The Women Leader of the Igala Progressive Youth Forum, Hon. Ojoma Happiness, has commended the Deputy Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Comfort Ojoma Nwuchiola, for facilitating the renovation and reconstruction of the Old Ibaji Local Government Secretariat in Onyedega, describing the project as a “timely intervention that restores governance at the grassroots.”
Hon. Happiness, who spoke shortly after the commissioning of the facility at the weekend, said the gesture has brought renewed hope to residents of Ibaji Local Government Area, many of whom had long endured the absence of a functional administrative structure following the destruction of the old secretariat.
She noted that the intervention by the Deputy Speaker has not only provided a befitting workplace for local government staff but has also strengthened access to government services at the community level.
“This project is a clear demonstration of purposeful representation. Rt. Hon. Nwuchiola has shown that leadership is about impact, not just rhetoric. The people of Ibaji can now feel the presence of government again,” she said.
The women leader also applauded Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for sustaining what she described as a people-oriented administration, particularly his commitment to rural development and infrastructure renewal across the state.
Her remarks come on the heels of the official commissioning of the reconstructed secretariat by Governor Ododo, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Comrade Joel Salifu.
Beyond the commissioning, residents seized the opportunity to draw attention to the lingering challenge of poor road infrastructure in the riverine local government. Responding, the governor assured that work would soon commence on the roads, revealing that preliminary measurements had already been completed.
Providing insight into the project, Rt. Hon. Nwuchiola explained that the original secretariat, built in 2000, was destroyed by fire caused by suspected vandals, leaving the council without a functional administrative hub.
She said the deplorable conditions under which staff had been operating necessitated urgent intervention, adding that the new structure would significantly boost productivity and service delivery.
