Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi said on Thursday that he met the state in shambles, but expressed the determination of his administration to turn the situation around.
The governor made the promise shortly after receiving an award of excellence in humanitarian service, from Jacco’s Charity International, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in his office in Lokoja.
“It is a very wonderful gesture, and I really appreciate that you recognise the little we are doing in the state.
“Actually, we met the state in shambles. This is a change government, we are really out to take our destinies in our hands and put the state on the path of development.
“We have done the little we have to do, so far so good. The challenges are high, but we believe we can overcome it.
“We are determined to make sure that our state is on a path of development and we will continue to do it with this encouragement and recognition that you are giving to us.
“It is really going to boost us and then we promise to do more.’’
Earlier, the President of the NGO, Ms Jordi Frank, said the award was in recognition of Bello’s humanitarian services.
“On behalf of JACCO’s Charity International, I want to present this award of excellence to His Excellency, Alhaji Bello Yahaya.
“We actually did a research on you sir, and we discovered you help a lot of helpless children, orphans in the endangered female African child.
“Your Excellency, we want to say a big thank you for helping the less privileged kids, and also this scholarship programmes you are doing for the undergraduate students within the country and also internationally.
“With your philanthropic acts and the humanitarian deeds, you have been endeared to our organisation. You are indeed one of a kind.’’
Jordi said that her organisation was engaged in providing succour to impoverished and homeless children in local communities in the country and beyond.
She noted that there were millions of children across the country that were neither cared for nor have opportunities for personal fulfilment in life.
According to her, such children live in the dirtiest and most dangerous parts of cities and towns, including abandoned buildings.
She said the helpless children also live under bridges and around refuse dumps which they scavenge for food.
Jordi said that she founded JACCO’s Charity International in 2012 to give shelter and other forms of support to the affected children, adding that over 300 of them had so far been touched. (NAN)
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