Kwara 2023: Gov. AbdulRazaq deserves reelection

Governors seeking reelection have never found it easy. This often comes when most of them try to complete some projects initiated in their first term and ensure that they finish the unfinished businesses of governance. Handy is Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state, who some people have given many sobriquet owing to his stellar performances.

Anyone familiar with Kwara would appreciate the political and administrative wizardry of its incumbent governor; the state never had it so good. After the O’toge revolution in 2019, the governor was sworn-in and he rolled up his sleeves to right the wrongs of yester-years. By nature, Governor AbdulRazaq is not the garrulous type. He does his things without the usual encomium that some politicians court. As a result, some see him as a silent achiever and quiet revolutionist.

Despite the enormous resources of the state, some public infrastructure have always been in shambles before the advent of his government. AA, as the governor is fondly called, administration has constructed 600 blocks of classrooms through Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWUSUBEB), across the 16 local government education authority in the state; hundreds of classrooms have been renovated to enhance conducive learning environment; among others.

The AA administration has also midwived the Smart School Initiatives with the approval of 31 schools under the SBMC-SIP; Team Kwara, an idea of AA for quality education, emerged best during the Presidential Inter Basic School Debate Competition, held in Lagos state, in December 2020.

At the state polytechnic, meaningful and significant infrastructure development has been recorded leading to academic expansion, improved teaching and learning through the adoption of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, improved welfare packages for staff and advanced skills and entrepreneurial trainings; completion of a multipurpose auditorium initiated by the government of late Rear Admiral Muhammad Alabi Lawal; abandoned 2000-capacity auditorium was completed and named after late Rear Admiral Lawal by AA government, etc.

Before the advent of AA administration, some state roads were cratered and in deplorable conditions as this moved the governor to declare emergency overhaul on all the state roads. Today, Kwara is now a construction site with numerous road projects across the state.

Just as if the governor gets double allocation compared to the performances of the previous administrations in the state ate, infrastructural development has been more entrenched as the governor keeps retooling the administrative incongruity in the state.

In the governor’s quest to boost supply of electricity, some communities in the state that have been in blackout have had their power restored with the procurement of and installation of transformers. As a way of harping on some social amenities, AA government has embarked on massive rehabilitation and provision of industrial boreholes in some communities across the state.

Governor AbdulRazaq has extended his midas touch to the Ministry of Youths and Sports by renovating the Baseball Court at Adewole, llorin; Kwara Sports Festival revived and hosted; capacity building workshop was organised for youth officer/leader across the 16 local government areas in state; educational enlightenment programme on sexual harassment with 1000 participants was done in 2019; funds were released for 3-day sponsorship of Nigerian Youth Parliamentary that was hosted in Ghana in 2019 with participants from Kwara state.

In the Ministry of Justice, the AA’s government has given a facelift by approving N400m for the commencement of the construction of Ministry of Justice’s building; reconstruction of Sango Magistrate Court which was gutted by fire; renovation of High Court Complex in llorin; rehabilitation of the Area Court at Center Igboro; payment and approval of all outstanding allowances of judicial officers, law officers in the Ministry of Justice, magistrates and area court judges.

On agriculture, the government mapped out 10 years Agricultural Transformation Plan to ensure food security by cultivating 500 hectares of farm land which were later distributed to the youths across the state. This initiative was christened “FarmKwara” programme and was kicked-off in Adanla, in Ifelodun local government area. Various social investment programmes were introduced to achieve desired result.

As the number chief security officer in the state, Governor AbdulRazaq has proved to be administratively resourceful with prudent managerial dexterity which places him above other candidates for the 2023 governorship election. It is foolhardy to change a winning team as Governor AbdulRazaq needs to be entrusted with another four years in his drive to rewrite the not too appealing narratives of governance in Kwara state.

Giwa writes in from London, UK.