APC

By Dare Olufunmisho Olakunle

For the first time in Kwara state, masses are seeing where laudable government activities such as; good governance and administration per excellence, equity, transparency, justice, fixing of Infrastructure, economic recovery, Human Capital development and growth speaks for self.

In Nigeria seeking for people’s mandates during Electioneering period is always characterized with distribution of money, clothes and food items as best and methodolocal approaches to buying votes, mostly at crucial period for Re-election. However, unlike many other states, the case in Kwara is very incredible as, the good work of the incumbent Governor, His Excellency, Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq keeps echoeing in the minds of the good people of Kwara and as a matter of fact speaks for itself on daily basis.

Many political gladiators, as well as, Gubernatorial candidates have been observed and seen since the past few months engaging in rigorous campaign activities, across the sixteen (16) Local Government Areas in the three (3) Senatorial Districts of Kwara State. They are found visiting communities to canvass for votes with monetary and materials inducements. Most importantly, the main opposition party in Kwara led by a former Governor of the State, who thereafter, became a Presiding officer in the National Assembly and his loyalists have been busy registering their party and candidates’ interests into the minds of the people through monetary gifts, food items and clothing materials as means to win individual conscience of the citizens ahead of the forthcoming Gubernatorial election. Alas, such inducement and methodolocal approach found to hardly change the minds of Kwarans who in the last three and half years had experienced infrastructural and economy growth, and still enjoying numerous opportunities from the government of the day without necessarily lobbying, as against the tradition in the past administration that created whom they alleged created and left infrastructural mess and economy decay in Kwara state.

As a matter of fact, the performance of His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has been so difficult to be drawn for debate by the opposition leaders who have in their midst, two (2) former Governors that ran the state for two (2) terms each in the ongoing 4th Republic. Outstanding performance of the incumbent Governor whose three (3) years plus would not be placed side by side with the sixteen (16) years rules of the former Governors.

A testimony of the above, was the total rejection of the main opposition party and other lower rated political parties in the Saturday, February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections. The Senator Bukola Saraki led People’s Democratic Party was not only defeated by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq led All Progressive Party, the PDP also lost relevancy like every other lower rated political parties such as SDP, YPP, Labour Party etc, during the well turned out election which remain very peaceful and fair throughout the state.

Ahead of the postponed Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections which has been fixed for Saturday, March 18, 2023, Kwarans are observing fights for election victory, as some Gubernatorial Candidates and some politicians around them keep agitating and wants power at all costs, not in the interest of the citizens, but just for them to be relevant and to place themselves at the saddle of affairs, contrary to the style of the man of the moment, the sitting Governor who in the last few years has changed the political narrative by stepping down the impoverishing leadership style where rotation of offices were always circulated among specific people and bandwagons in a political family.

The situation in Kwara is very straight forward, the narrative as mentioned above is different and found to be all inclusive against selfish interests of some who would always like to capitalize on the simplicity of Mr. Governor to perpetrate their basic ways and Intents. Such agenda, met a brick wall with the incumbent and therefore, paved ways for many nobodies to becoming hopeful and stakeholders in the affairs of the state presently.
Gov. AbdulRasaq’s administration did not only repositioned the dilapidated and enmeshed administrative and economy status, His Excellency, Gov. AbdulRazaq also restructured the civil service and all other sectors towards making the government in the state working effectively and effeciency with utmost regards for Accountability, Integrity and Transparency which eventually discouraged corrupt practices and indiscipline in all sectors. In all ramifications, we with Gov. AbdulRahman, Kwara State is better of, functioning, working and progressing.

The administration of Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has tremendously recorded huge and unprecedented achievements, most of which has made the Governor’s name be written with gold in the minds of Kwarans (home and abroad), and for so many years in the history of our dear State, the achievements will remain ineradecable, considering the followings:

1. EMPOWERMENT
Genuinely, Governor AbdulRazaq has prioritised the interest of the people of Kwara State cogently above the politics of selfishness, exclusiveness and wealth acquisitions which has always be the normal rutiune in many states in Nigeria. At the expense of such, series of empowerment and social intervention programmes have persistently been discharged to elevate Kwarans, from poverty.

It would be noted that, many interventionist programs through KWASSIP that started by this administration is still ongoing to assist, elevate and sustain individual small scale businesses owners, and start up capital for youths.

SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
On social Investment programmes:

1. 100 Entrepreneurs got loan ranging from N200,000.00 to N3,000,000 in the kwara preneur 1

2. Another 100 Youth Entrepreneur got N1m grant each to celebrate the 2022 Youth Day in kwara preneur 2.

3. Over 400 Entrepreneurs got loan ranging from N200,000.00 to N3,000,000 in the kwara preneur 3

4. 688 Small and Medium Enterprises got grants of N200,000 and N700,000 each from the kwara Ngcares to reduce the impact of COVID 19 on the businesses

5. Over 30,000 Petty Traders benefited from owo ishowo

6. Over 15000 Old and Vunerable people benefited from the owo arugbo.

7. Thousands of Artisans also benefited from grants to cussion their businesses.

8. Thousands of Women and Widows benefited from grants to reduce the menace of Cash Crunch. and many others.

9. The Administration, from the benefit of doubt created and put in place Innovation Hub for the use of Technopreneurs, students and researchers for the sustainability of Social Investment Programmes, SIP’s in order to improve and promote social and quality life.

2. TECHNOLOGY
With his zeal towards building capacity for technical know-how and acquisitions of skills in ITC, Many are also encourage to develop their skills through Capacity trainings and creation of considerable learning environment. ITC hubs has been priorities as a way of placing Kwara youths ahead of their contemporaries from other states. This singular step, would no doubt in the nearest future build much human resources and also enable many of our youths who growing up to be creative and self – reliance.

3. INDUSTRIALIZATION & ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT
Kwara state of today, with the ongoing efforts, particularly, the administration of Governor AbdulRazaq’s developmental plan towards resucisitating and building more Industries that will elevate and boost the socio – economy of Kwara through gainful employment, patronages done to the farmers, improved marketing, etc, is already working and moving Kwara State out of the dilapidated economy status done to the state in the past sixteen (16) years, before His Excellency, Governor AbdulRazaq’s assumption of office.
Through His Excellency’s administration, It is now a pronounced fact that a sophisticated industrial hub with the moribund industries resuscitated as well as, agro – business development has been prioritized under his purview towards ensuring sustainability of livelihood.

4. EDUCATION
Numerous efforts which are yeilding positive results has been tremendously put in place by the people’s Governor towards raising the educational standard of Kwara State, building human capital and creating a better future for Kwara.
As part of his efforts, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration removed out of mess, the Kwara State SUBEB which was already blacklisted as a result of the Past Administrations recklessness and corrupt practices. The mess done to the sector, leveled up activities to zero, salaries were owned and made the entire system completely collapsed.
Unpon his assumption to office, Administration of Governor AbdulRazaq cleared the mess, made the counterpart payment and done all the needful to bringing SUBEB back to life. With this development, the government trough the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWASUBEB), paid arrears and other emoluments of both teaching and non – teaching staffs for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 across the 16 LGEAs, constructed more than 600 blocks of classrooms across the 16 local Government Areas in the State, also embarked and completed renovation of hundreds of classrooms, trained 300 teachers; recruited 2,701 staffs and promoted those staffs who were over due for promotions for over a very long periods. It is also on record that 2480 teachers were trained for effective classroom management; 331 Head Teachers were trained on the roles of effective leadership; e-monitoring of the project officers:- sixty-one 2 blocks of classrooms, a total number of 241 blocks of classrooms, as well as, rehabilitation of 1,335 classrooms were actualized in all the 16 LGEAs; 1,859 teachers were trained under the Initiative Training on “Understanding the Pedagogy of Teaching and Learning.”

With his good heart and dislike against wastages in Kwara State Polytechnic completed and furnished with modern and standard facilities the multipurpose auditorium project which was awarded by the government of late Admiral Muhammad Alabi Lawal, and thereafter deliberately abandoned by the administration of 2 of his predecessors ( former Governors Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed).
Under Gov. AbdulRazaq’s administration, the Institution has also witnessed unprecedented achievements in terms of sophisticated infrastructure development, smooth academic calendar, more accreditation of courses in line with provision, requirements and standards of the National Board of Technical Esucation for the award of National Diploma, improved staff welfare, innovation in teaching and learning through adoption of Information and Communication Technology(ICT), as well as Advanced Skill and Entrepreneural trainings.
The Government of the day, also established campus radio which was named Kwara Poly radio with frequency modulation of 88.5fm. This was indeed, a boost for the Department of Mass Communication which was accredited about the same period.

