…says to whom much is given, much is expected
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has been commended for his inclusive style of leadership which has given residents of South South extraction in Kogi State a sense of belonging and participation in governance.
The commendation was given by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 8 Headquarters, Lokoja, AIG Betty Isokpan Otimenyin, when she received a delegation of the leadership and members of the South South States made up of Edo, Delta Rivers, Bayelsa Akwa ibom and Cross River States Residents in Kogi State in her office on Friday.
The AIG, who is the first female to head Zone 8 comprising Kogi and Kwara States, said the Ododo administration’s decision to appoint South Southerners into strategic political positions is unprecedented in the history of the state and reflects the Governor’s detribalized and people-centred approach to governance.
She however charged those who have been privileged to be appointed to justify the confidence reposed in them through loyalty, diligence and total commitment to the administration and to constituted authorities in the state, stressing that to whom much is given, much is expected.
AIG Otimenyin reiterated the resolve of her Command to nip crime and criminality in the bud, noting that through collaborative efforts with sister security agencies and the support of the state government, Kogi and the entire Zone 8 Command have remained relatively peaceful since her assumption of office on July 30, 2026.
She urged members of the South South community to go about their legitimate businesses without fear of molestation, assuring that the Command is fully resolved to ensure the safety of lives and property across the Zone.
While emphasizing that effective policing is a shared responsibility, she called on the southern community to continue to partner with security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence whenever the need arises.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, President of South South States Residents in Kogi State and Special Adviser to the Governor on South South Mobilization, Abu Micheal, said the visit was to identify with the proactive policing and renewed security architecture being implemented by the Zone 8 Command under AIG Otimenyin.
Abu Micheal praised Governor Ododo for ensuring that the state remains safe and for creating an enabling environment for all ethnic groups to thrive, irrespective of origin. He expressed confidence in the AIG, describing her as a well grounded, experienced and accomplished officer whose track record places her at a vantage position to sustain peace and security in Kogi and Kwara States.
The Special Adviser noted that the inclusion of Southerners in the present administration is the first of its kind since the creation of Kogi State, and assured that South South residents in the state will continue to support the Ododo administration and security agencies in the maintenance of peace and development.
Other speakers at the visit, including Hon. Lucky Oba and Hon. Kingsley Oshilim, both Senior Special Assistants on Grassroots Mobilization, solicited the support and collaboration of the AIG during grassroots sensitization programmes being undertaken by political appointees from the South South extraction.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment to partnership, intelligence sharing and peaceful coexistence among all residents in the Zone.
