MY SOCIAL CONTRACT WITH MY PEOPLE OF OGORI/MAGONGO LGA

MANIFESTO
“My good people of Ogori/Magongo!

Fate has brought us to another crucial threshold in the history of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area! We have been at this crossroads several times before. The consequences of the choices we made in the past are obvious for us to see today. Democracy is the acclaimed best form of governance because it places in the hands of the people the power to choose who governs them. But posterity beckons on us to exercise that enormous power with maximum discretion, bearing in mind that we can either be liberated, or further enslaved by the choices we make. This is indeed a vital truth we should not run away from. Our destiny is in our hands.
The third tier of Government which is the Local Government is the Bedrock of Democracy and provides an untapped opportunity to make a positive difference through people-centered programmes and policies. This will bring about prosperity, equity, justice, progress, peace and patriotism. These are the hallmarks of good governance.
It is against this backdrop that I, Hon. (Mrs.) Jane Tayo Onoba, humbly present myself to you, my people of Ogori/Magongo, for election into the office of Chairman in the forthcoming Council Polls. I am pursuing my aspiration on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
PROFILE
My name is Hon. (Mrs.) Jane Tayo Onoba. I was born on 31st January, 1966. I am a teacher by profession and a social reformer. My strongest point is that I always pursue and seek the greatest good of my people in all the offices I have been privileged to serve. In all my life, I have always identified with our people – their greater good.
I was at different schools for my educational pursuits, capping it with a BA.Ed from the University of Jos. I taught in different schools within and outside the Local Government. In 2005, 1 was appointed Special Adviser on Women and Youth Development and served in that capacity till 2007. I was the grassroots women mobiliser for GYB in Ogori/Magongo LGA. I am also the Coordinator of Women for Change in the LGA and I am a member of Kogi Central Women Forum. I had the rare privilege to serve as Deputy Chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT in the LGA. At the community level, I am a two-time National Financial Secretary of Ogori Descendants’ Union, ODU and was the President, Ogori Students’ Association, OSA, and while at the University of Jos. I had served as the Quality Assurance Evaluation Officer and presently, serving as the Head of Department, Project, Research and Statistics. I am married and I am proudly a grandmother.
OBJECTIVES
My 5-point developmental vision for Ogori/Magongo LGA is as follows:-

1. Job Creation/Employment Nigeria has suffered the paradox of economic growth without development for many years. Any economists often lament what they have come to describe as our “job-less growth”. While all macro-economic indices point to an economy which is truly growing and there is noticeable improvement in our public infrastructure, especially power and roads, unemployment still remains a challenge. With our huge population comprising mainly youths, this is worrisome and a great threat to our posterity. Nigeria needs to achieve a quick-win solution to ensure that most of our employable citizens are gainfully engaged. We must harness the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial acumen of our people in our battle against unemployment. We must empower our entrepreneurs to be in the position to create jobs on a large scale. Nigeria’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are faced with many challenges which have stunted their growth and development. Some of these challenges are poor infrastructural facilities, inadequate funding and lack of access to capital, weak managerial and entrepreneurial skills, limited demand for their products and services, and competition from foreign products. Among these challenges, the most restricting is the inadequacy of funds and lack of access to capital. Indeed, most of the other problems could easily be resolved with sufficient finance. Our financial institutions typically wait for entrepreneurs to become successful before they take any serious interest in their businesses. However creative and innovative they are, these entrepreneurs often cannot meet the strict credit risk acceptance criteria of banks. The solution is really simple: Venture Capital; which I like to call patient equity funding. I shall strive to take advantage of our vast human and natural resources to create employment opportunities in areas like agriculture, skill acquisition, small scale business development and other key areas relevant to our needs.
   2. Educational Development
      Education is the bedrock of the society, and still remains the inalienable right of every citizen, by the Charter of the United Nations, which Nigeria is a signatory. If elected, I will strive to ensure that every child, every youth, and every parent who desires formal education, has access to affordable, functional and qualitative education at all levels. Education has been our long-standing industry. We will strive to keep it alive.
2. Women Empowerment & Youth Development
   Politicians have reduced our mothers to dancing and expendable folks, this should not be so and it is utterly disgusting but I understand the role of women in society and in politics. The women of Ogori/Magongo will be given uttermost respect even as I assure on my honour that the menfolk will also be accorded due respect. Ours won’t be a government that would seek to relegate our men to the background. I will make sure however that our women dance to their empowerment and community development by creating gender sensitive jobs for the women, expanding and trading opportunities as well as promote policies that will empower women, increase women participation in politics and appointments into political offices b way of affirmative action. Furthermore, it is my intention that if elected, I will accord due attention to the aged within the limit of the resources available to the Local Government and we shall always support programmes that will positively affect the lives of our people, especially women, children and the aged.
   Furthermore, I will:
   • Create Youth Development Programs to support Youth Organizations that already have specific mandate on a non-partisan basis.
   • Initiate vocational training/capacity building opportunities in the area of specialized craft through governmental agencies and non-governmental bodies targeted at those who are not fortunate enough to pursue formal education such as orphans, street kids and other disadvantaged groups.

• Set up a dedicated W-SME (Women Small and medium enterprises) cluster in every ward.
• Initiate the ‘Young Leaders’ and ‘Youth for Development’ programmes in all wards to encourage community service and to recognize and reward talented youth to serve as role models and mentors for others.
• Harness the vast potentials of our youths in sporting arena and create the atmosphere for healthy competitions and discovery of new talents.
  -Harness the full potentials inherent in our culture by supporting the annual maiden festivals of our communities. We need to do more to bring it to the attention of the world.
  4. Access to Potable Water
     I will:
     • Encourage setting up of drinking water supply grid in water scarce areas.
     • Promote decentralized, needs-based, community-managed water resource management and environmental sanitation initiatives.
     • Facilitate the extension of piped portable water to more areas in the LGA.
  5. Pursue security of our people vigorously
     My greatest agenda would be to see that our people are safe, secured and prosperous. This, I shall do by collaborating with all security agencies. I shall not compromise on this because security is key to development, growth and prosperity.

CONCLUSION
This is the beginning a New Dawn in our Polity. With humility, and by God’s Grace, I present myself before you for your mandate which is only possible through a conscious and dedicated effort anchored on deep commitment to the welfare and well-being of the people. Be assured that from time to time, I shall host town hall meetings to take inputs from our people. I will not be an island-the people will be held in very high esteem.
As I remain acutely aware of the immense responsibilities and strict requirements of representing one of the most cosmopolitan people in Nigeria, I present this document as a tool for accountability and a benchmark against which our future work will be assessed as 1 seek your worthy mandate.

God bless Ogori/Magongo.
God bless Kogi State.
God bless Nigeria.