Residents of Lokoja, the Kogi capital have expressed shock and anger over the demolition of five popular landmarks and monuments in the city on the orders of Gov. Yahaya Bello.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who toured the cityon Saturday, observed that the famous Paparanda Square, whose existence dates back to the colonial era, is among the monuments demolished.
Also affected are the Lugard Roundabout in front of the Government House, erected in memory of Nigeria’s former Governor-General, Lord Fredrick Lugard, and the popular Kogi Circle, erected to mark the creation of the state in 1995.
Also demolished are the Welcome to Lokoja Roundabout, built at the entrance of the city to welcome visitors from South Western Nigeria.
The popular NTA Roundabout and the one adjoining the Government House and the Government Reserved Area were also demolished.
While the Lugard Roundabout was demolished earlier, all the other monuments were demolished between Friday night and Saturday morning.
The State Government while defending the demolition said that it was the beginning of a process to make Lokoja more attractive.
“The nodal status of Lokoja as the gateway to the North, East and West is supposed to be an attractive state capital in order to meet the expectations of potential tourists,’’ a statement issued in Lokoja on Saturday said.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, who signed the statement, said the new administration was poised to give the city a face-lift by removing sub-standard roundabouts.
“This is with the intention of replacing them with beautiful ones, befitting of its status.
“This administration will not live with sub-standard structures that represent our identity as a state,” the statement said.
However, residents, who woke up to see that the monuments had been demolished expressed shock and anger over the government’s action.
They are wondering while demolition of monuments should be a priority to the new administration.
The demolition, they argued, had taken beauty and shine out of the city, which once served as headquarters of Northern Nigeria.
According to the residents, the development shows that government is not conscious of the unique position of Lokoja in the history of Nigeria.
One of the residents, Mr Sunday Balogun, said that visitors to the city might now find it difficult to locate their destinations as the removed structures also served as landmarks to guide people in their movements.
Today.ng cullage..
#Change has landed Kogi state.
Vive la chanji. Change is here.
ReplyDeleteHe should fix d road and street lights first
ReplyDeleteHim sef wan enter news. Okay ooo
ReplyDeleteSee his ugly face, why are kogi men mainly ugly. I'm yet to meet a fine one.
ReplyDeleteOmokore, Audu and one idiot dat cheated on me back then in school.
That one was also ugly, but very rich and extremely good in bed. Think dats dere selling point, you completely forget d ugliness, infact u don't see it again. Backward state
My husband is from Kogi and he's very handsome... I wish I could attach pic
DeleteIt was being good in bad dat came to my mind when I saw this man. You gotta step up ya man game and know whatssup. Some you go for because of money and their spendability, others, for their knackability. You choose a struggle, to hammer or to cum.
DeleteThis governor can do me severally abeg. He's so hot. And I'm even a dude!
Your love for money landed you in heartbreaks...why won't they leave you when you don't love dem...
DeleteANON@ 05.09AM GAY ALERT
DeleteBut Dino na fine man na.. He's from Kogi. Lol
DeleteSisi eko
DeleteOooo
dem dey talk about people you dey call Dino
Who im help?
Beauty na character and fear of GOD
He wasn't prepare for this position.
ReplyDeleteServing here in Kogi, I can say it's one of d worst states in Nigeria. Corruption has eaten so deep that u can not point at one development in d state. No water, no light, no road, poor education system amongst others. It's a pity, but their past governments are nothing to write home about. They all behaved as if they are not from the state, looking at their people in that condition and not having one atom of emotion for them. I hope dis govt really effects change in Kogi. They need it here so bad
ReplyDeleteHmmm... Mehnnnnnn my dear the only good thing about Kogi state is their 24/7 power supply.... I know the state is bad but at least give them some credit...
DeleteWhich 24/7 power supply? Are an alien here or you are just being dramatic.The constant light the you saw was during hamattarn and that's the weather cooling the transformers. May AYB be guided cos we have had terrible leaders in the past.
DeleteThey should have left them in kwara state
DeleteIt is easier to destroy than to build - he has definitely chosen the easy way. Nigerian leaders and misplaced priority since 1900.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should embrace change good or bad lmao.
