Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara is one of Nigeria's star progressive governors whose outstanding performance in several key sectors is amazingly captivating, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Folorunsho Aluko said over the weekend.
Aluko, who led a five-member media team of the Forum on a two-day working tour of the state, said he could not believe how much Kwara had achieved under the leadership of AbdulRazaq, including in the areas of physical infrastructure and social support programmes, civil service welfare, youth development, gender inclusion, agriculture and sports.
Aluko said he visited the state to inspect and document the administration’s heritage projects, as he has also been doing in other APC-controlled states, adding that when good heritages are not archived, it is easy to forget them.
“I came to Kwara State on a mission with my team. I am proud to be here. The flagship projects of the Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq are amazing. From social assistance programmes, infrastructure, civil service welfare, youths, gender empowerment, business, innovation and technology to sports, we were really impressed with what we saw,” he told reporters on Friday after concluding a tour of facilities in the capital city.
“Specifically in terms of sports, we saw the squash court which has ten courts which can be identified by different colours and which are suitable for the young and the old, even people with special needs. It is the first of its kind in Nigeria which has ten courts in one area.
“The table tennis field is also excellent. It is one of the finest you will find anywhere in Nigeria… the large-scale refurbishment of the main bowl and indoor sports hall is also spectacular.
“We also visited the garment factory, innovation hub, visual arts centre, film factory and other places. Overall, let me tell you that nobody would believe that Kwara State was able to achieve all these in the last five years.”
The delegation made a courtesy visit to the Government House and some other offices where they were briefed on some of the heritage projects of the administration. This was followed by a visit to some places on Friday for first-hand information.
The projects visited include the Garment Factory; Ilorin International Conference Centre; Innovation Hub; Kwara Hotel under reconstruction; 12-storey state-of-the-art Revenue House; Contemporary Arts and Film Centre; Sugar Film Factory; Squash Court which is located inside the State Stadium Complex; and the Flower Garden.
He was received by Special Adviser and Consultant to the Governor, Alhaji Sa’adu Salau; Special Adviser on Media, Bashir Adigun; Commissioner of Communications, Bola Olukoju; Commissioner of Business, Innovation and Technology, Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun; Commissioner of Works and Transport, Engineer Abdulquaye Olododo; Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Oloruntoyosi Thomas; and Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Coach Bola Magaji; and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.
Aluko said his visit would also put a stop to negative reporting that undermines positivity in the country, especially in APC-controlled states.
He said it was unfair that negative narratives were allowed to dominate the media, tarnishing the reputation of many outstanding public officials in society.
He said they would continue to use their publications – the PGF weekly Pulse, the PGF monthly e-Bulletin, and the newly-launched Legacy Documentation and Preservation Initiative – as fundamental tools to achieve their objectives.
He lauded Abdul Razaq’s 10-year Agricultural Transformation Plan, which focuses on boosting food security through support to farmers and better resolving farmer-herder conflicts in agricultural communities.
He said, “I would like to advise politicians to always be prepared and come to power with adequate knowledge and experience, just as we have with the governor of Kwara State. And I will not lie to you: Governor AbdulRazaq and other progressive governors are a blessing to Nigeria.”
“Like I said, all progressive governors are actually performing governors. But with our visit, we again saw what we could not even imagine. So, for Kwara State, we are confident in terms of good governance and innovative and transformational leadership. The governor of Kwara deserves to be called the star progressive governor.”
Salau, on his part, thanked the media team for the visit and encouraged them to focus on preparing their publications in at least three popular local languages for wider coverage.
He said, “People look for good governance, justice, fairness, transparency and accountability in the government and the Governor has on several occasions received awards for all these qualities that people across the world look for.”
Olukoju said most of the projects initiated by the administration were popular choices of the youths, whose issues lie close to the governor’s heart.
He said the government often approaches people to know their views and needs before making policies that impact their lives.
He said, “The governor is really concerned about youths development in the state. And according to the statistics, Kwara has a very large youths population, and we decided to look at how we can engage them productively.”
Adigun said the governor was doing a lot to strengthen key infrastructure, which had mostly collapsed in the past.
Olododo said the administration had constructed at least 170 roads within one year of its second term. He said the governor had also facilitated the construction of at least 284 kilometres of federal road projects across the state.
Yusuf-Adelodun said the government was building the capacity of at least three thousand youths in garment production through the garment factory with a view to boosting Nigeria’s textile industry.
He said the training would enable various companies across the world to view Kwara as a destination for garment production.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Oloruntoyosi, said government was supporting farmers massively and building the capacity of agricultural extension agents to transfer knowledge to boost agricultural yields.
“For us in Kwara, the 10-year Agricultural Transformation Plan has been a critical document and roadmap to achieving food security. Yes, we have land, but it is not just about crop production. It is about how we can improve our productivity in quantity and quality,” he said.
Coach Magaji said Kwara has been taking the lead in many sporting events, especially squash court games and table tennis. He said the state had produced national champions in the Under-10, Under-13 and Under-16 categories in the last four years.
Magaji said this is due to the support the sports sector receives from government.
He said the administration has renovated several sports facilities at the state stadium, including an Olympic-size swimming pool, outdoor basketball, outdoor volleyball and squash courts, with eight additional ones being constructed.
He said the indoor sports hall was also being constructed in a way never seen before since its construction in the 1970s.
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