaise with the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to reactivate Ajaokuta and other world-class projects in the state to full working capacity, he is wasting Kogi’s commonwealth.

“It has become a brazen sore and climax for a state with one of most blessed natural resources in Africa, home with oil and solid minerals, to continue to rumble on bad governance without end.

He explained that Kogi State lacks good roads, hospitals, and factories to employ its teeming youth and women. It is one of the worst states in terms of promoting human capital development, despite its abundance of human resources.

“We condemn this primitive use of state apparatus and resources to the detriment of the state and its citizens.

“This maladministration and waste must stop!”

“Rather than wasting scarce resources, we call on the state government to assemble experts to design and implement a Kogi State Development Plan and Strategy to move the state forward,” he added.