CROSS RIVER GUBER ASPIRANTS (7)

Barr. Ochig-Legor Idagbo

Barrister Ochiglegor Idagbo is a man of great resilience who does not stagger but swaggers in handling challenges.

A Grass Rooter and rare advocate of the voiceless of society with an uncompromising stand on the sanctity of service and commitment to the wellbeing and advancement of Human civilization, especially the deprived and handicapped.

Legor’s views call to service as a privileged opportunity to serve ones people with diligence and Humility has constantly led to self sacrifices on his part and propensity to achieve bench-marks even in moments of adversity.

Mr. Idagdbo is always determined to not only win the task but to win peace, unity and progress. That is while plans must be prepared in advance, action must be immediate and with firmness of purpose. He feels the problems of socio-economic growth and job creations cannot be addressed by government alone or in isolation. That the successful actualization of the State project should be fitted into master plan of all relevant stench-olden as the public and private sectors as well as the citizenry as according to him, the results will affect the lives of all sectors of the society and not only hose now engage in the struggle.

Ochiglegor Idagbo was born about forty –three years at Ogoja Cross River State to late Honourable Justice Ochikry Idagbo and Mrs. Bernadette Idagbo.

He obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Calabar in 1997 and later graduated from the Nigerian Law School Abuja in 1999. Legor also attended the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School in Boston majoring in emerging leadership. In terms of professional experience, Barrister Idagbo worked with the Federal Ministry of Justice Abuja as solicitor 2 from 1999 to 2000, before co-founding the Law firm Idagbo & Co; He also served as consultant for s Lagos based ;aw Firm Allan & Ogunkeye from 2001 to 2003.

Legor’s political career began with an appointment as secretary to the caretaker committee of Bekwarra Local Government Council between 2003 to 2004 and later as member Bekwarra Local Government Area education authority board from 2005 to 2007.

He was elected Chairman of Council in 2004 and reelected in 2010 on merit and competence. He became Chairman Cross River State Local Government Chairmen’s forum ALGON, from 2010 to 2012.

There at Bekwarra, Barriater Idagbo recorded a zero infant maternal mortality rate, the first Local Government Area in Nigeria to attain such feat, thereby putting Bekwarra on the world map and earning the State recognition for achieving MDGs goals 4 and 5.

His excellent performance at the third tier did not go unnoticed and in 2012 Governor Liyel Imoke appointed him to serve in State Executive Council as Commissioner for Works.

Legor had also field other responsibility in his membership of the PDP congress Review Committee from 2005 to 2006 and membership of both the PDP caucus in Bekwarra and the State pensions Board. Some other achievements to his credit include; the formulation of policies on the reward and sanction scheme that resolved the perennial issues of contractors abandoning projects, supervision of partnership between the State and African Development Bank, under CR – RAMP leading to the construction of over 474km of Rural roads across the State. He also supervised the expansion of street lights from 33km to 134km, the construction of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport Bypass with the first ever fly over in Calabar as well as construction of channel two underground drainage that conveys over 16,000 cubic meters of water from the city to the Calabar River thereby reducing the disturbing problem of flood in the city.

Legor is unarguably a precocious man well ahead of his time and age and believes in the leadership principle of continuity and sustainability in the line of natural progression.

To this end and in keeping faith with the Seven Point Development Agenda and Economic Blueprint of the Liyel Imoke led administration he proffers continuity and optimism in policy development objective. Barrister Idagbo emulates the current emphasis on Agricultural development as veritable springboard for industrialization of the State, the endemic issue of poverty reduction and job’s creation as well as spiraling  growth in the Tourism industry as a debit.

Other sectors as Education and Health care, Aggressive Urban and Rural development programme as well as the massive upgrading of water supply and ICT infrastructure will provide a latitude for socio – economic stability and wealth creation for the people in the medium and long term framework.

Legors also adopts Senator Imoke’s leadership tenets of bottom – top approach to governance and rendering quality service to the ordinary Cross Riverians as well as his populist orientation of non violence even in extreme provocation, denial and injustice in quest for human dignity and Justice; while working assiduously to ensure the irreplaceable asset of peace and social harmony is not compromised.

Legor is happily married to an Efik Princess, Captain Cassandra –Nee Duke, an airline Pilot and their marriage is blessed with three children of two boys, Ethan and Adriel and a Girl Eliana.