The man Dickson Enema Omaiye representing Ibaji in Kogi State House of Assembly 2015

MY BIOGRAPGHY

Dickson Enema Omaiye hails from Uchuchu-Anocha in Ojila Ward, Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Born on 14^th March 1979, Dickson Enema Omaiye began his journey through life when he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination at Ewu Primary School, Ewututu, Lagos and Idah Secondary Commercial College (ISCC) Idah, Kogi State respectively.

His urge to stand for truth, justice and the advancement of the society made him proceed to study law at the prestigious Kogi State University, Anyigba where he graduated with a Second Class Upper Division. During his days at the University, he rose to become the President of the Law Students’ Association (LAWSA) and the Spokesperson, Forum of Departmental Presidents; positions which he held graciously and performed remarkably, leaving footprints in the sands of time.

Upon being Called to the Nigerian Bar and enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Dickson Enema Omaiye’s journey to salvage the oppressed from victimization and enrich this generation has only began.

Dickson Omaiye, who is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has a message of HOPE. The hope that Ibaji will be great again; the hope that education can be made cheap, affordable and compulsory; the hope that government will subsidize medical bills and make Ibaji access good health care facilities; the hope that every Ibaji will understand the intrigues of politics and how they are being governed; the hope that someday in the future we can all together look back and say to ourselves, truly change has come; the hope that Ibaji will reclaim its promise again, and after this long political darkness, a brighter day will come.

My message is hope because I know what hope is. I have been an integral part of the struggling in Ibaji. During my days at College and in the University, I have visited countless Ibaji youths and the elderly, giving them hope that one day, the change will come and their lives will be better. Against hope, I struggled and by the help of God, I am what I am today. If you vote for me and give me the chance to represent you in the Kogi State House of Assembly come 2015, I promise to be the change we all talked about a long time ago.

MY MANIFESTO

Governments exist to promote and protect the overall socio-economic wellbeing of its citizens. As the Constitution says “…the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government…” Of necessity therefore, Governments, at all times, should have a coherent socio-economic development blueprint consistent with its “Mission” and “Vision” to achieve this overall purpose. For Ibaji Local Government Area, this “coherent plan” is the “Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF)” which will succinctly provide the socio-economic reform of the Local Government and Kogi State with clearly defined sectoral policy objectives, targets, priorities and the underline strategies for their attainment. Therefore, my programmes as representative of Ibaji in the Kogi State House of Assembly come 2015 shall include but not limited to the following:

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

My representation in the Kogi State House of Assembly come 2015 will ensure the availability of agricultural equipments to aid farming and enhance large scale productivity. I will attract the attention of the Private Sector in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) by partnering with Microfinance Banks, Financial Institutions, NGOs and other relevant Bodies/Agencies and International Organizations to invest into the agricultural ideals and initiatives of the Ibaji people. By doing this, the good people of Ibaji which is indeed, an agrarian society will have access to soft loans, farm implements, fertilizers etc to steer a great agricultural output. Our people suffer from chronic malnourishment because they lack access to agricultural financing, quality seed, fertilizer, agricultural education, training, and insurance against natural disaster. The truth is that majority of our farmers lack the necessary resources to transform their subsistent farming into thriving agribusinesses.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT/JOB CREATION/EMPLOYMENT

This programme extends to both the educated and uneducated youths. No young person of Ibaji who is willing to improve himself/herself will be left unattended to. The programme will ensure that all educated Ibaji youths will be provided jobs at the slightest openings, and we will extend a wide search engine to provide the youths with the jobs they have always desired. In addition, Skill Acquisition Programmes in a variety of professions will be available for the uneducated youths.

EDUCATION

According to Nelson Mandela “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”. We need to fix our schools. It is not a function of money; it is a function of attitude. We have to change our teaching method. Firstly, we will make every Ibaji person see and know the power in being educated. We will orientate Ibaji on how powerful we can all be if only we embrace education. Our focus in this area is our youth. How can we take charge and control the future as youths if we are not educated? To this end, a Scholarship Scheme will be introduced for students at all levels. We will embark on a huge awareness campaign for the education of the Ibaji people. It will be tagged “Making Education Work Campaign”. This Forum will ensure that Ibaji Students and Youths access education at all levels. This forum will partner with NGOs and other organizations like KDO Inspire, USAID, UKAID to initiate scholarship schemes for students and youths of Ibaji.

HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY

We should make our elders enjoy their old age. Health care is basic to human existence. The elderly who become frail, sick and bedridden may need residential healthcare facilities when they are unable to care for themselves or be cared for within their own homes. I will initiate a bill and establish a process for a Door-to-Door health care scheme for the elderly in Ibaji. I will ensure that health care is brought to their doorsteps, so that they don’t have to go through the rigours of finding where to get health facilities. These services will be provided by both voluntary welfare organizations and private sector health operators.

WARD-TO-WARD TOUR

 We need to assess the minds of our people. To know what bothers them. To understand their pains and to provide answers to their yearnings. In order to represent them better, I will need to from time to time, visit them, hear their stories, know their plights and then return to sponsor, initiate bills, and canvass for votes in order to make laws suitable to solving whatever problems that bothers them. A periodic Ward-to-Ward tour will be carried out to ensure that no Ward is abandoned. In doing this, we will assess the very essence of governance by reaching the grassroot and addressing the needs and yearnings of our beloved Wards, Villages, Districts and People.

OPEN DOOR/FEED BACK INITIATIVE

There is a saying that “a problem shared is a problem half solved”. I will run an open door policy where all the problems bothering our people will be highlighted, considered and addressed. This will be done on a Ward-to-Ward basis. I will be open to criticism, and I will not leave any question unanswered.

ESTABLISHMENT OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION MECHANISM

Sustaining the overall success story and enhancing its efficacy in providing the socio-economic development framework for Ibaji Local Government inevitably requires the adoption of Performance Management as basic principle. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) as performance measurement tools will therefore become critical in appraising the success or otherwise of the “overall purpose” of my representation. The society is becoming aware of the value of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of development activities. M&E provides a better means of learning from past experience, improving service delivery, planning and allocating resources, and demonstrating results as part of accountability to key stakeholders

IBAJI PROFESSIONAL SUMMIT

When given the mandate to represent Ibaji Local Government in the House of Assembly, I will ensure the convergence of Ibaji professionals on a yearly basis for a summit to discuss the economic progression of our great Ibaji. The summit will bring together from all walks of life Ibaji sons and daughters in different callings, disciplines, careers and vocations to discuss vital issues bothering on the growth and development of Ibaji. The summit will play host to different speakers specialized and trained in their various callings and professions. The event will include workshops and networking tailored for professionals and the enhancement of our dear Ibaji and its people. Participants will be introduced to cutting-edge innovations in various sectors, interact with NGO leaders, and be challenged as future leaders.