The outgoing chairperson, Kogi NGO’s Network (KONGONET) Ambassador Idris Muraina has called on government, civil society organizations, citizens, and development partners, to embrace greater inclusivity in planning and service delivery efforts to move Kogi State forward.
Ambassador Muraina made the call on Thursday in Lokoja during the 2025 KONGONET annual general meeting with the theme “Synergy for socioeconomic development: Uniting state and non-state actors for a greater impact in Kogi state”.
According to him, to deepen citizen participation and ensuring that governance remains transparent, responsive, and truly reflective of the people’s needs, all the critical stakeholders must work together in the interest of the state.
“Together, we can build a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous Kogi State for generations to come” he stated.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman Kogi State Independent National Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) Mamman Nda-Eri described the occasion as timely and deeply relevant at a time when the people are yearning for transformation in governance, infrastructure, education, and social welfare.
He pointed out that, time has come for government institutions, civil society, development partners, and community-based organisations come together with a unified sense of purpose to advanced the development of the state.
“At KOSIEC, we recognise the importance of inclusive governance, where citizens are not just voters but stakeholders in the democratic process. It is only through synergy of ideas, strategies, and actions that we can entrench credible electoral processes which serve as the bedrock of true development at the grassroots level.
“We believe in the power of civic engagement, and we look forward to working with networks like KONGONET to deepen voter education, improve participation, and strengthen transparency in our electoral processes” the KOSIEC Chairman stated.
In his paper titled “Co-creating the future : Government and non-state actors as catalyst for socio-economic transformation” presented by the Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor on Media Mr Ismail Isah, said the administration of Governor Usman Ododo remains committed to open governance, evidence-based planning, and citizen-led development.
He therefore appealed to KONGONET and other critical stakeholders to collaborate with the state government to build mutual trust, and keep contributing to the development of Kogi state.
The high point of the occasion was the election of new officials to run KONGONET in the state for the next three years. Hamza Aliyu emerged as the Chairperson of the organization, Dr. Hope Omeiza, Vice Chairperson and Reuben Joshua,
Secretary General.
Speaking on behalf of the newly elected executives, the Chairperson Hamza Aliyu, extended their heart felt gratitude to all members for finding them worth the great trust to lead KONGONET at this time.
“We know we may not be the most qualified at this time, but the faith members have in us has resulted in this assignment today. We promise not to fail you all.
“Ambassador Idris Ozovehe Muraina and his executive members have set a precedence in the leadership of KONGONET that has positioned the network in terms of coordination of the Civil Society space in Kogi State, which is a hard act to follow. We owe him a ton of gratitude for his visionary and exemplary leadership in guiding the network in the direction of provision of quality representation for CSOs in the State.
“He is indeed a a very astute and forward looking young man with a lot to offer Kogi State. We owe him a great debt. We will continue with his engagement principle especially in the area of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which will be a cardinal focus for this executive committee. We will ensure that governance brings in sustainable and participatory relevance for our citizens.
“We assure the State Government of the continued willingness of the Civil Society to partner in developing the state through synergy and collaborative co-creative interactions. However, we must always maintain our values and independence, which are our most cherished possessions.
“Transparency and Accountability in governance will be a key drive for this executive committee as we shall continue to hold the State Government and also ourselves accountable to our people to the highest standards. We will engage and collaborate as a default setting but we will also demonstrate and agitate when the need arises.
“Finally, the capacity of KONGONET to engage will depend on the level of skills and knowledge of members. We must bring to bear our vast knowledge and skills during engagements. Thus a vital focus for us will be to continuously strengthen and improve on the knowledge of our members through capacity enhancement activities.
We promise as executives to live up to the high faith that members have placed us and we will surely not let KONGONET down.
Thank you and God bless us all
The New executive committee of KONGONET consists of; Chairperson, Hamza Aliyu, Vice Chairperson, Dr. Hope Omeiza, Secretary General, Reuben Joshua, Asst. Secretary General, Serah Amanabo and Treasurer, Joy Akinola Esq.
Others are Financial Secretary, Hajiya Hassanat Omojo Umar,
Auditor, Comrade David Ojognane,
Legal Adviser, Kemi Omeiza Esq. andPublic Relations Officer, Mrs. Roseline Alabi
