The on-going state-wide consultative meeting by the Social Democratic Party, SDP’s Gubernatorial Candidate, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal with stakeholders and party supporters continued on Tuesday when the train visited Baruten Local Local Government Area of the State.
Receiving the team in his palace, the Emir of Ilesha Baruba, Professor Halidu Abubakar welcomed the gubernatorial candidate and his team and declared that “as the son of former governor Mohammed Alabi Lawal, I am confident that Hakeem Lawal will succeed and do well as governor.
According to him, “Hakeem Lawal, by virtue of his background, is not a stranger to me. Your father was a very good man, I feel sad he was not able to complete his good work, and I pray you will succeed in continuing his good works.”
The Emir thereafter prayed for him and wished him well in his gubernatorial pursuit.
Responding, Alhaji Lawal maintained that his desire is primarily to restore the lost glory of Kwara, adding that Baruten Local government is big and full of potentials, but has sadly been neglected. He prayed that God will use him to realise the dream of the Emir and other well meaning Kwarans for the State.
The train later left to visit the Chief Imam of the town who also prayed for the candidate, adding that his father, former governor Lawal remained the only governor who, after visiting the Emir of the town, also visited him, and no other governor visited him, until the son, Hakeem came to him today.
The gubernatorial candidate later met with artisans, youth and women groups before departing to Gwanara, where the Emir of the town, Dr. Idris Abdullahi Kotokotogi II also gave his royal blessings.
The team later continued the trip to Okuta, with several stop overs along the roads where the candidate addressed the mammoth crowd who had gathered to welcome him.
In his remarks at all the meeting points, Alhaji Lawal restated his four point agenda and roadmap of transforming the state in the areas of Education, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Human Capital Development.
According to him, “my focus is to change the policy on Education, with emphasis on Science and Technology to drive our youths to become global citizens.
The gubernatorial candidate also told the gathering that the “State is blessed with many Agriculture Belts, adding that “for instance, we had Rice and Sugar Belts in Patigi, Cotton Belt in Baruten and Cocoa Belt in Irepodun Ekiti, Oke Ero in Kwara South.”
He equally promised the sector will be modernized to maximize the full potentials of the sector for greater returns to the farmer in order to make farming attractive to both the old and the young. “We will encourage the farmers to form co-operatives and form enterprises to work on large farms. Government he said, will also form marketing Company like in the days of Late Sadauna in Northern Nigeria, to maximize profit to our farmers.”
“Our discussion today is a covenant between us. The two parties must do their part. When you vote for us, it becomes a debt for us to do our part too. I can assure you that we will deploy Kwara resources for Kwarans and strive to restore the glory of the State,” he said.