Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says Kogi has everything it requires to make it great if its resources are well harnessed with the right vision and leadership.

Osinbajo, represented by the Director-General of the Consumer Protection Council, Mr Babatunde Irukera, stated this at the “Unveiling of kogi Vision’’ on Thursday in Abuja.

He described Kogi as a state with diversity and confluence of opportunities, critical for the development of the state and the nation.

“Kogi is Nigeria. It is the only state in Nigeria where there is legitimate `Oba’, legitimate `Igwe’ and legitimate `emir’, that is the picture of our nation.

“It shares borders with 10 states including the FCT, endowed with the most mineral resources in the entire country.

“But, under the right leadership, vision, diversity is not a disadvantage. As a matter of fact it is the greatest asset any people can have.

“So, Kogi is a platform for the best of this nation to emerge, both from human capital and obviously from the natural capital.

“Beyond seeing Kogi as a confluence of opportunities, I can see Kogi far much more as a confluence of possibilities. And it is not a misplaced expectation or aspiration.

“Under a clear vision, under the right steering and with a right rowing, only then can we ensure that both possibilities and opportunities truly become optimised.,” he said.

Osinbajo said that no matter how well the state was doing today, it was still not at the possible best it could be.

He said that until Kogi optimised the available resources to it, both in its people, benefits and gifts from God, “no matter how well it does it is only a fraction of what it can do’’.

“In our life time, we must make sure that Kogi does as well as it can do. If Kogi does well as it can do, we will materially change not just the face of the state, but the course of the entire nation.,” he said.

Gov. Yahaya Bello urged investors to invest in the state, saying a lot of untapped opportunities are available in the Kogi.

Bello, represented by Sen. Useni Yakubu (APC-Kogi Central), said his administration was tackling the issue of insecurity while embarking on infrastructural development that would take the state to greater heights.

Delivering a keynote address, Prof. Etanibi Alemika, described Kogi as a state endowed with natural resources and good vegetation and climate for agriculture.

Alemika, however, said there was urgent need to steer Kogi into a state of good governance, development, security and peace.

He said that steering and rowing Kogi out of its present decline into greatness, development, security and peace, demanded the utilisation of visionary leaders, strategic planning, efficient public service with capable institutions and skilled personnel.

The professor, who decried what he described as over bloated size of civil servants in the state, said a state or country in which its politics was larger than its economy could never develope.

Alemika also stressed the need for the state government to plan beyond tenure but for the future, said: “We must think beyond regime and look at Kogi in the next 10 years.’’

The Founder of Kogi Vision, Dr Tom Ohikere, described the project as a one-stop online platform that offers any information about the state, meant to assist government, investors and the people.

Ohikere said the website, www.kogivision.org, launched by Osinbajo at the occasion, as platform mainly for the growth and development of the state.