By Ahmed Muhammed Danasabe, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has directed the immediate commencement of the legislative process to restrict the movement of heavy-duty trucks at peak hours within Lokoja metropolis. The Governor gave the directive while presiding over the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday in Lokoja.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the move is part of the government’s response to recurring fatal accidents involving trucks in the state capital. “You will recall that these trucks have killed a lot of people. The last tragic incident occurred near the Federal University, Lokoja. Following that, the Governor promised the students and university management that proactive measures would be taken. Today, the Council approved the process of sending a bill to the Kogi State House of Assembly to restrict truck movement during specified hours within Lokoja,” Fanwo said. He emphasized that the initiative aims to protect lives and ease traffic within the state capital.
The state executive council also received a progress report on major projects at the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara. Fanwo disclosed that the construction of perimeter fencing at CUSTECH, initiated after a security breach, is 90% completed.
“The actual structure is done. What remains now is plastering, fittings, and final touches,” he said. He added that the male and female hostels have been completed and officially handed over to the school authorities, noting that the perimeter fencing project at Kogi State University, Kabba, is also progressing steadily.
The Commissioner further disclosed that Governor Ododo has directed the drafting of a bill for the establishment of the Kogi State Agency for Climate Change. He explained that the proposed agency will coordinate climate action and environmental sustainability initiatives across the state. Fanwo noted that the decision followed Kogi’s recent participation at the international climate change summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun, and other officials of the government represented the state. “This agency will give legal backing to our climate action strategies and demonstrate the seriousness of Kogi State in tackling environmental challenges,” he noted.
The Commissioner reiterated that all the decisions reflect Governor Ododo’s commitment to a safer, more secure, and environmentally conscious Kogi State. “These are practical steps to not only protect lives but also ensure the sustainable development of our state,” he concluded.