A Quintessential Bridge Builder And Epitome Of Good Leadership (Part One)

The world over, there is a push for a paradigm shift in governance. The general consensus has been that governance should rest squarely on the shoulders of experienced youths with fresh ideas that will catalyse development. From France to Australia and from Eastern Europe to Latin America, experienced youths are being voted into power because they midwife innovative ideas and serve as veritable bridges between the old and the new and between the urban and the rural folks.

Little wonder, in progressive democracies, young persons are always preferred in the political scheme who have profound enthusiasm to make a difference in their societies. The general belief is that the youths are at the receiving end of bad governance hence the levers of power are entrusted to them to push forward the frontiers of development in all its ramifications.

Across time and space, one challenge facing developing States in Nigeria is unemployment, and people look up to a leader who will provide good governance and evolve policies designed to create jobs for the youthful population.

In Bayelsa State, the Restoration Administration has made appreciable progress in providing some critical physical, and socio-economic infrastructure that can serve as springboard for development. Since governance is a continuum, many people are agreed that the next Governor of Bayelsa State should focus on the provision of more infrastructure, job creation and poverty reduction through aggressive industrialization.

It is only against this background that Bayelsans can appreciate the viability of the Keniebi Diton Okoko’s governorship aspiration. While fielding questions from newsmen at the launching of the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund, he said “Bayelsa population is youthful and he holds the ace in meeting the needs of the youths. When elected as Governor, he said his priority is industrialization, human capacity building and job creation.

Mr. Keniebi Okoko is a renowned entrepreneur and industrialist who seats atop a multibillion naira investment in oil and gas. As a frontline aspirant for the Governorship of Bayelsa State, he has pledged to use his oil and gas experience to attract investors to the State. Not only will this strategic move create employment, its value chain will expand other allied industries in paint production, boost the construction sector and other agro-allied industries.

The Gbarain born entrepreneur has already produced a blueprint for the industrialization of Bayelsa State. The blueprint encompasses oil and gas industries, manufacturing and corporate consultancy businesses. Others are the rejuvenation of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas project in Brass to ensure the inclusion of Bayelsans as shareholders.

Frontline Governorship aspirant Keniebi has promised to use his connections to attract investors in the down-stream sector of the oil industry. He praised the efforts of Governor Seriake Dickson for embarking on legacy projects such as the International Airport project and pledged to leverage on the infrastructure to transform Bayelsa State into an oil and gas hub. This is achievable because of the availability of abundant oil and gas in the State.

Okoko is not just after political power; he is aspiring to that exalted position because he has been well-equipped in education and specialized training.

We have a young dynamic and development-oriented Governorship Aspirant who is equipped with training as an economist from the prestigious University of Port Harcourt. Keniebi Okoko also holds another degree in Political Science from the renowned Carlton University. In 2014, Keniebi Okoko obtained a Postgraduate degrees the University of Pennsylvania on Strategic Thinking. He also wears a Harvard lapel having participated in the Harvard Business School High Potentials Leadership Programme in 2014 in 2015 he participated in the HBS Finance for Senior Executives Programme. With a propensity to acquire knowledge, Okoko recently completed the Harvard Business School’s Owner President Management (OPM), Management and Leadership Program which he started in 2016.

The young Okoko who has carved a niche for himself in business circles and in the corporate world is the Founder and Group Chief Executive of KDI Group a diversified strategic investor in key sectors of the Nigerian economy including Oil and Gas, Power, Infrastructure and Agriculture. KDI Group operates with a vision to be globally recognised in every sector they invest in as a premier institution driven by excellence.

As a leader, his contemporaries see him as a model, a man that is exemplary in mentorship and partnership. In the business cycle, he is easily acknowledged as a rate-buster and an excellent strategic thinker and administrator.

There is no doubt that Keniebi Okoko is imbued with a huge dose of entrepreneurship. He is endowed with uncommon managerial acumen, which is the hallmark of good leadership. A huge spectrum of the youths, who were interviewed attested to the fact that a man of Keniebi’s charisma and pedigree can indeed move Bayelsa State to its assured destination. The general perception is that if he could build a sprawling business empire for himself at forty, he would excel in governance.

The Peoples Democratic Party has created sufficient political space and for now, the square peg who fits Creek haven to provide good governance in Bayelsa State to meet the aspirations of the youths in job creation is Hon. Keniebi Diton Okoko. His social investment plan for women and the elderly is robust and his leadership can only be a blessing to the glory of all lands.