From David Onuoja, Abuja
Kogi East Senatorial District, has started charting for a renewed course of unity as leaders and stakeholders of Igala and Bassa communities, call for a deliberate revival of historic ties, anchoring the region’s growth on dignity, equity and shared prosperity.
In a statement released this week in Abuja, by Dr. Ugwolawo Haruna,who is the afront of the synergy, said both communities and tribes declared that peaceful coexistence between the two groups is not accidental but built on centuries of interaction, cultural exchange and a common geographical destiny.
The statement traced the relationship to pre-colonial times, noting that communities that made up the wider Igala Kingdom maintained relationships of mutual understanding, cooperation and coexistence.
According to the communiqué, those historical bonds should continue to guide present-day conduct and the vision for the future of Kogi East, as the district positions itself for long-term development.
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It also acknowledged recent strains. The statement said political considerations and competing interests in more recent times have sometimes created mistrust and apprehension among the people.
“We must not allow such circumstances to destroy the bonds that have united our communities for generations,” it warned, calling for a return to the values that have sustained the relationship.
Central to the renewed push, is the Kogi East Development Agenda 2041. The agenda, the statement said, is founded on the principle of inclusion, equity and equal opportunity.
It stressed that no individual, community or ethnic group within Kogi East should suffer discrimination on the basis of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, gender or any other consideration.
A key part of the commitment was a direct reassurance to Bassa communities. The statement affirmed that Bassa interests, aspirations and development needs, are an integral part of the Kogi East Development Agenda 2041. Saying, access to infrastructure, education, healthcare, economic opportunities, empowerment programmes and other initiatives should be guided by fairness, need and equity, “not by partisan political considerations”.
In order to prevent future friction, the stakeholders pledged to institutionalize dialogue as genuine development cannot be achieved where any part of the community feels excluded, threatened or disadvantaged.
It equally promised to encourage consultation and appropriate mechanisms for addressing grievances before they develop into sources of conflict.
The message ended with a clear declaration of intent and a four-point pledge: “Kogi East belongs to all its people. Development must be inclusive, participation must be equitable, and no community should be left behind”, the statement concluded,
“Honouring Our Heritage. Respecting Our Diversity. Mobilising Our People and Building Our Common Future, is the strength Kogi East lies in its diversity, while its future depends on working together in trust and mutual respect.”
