21th August, 2019.

FOR THE RECORD:

Kogi State was created by former Head of State, General Gbadamasi Ibrahim Babangida on August 27th 1991. After a series of agitations which originated since 1981 when many Elders of the old Kabba province such as Professor Albert Ozigi, Joseph Abu Ogbeha, Liman Umar, Walter Bako and Timothy Elukpo, had mobilised themselves and set up a committee, headed by Senator Ahmadu Ali, to lobby various successive governments.
Their lobby process suffered a lot of setback with various administrations, due to politic. The group submitted a memorandum to the National Assembly, in the Second Republic, Shagari's administration, for the creation of Kogi State separately from Kwara and Benue States.
That effort died with Shagari’s government that was eventually ousted from power a few years later by General Mohammadu Buhari, via a military coup.
There was nothing the group could achieve during the administration of General Mohammadu Buhari, because of his masses unfriendly policies initiated by his government. Many rights of the citizens was whisked away, and any group could hardly agitate for anything so called their rights.
The agitation for the creation of Kogi State later gained serious momentum when General Ibrahim Babangida assumed office.

After creating Akwa-Ibom and Kastina States in 1987, the government had warned that it ‘would no longer entertain request for state creation from self-seeking politicians and champions of ethnic groups. Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha, who refused to give up on the agitation, approached Babangida and in a veiled conversation presented the agenda of the creation of Kogi State. General Babangida and was denied. Some elders from old Kabba-Province, led by Timothy Walter Bako, paid a solidarity visit to Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha at Jaji in mid-1980s as part of the ‘lobby’ to actualise Kogi State. The solidarity team got the same message from Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha. He had encouraged his townsmen to make do with what was available in Kwara State and take advantage of the opportunities it presented. He also told them there was nothing to suggest their aspirations were going to be actualised as at that time.
But the table turned and General Babangida developed a change of heart and was set to meet with Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha once again in 1990 at the Abuja State House. And in company of his late wife, Jacinta Ogbeha, Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha paid General Babangida a courtesy visit and the Kogi agenda was further discussed with better in-depth analysis. Which led to the Head of State giving a nod for the creation of Kogi State.

At the critical stage of decision making, Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha had earlier travelled out of the country for vacation and was physically absent to further push his agitation. And due to pressure mounted on the Head of State by top ethic group leaders and high ranked military officers; his efforts became threatened. This lead to him reaching out to his friend and brother, General David Mark and General Abdulsalam Abubakar to keep the pressure on General Babangida and sustain the lobby (both men were members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council).

General Babangida announced the creation of Kogi State on the early hours of 27th August 1991, and it was a reunion of various ethic groups who has coexisted far before the colonial era and under the old Kabba Province for over 80 years.
At the creation of Kogi State in August 1991, Colonel Danladi Mohammed Zakari, was appointed first military governor. On Zakari’s resumption, the new Governor was accommodated in Brigadier General Tunde Ogbeha’s house; which also temporarily served as the Governor’s office.
From the above history; kindly take note of the sacrifice made by the people who fought for the creation of the state. And how they all come together from different tribes to actualize their objective.
EBIGO AGENDA:
The EBIGO Agenda as initiated by the state government is in total disagreement with what Kogi State stands for right from its inception by the heros who fought for the creation of the state. The state was created to harmonies all ethic groups who were former allies during the defunct northern region and prior to the colonial era. EBIGO Agenda is a movement that can further fuel division amongst other ethic groups who must already be feeling left out when it comes to governance in the state.
There are three main ethnic groups and languages in Kogi: Igala, Ebira, and Okun (a Yoruba Group) with other such as Bassa-Nge, a people of Nupe extraction in Lokoja and Bassa Local Government Area, Bassa-Komo of Bassa Local Government Area, Gwari, Kakanda, Oworo people(A Yoruba Group), Ogori, Magongo, Idoma and the pure NUPE people of Eggan community under Lokoja Local Government.
These groups mentioned above has totally been ruled out of the EBIGO Agenda proposed by the government of Kogi State and the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Kogi State Chapter. The the implementation and adoption of the EBIGO Agenda; these other ethic groups will have no hope of one day heading the affairs of the state. In totality, all groups in Kogi State have to rise up and put the EBIGO Agenda to condemnation, and rubbish to be scrapped; as this is far beyond political sentiment, but in a bid to see our dear State succeed without being hijacked by desperate political mongers.
My question to Yahaya Bello campaign team is: how do you intend to accommodate other ethic groups in your EBIGO Agenda? What will be the hope of an average Kakanda person hoping to one day rule Kogi State?
EBIGO Agenda is selfish and should not be welcome by any fraction of the state. The agenda stands as a threat to the unity and peace of all ethic groups in the state, and the agenda is not only a stain on what those who agitated for the creation of the state solicited for, but also a division tool formed to place the three major ethic groups far above other striving ones. And this makes me wonder what the founding fathers of the state will be thinking of: a man who knows nothing about how Kogi State came to be, but oppotuned to be governor, as chosen by fate. Governor Yahaya Bello has no political right to initiate an agenda such as EBIGO. Kogi State is for everyone and no tribe should be place above another. EBIGO; which stands for Ebira, Igala, and Okun, is an agenda that will successfully marginalize other ethic groups if allowed to flourish.
Every meaning Kogiet who have the love and unity for the state at heart, should rise up in condemnation of this movement, irrespective of political differences, religion background and ethic group. We all want Kogi State to succeed, and every tribe and ethic group should count.

God bless Kogi State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Kogites should be wise this time around