President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday inaugurated a world class Reference Hospital in Okene in Kogi State, constructed by Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration.

The Reference Hospital Okene boasts of the first ever hyperbaric treatment chamber in Nigeria and the fleet of ambulances attached to it.

The other projects inaugurated included Agassa-Upogoro-Benin road and the newly built Palace of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.

Others were the Ganaja Junction Flyover and interchange at Lokoja; the GYB Model Science Secondary School, Adankolo, Lokoja; the Muhammadu Buhari Square (Civic Centre) at Lokoja; and a fleet of high – tech security vehicles to combat crimes and criminalities.

Speaking at Ohinoyi’s palace in Okene, Buhari said the commissioning of the projects was in realisation of the campaign promises to the people of Kogi.

“I have been briefed by Gov. Yahaya Bello for the numerous projects he has executed for the people.

“The Confluence University of Science and Technology at Asara, Rice mill in Ejiba, hospitals in Idah, Kabba and Okene, construction of roads in the three senatorial districts, and GYB Model Secondary Schools among others.

“In Lokoja, there is a flyover project the first of its kind in Kogi State,” Buhari said.

The President noted that Kogi played host to AKK Gas Pipeline projects that would be completed in 2023, saying it would boost the economic activities of the country with a multiplying effect on the people of the state.

He commended the governor for his impressive performance, saying he had done very well in the area of security and projects execution in Kogi.

“We are proud of him and we urged him to do more for the people.

“I am appealing to you to support the governor so that he can achieve and deliver more dividend of democracy and achieve peace and development of the state,” Buhari said.

Earlier, the governor described the day as a historic moment in the lives of Kogi people and indeed in the lives of entire Ebira people and other tribes in central senatorial district of the state.

“We are happy the very day you granted approval to come to Kogi State for the commissioning of few out of many projects this administration has executed for the people of Kogi state.

“When I was sworn on the 27th of January, 2016, we were determined to serve our people and we quickly commissioned multidimensional sector to form what we call New Direction Blueprint.

“From that period till date, this particular document has served as a guide for accelerated development in Kogi State.

”We took our time to move round the state to determine what the people are lacking and what they really want that could improve the standard of living.

”Every year we zero down such need to our budgetary provision and we ensured that we follow it to the latter, ” Bello said

Bello stressed that his administration had fulfilled all its promises within the available resources and today those projects would be commissioned as well as others that may not be reached in other parts of the state.

“We ensure that the entire people of Kogi State benefit from our projects executed from internally general revenue, national resources and every other resources God gave to us in Kogi state.

“Mr President, we hit the ground running and you told me to be courageous in Leadership and how to bring out my best and today the projects is an attestation of our best to the people of Kogi State.

“I followed your footsteps in ensuring that projects and infrastructures that has direct impact on the people,” he said.

The Star