5. INFRASTRUCTURE
It is therefore, not a fluke neither exaggeration, the huge appraisal of Kwarans always bestowing on the Governor, with everywhere shantung of; “MAA SE LO” acronym, which simply means, ” “Continue with Your Good Work” which is reigning everywhere in Kwara. The unprecedented Infrastural development which His Excellency, Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration has embarked towards ensuring that the good people of Kwara State benefited much from their tax payments, and that same tax money is well utilized has always been discovered and reflected from series of transformations going on in both rural and urban areas across the three (3) LGAs.
So far, Landmark achievements of this administration can not be wished away and weighty to be rubbished or campaign against by all opposition political parties in Kwara State. Picking few out of a dozen, some road Constructions such as; road from Igosun road to Tipper Garrage, Offa LGA, Rondo Road in Offa LGA, the very important Ora road that links many Communities together in the most populous and very large Ilere district(A district which is more than many LGAs in Nigeria) in Ifelodun LGA, Kiama Township, and many important roads in other Local Governments are classified as monumental achievements of Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration. Other feeder’s roads such as link road between Awolowo road in Tanke and Danialu/Olorunshogo Agbaiaka, Princess Ring road, Gov. Day Sec Sch Tanke link Pipeline Road, etc in Ilorin South as well as, many others in Ilorin East, Ilorin West and Asa LGAs are seriously aiding easier movements of vehicles, forming conducive environment for companies and Business owners.

Moreso, the ongoing constructions of the flyover at Tipper Garage, Tanke, llorin; Adeta/Al-Hikmah University road, as well as, constructions of 33km Megida-Banni road; 87km Baruteen-Kaima road; construction of 6.5km Alapa-Arobadi road should be applauded and duly commended, viz-a-viz, the tendencies towards ensuring that numerous communities in Kwara state are well connected and same also leads to promoting farm produced to the urban areas from the rural areas and thus encourages investors, in view of possibilities of conducive working environment.

Social amenities such as the completed and rehabilitated Area Court, at Center Igboro; reconstructed Sango Magistrate Court which was gutted by fire; re-roofing of the High Court Complex in llorin; approval and payments of all the outstanding allowances of judicial officers, law officers in the Ministry of Justice, Magistrate and Area Court judges, as well as, the approval of N400m for the commencement of the construction of the Ministry Justice’s buildings by this administration are visible, laudable and commendable.

6. SECURITY
In past three (3) years, the government of His Excellency, Malam AbdulRazaq has a matter of fact, assisted in providing both food and life security adequately to Kwarans.
During the Covid -19 period, the Government did not only make intervention on provision of food items, domestic materials and funds for purchasing other needed items were distributed to Kwarans through, Traditional Heads and Community leaders.

On security of lives and properties, synergy was put in place by the government to fortify Nigerian police, vigilantes and all security agencies to protect the citizens.
Vehicles were also donated to Nigerian Police, Civil Defense Corpse, Vigilantes and the Military for effective and effeccient performance and protection of the citizens. This is more of the reasons, why unlike many other states, the environment has been adequately patronised by Investors in the past few years.

Above all, His Excellency, Malam AbdulRazaq is known to have encouraged peaceful coexistence among Kwarans who are predominantly made up of many tribes and ethnics with his unique way of all inclusive administration, human relations, equity stands, transparency character.

7. HEALTH
The man of the moment, among every other thing, improved the health sector by rehabilitating and upgrading upgrading all Health Centres in the State.
The administration also built hospitals; recruits more health workers and medical personnel; provides drugs; incentives; ambulances and vehicles for the day to day activities of medical personnel and health workers under the Kwara State Health.
In rescitating the Primary Health Sector, His Excellency, Governor AbdulRazaq immediately pay counterpart fund few days after His Excellency’s swearing – in as Governor. Today, the Kwara State Primary Health and Development Agency is among the relatively leads in Nigeria.

Recall that Action Committee for Good Governance (ACGG), an Organization which has been assessing and following good governance across the globe on Tuesday, October 2, 2021 rated and lauded the Kwara State administration of His Excellency, Malam AbdulRazaq for her human face policies on Infrastural development, economic rebirth and growth, welfare of the citizens, quest against corrupt practices, accountability, transparency and fairness.
In any political setting, an Administration that strides so hard in sustaining these outstanding policies should as been actualized by His Excellency, Governor AbdulRazaq should be given another opportunity to serve.

Dare, the Offa born is an Activist, Political Analyst and the National Coordinator of Action Committee for Good Governance writes in from llorin.