ReplyDeleteChaiiiiii
ReplyDeleteIt is commendable if it will bring the desired change in the state. Bcos the truth is that Kogi state is one of the most under developed and backward state in the country
ReplyDeleteI thought I was alone in the assumption of Kogi state as thr worst in Nigeria. It's like they don't even have a government. Such a backward state. Their roads are the worst in the entire universe. *allow me to exaggerate*
DeleteBut isn't there a way they would have gotten landscape architects to create designs that would improve on the old monuments and just make them more elborate? Lets be candid. Sometimes we Africans are foolish. When you travel abroad you see bridges that have been built in 1800 by dead princes and Kings. They serve as landmarks in ancient cities. And people go there to take pictures. Why not date the monuments and fortify them in the beautification process? Must they be destroyed?
ReplyDeleteBut isn't there a way they would have gotten landscape architects to create designs that would improve on the old monuments and just make them more elborate? Lets be candid. Sometimes we Africans are foolish. When you travel abroad you see bridges that have been built in 1800 by dead princes and Kings. They serve as landmarks in ancient cities. And people go there to take pictures. Why not date the monuments and fortify them in the beautification process? Must they be destroyed?
ReplyDeleteAfter all this, he had better perform oh! Cos I don't trust all this gra gra.
I totally agree with you.I was so angry reading about the destruction of historical monuments.Haba that was too extreme for an educated man of his caliber. What will historians do now and the little tourist sites the city had have been destroyed. Go to Calabar they still have Mary Slessor's tombstone and other old structures still preserved for history and that is why that state rakes in lots of money from tourism. They should have simply given the place a face lift. Lord lugard will turn in his grave at this. Its so upsetting that our leaders take decisions with impunity without checking the pros and cons. There are more important things to work on like the high rate of unemployment in the state and their very bad roads. He should even think of reviving their steel mill
DeleteThe start to the entrenchment of islamization/boko haram agenda in Kogi State....how else does one explain the magnitude of destructivebess, poor vision and concern from its new leadership for the diverse groups that make up Kogi? #atm@QED
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand the logic behind demolishing the monuments which remind us of our history. Each time I pass through Lokoja it's like a history revision class for me. I point out to my children the landmarks and identify them with key points in our Nation's history. Just like Abuja here where the city continues to lose its parks to senseless leaders who see nothing but Naira signs in every inch of the city. I am disappointed. This, is NOT the change I voted for. Please FCT ministers give us back our parks.
ReplyDeleteIt is well
ReplyDeletegovernors doing whatever they like, God is watching you all.
ReplyDeleteLinda it's the first capital of Nigeria not headquarters of northern Nigeria
ReplyDeleteWho be linda here. You don loss for Internet . Call your people to come find u.
DeleteYimu, dont even know where u are.
Good to know
ReplyDeleteOh our kogi, Let me hope he has a very amazing replacement though. Ozichu
ReplyDeleteI have lived in lokoja for over 80 percent of my life, I was born there,those structures are not just historical but they are sentimental. Why would you destroy colonial structures which would attract tourists more and replace them (that's even an if) with supposed new structures, which would even be less attractive. Why not elaborate or renovate them, or at least start with one structure. Soon now he will demolish the lugards house on mount Patti claiming it's to old rather than renovating it. Without those structures lokoja doesn't feel like home again,and most of my memories about the town were connected to those monuments. I am sad
ReplyDeleteBed and roses, what cave do you live in since you have never seen any handsome kogi man? Where are you from and how does your male folks look? Besides, what has the post got to do with looks? Yar banza ko wai.
ReplyDeleteMr Bello, monuments should not be in your top priority list for now. There are more pressing issues.
ReplyDeleteHe demolishing structures nd hasn't paid workers
ReplyDelete3 months now my mum hasn't gotten her salary.... Mtcheww
Proudly Igala
ReplyDeleteAregbesola did same and got fingers burnt. Kogi generates little IGR. Why waste money on cosmetic frivolities.
ReplyDeleteI am proud to be an igala man and a kogite. Its good we are all seeing the impudent acts of a school pupil who was made a head boy or I beg your pardon Governor. Providence took him there and his blinded by the excesses of power. I pray God delivers my beloved state from useless leaders that has kept the state as its poor state. As we await the supreme court judgment to liberate my state from a governor with no clear cut agenda I pray we live to see the kogi of our dream.
ReplyDelete@swiss, fear God, when did they swear him in that he should pay salaries of 3months ago? This man was sworn in on the 27th of January or sth, he hasn't even settled in. I'm not with him on the demolition of the monuments sha!
ReplyDeleteProud kogite
Ozichu
He want to be remembered for one thing either good or bad if he leaves the office but good legacy is what we want. As for rose and bed above, kogi men are not ugly they are not cheap to defraud by harlots like you, you can go for your Ibo men counterpart to actualize your crimina ambition
ReplyDelete