Chief Gbenga Awoyale is the President-General of Orisun Igbomina, a socio-cultural group for the people of Kwara South. In this Interview, he spoke on the One Year anniversary of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara and other sundry issues. Excerpts:
Who is Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq?
His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is the Executive Governor of Kwara State. He was elected in 2019 general election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC). He led the O’to ge political struggle to liberate the people of Kwara from the wilderness of poverty, corruption and maladministration in the state.
As you also know that this gentle man is from a well to do background. His father, Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq (SAN) is the first lawyer in the whole northern Nigeria and his mother is the first elected Councilor in the old Ilorin Local Government in the first republic. Apart from that, his father served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ivory Coast (now Cote D’Ivoire) and has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Nigeria and Nigeria’s judicial system. He also founded the first privately owned secondary school in Ilorin i.e Ilorin College Ilorin (now Government High School, Adeta-Ilorin). Most importantly, his father is the Mutawali of Ilorin, a highly respected traditional title in the Ilorin Emirate. His birth and indigeneship of Ilorin is not ambiguous to anyone. In addition, the Abdulrazaq family is blessed with well to do politicians, technocrats as well as business magnates. It is not a surprise that Governor Abdulrahman is fairing as the Chief Executive Officer of the State of Harmony.
“For instance, the issue of corrupt practices, mal-administration, unnecessary waste of public funds, political thuggery and discrimination have been forgotten in the state. Immediately he was sworn-in on 29th May 2019, he swung into action because he was adequately prepared for the job.”
Kindly assess his One year in office.
Assessing Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s contributions in the last one year is as good as trying to do what I can call surgical operation of the anatomy and physiology of the annal of Kwara State. Since the creation of Kwara State in 1967, we have never had it so good like this before. Although, some governors have held sway as either democratically elected officers or military dictatorial in the past and did their best but only few could showcase what we are celebrating today in Kwara within just 365 days in office.
For instance, the issue of corrupt practices, mal-administration, unnecessary waste of public funds, political thuggery and discrimination have been forgotten in the state. Immediately he was sworn-in on 29th May 2019, he swung into action because he was adequately prepared for the job. He has touched all the nooks and crannies of the state with projects. Unlike the IFK-Fund created by the last government which has no direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state, the current administration ensures that all stakeholders are carried along in governance in a bid to demonstrate transparency and accountability to Tax Payers.
However, permit me to mention some of the intervention projects of Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in the last 365 days;
1. Construction of Oke-Fomoh bridge at Itanma Ilorin
2.Orimoro road at Alore road Ilorin (inter lock)
3. Town Hall and Station Road Erin-ile, Oyun Local Government.
4. Agboji Mosque road to Ita Ogunbo junction Ilorin
5. Museum Road Esie Irepodun Local Government.
6. Oro-Ago to Oyate Ifelodun Local Government.
7. Osi Township Ekiti Local Government.
8. CAC Ogere Road in Babanloma Town, Ifelodun Local Government.
9. Tipper Garrage junction Amule Adesoye Offa Local Government.
10. Ipata Market Internal Road Ilorin East.
11. Adeta Primary school Road Linking Kuntun Ilorin West Local Government.
12. Construction of Sobi Specialist Hospital Gaa Osibi Medina Road Ilorin South Local Government.
13. Alore Banni Adabiyyi Ilorin West Local Government.
14. College Of Education Road, Ilorin West Local Government.
15. Ipata Oloje Market Internal Road, Ilorin West Local Government.
16. Awolowo Road, Tanke Linking Danialu Primary School, Ilorin South Local Government.
17. Sango Akerebiata Road Rehabilitation hydraulic Structure & 1.2KM Asphalt Overlay, Ilorin East Local Government.
18. Internal Road, Queen Elizabeth School Ilorin.
19. Shao Township Road, Moro Local Government.
20. Road, Patigi, Patigi Local Government.
21. Secretarial Road, Lafiagi Local Government.
22. Bonzo Road, Shonga, Edu Local Government.
23. Tsaragi Market, Batakpan Box, Culvert Road, Edu Local Government.
24. Gberia Township Road, Kaiama Local Government.
25.Ita-Ogunbo, Ita-Elefun
26. Oke Apomu, Ile -Eletu Banni, Ilorin.
27. Ode-Adana, Adana- Singini, Linking Ile-Ketu, Okekere Area, Ilorin West Local Government.
28. Opposite Oke- Ebo Primary School, Ile-Alaaya, Ilorin.
29. Aibinu Street, Idi-Igba, Ilorin.
30. Koro Afoju, Ilorin.
31. Baboko Linking Eruda, Ilorin.
32. Erubu Street, Off Area Court Street, Ilorin.
33. Oke Apomu, Sarumi, Ilorin.
34. Alanamu Akeyede Agaka Area, Ilorin.
35. Area Court, Center Igboro, Ilorin.
36. Popo Giwa Area, Ilorin.
37. Baakini Ode-Alausa, Ilorin.
38. Baakini Agbaji, Ilorin.
39. Ita-Ogunbo, Ita- Elefun, Elefun- Idi ila Mosiud, Ilorin.
40. Abata Sunkere, Ajibade linking Ita-Merin, Ilorin.
41. Abegunde Lamorunkun Linking Amule School, Ilorin.
42. Okekura, Munabau Mosque, Agbarere, Ilorin.
43. Grading of Kaiama to Chanaige 56KM Along Kaiama. Bode- Saadu.
44. Grading of Ilesha Baruba to Oyo State Boundary Ogboro.
45. Rehabilitation of Moro Bailey Bridge, Moro Local Government.
46. Patching Of potholes & Sectional Overlay on Offa Garrage, Sawmill, Olohunshogo , Asa Dam, Sanni Okin, Taiwo Isale, & Oke, Niger Road ,Apalara / Al-Hikmah University, Atiku & Kaduna Road, Oseere, Kokoroka, & Isale – Aluko Road, All in Ilorin.
47. Eroded Portion of Federal Road in Otte.
48. Grading of some portion of Kaiama Kishi Road.
49. Retaining Wall & Asphalt Work Project @Eyenkorin, Ogbomosho Road, Otte.
50. Completion of Taiwo Road, Omu-Aran surface dressing to Asphalt Overlay.
51. Repair of Bridges & Culvert Egwa Bbidge, Lafiagi Edu. Odo-Ase Bridge, Oke Ero, Buka Adena Bridge Moro/ Kaiama, Bokungi Culvert, Edu Local Government.
52. Construction of Coca- Cola Bridge, Ilorin.
53. construction of Asa-Dam, Egbejila Airport Road, Ilorin
54. Kishi Kaiama Road.
55. Renovation of Government High School Adewole Ilorin.
56. Renovation of Ilorin Gramar school.
57. Renovation of Isolo-Opin secondary school
58. 4block of class room at Arabic college Jebba
59. nRenovation of Awonga Secondary school Shao
60. Completion of one block of four class room at college of health Technology, Offa
61. Establishment of 300 capacity ICT center in the College of Health Technology Offa
62. Released of #4,540,030 to college of Nursing Oke-Ode for repairing of leaking roof of four major Building
63. Purchase of Ambulance for college of health Tech. Offa
64. Provision of water for: Gure, Kosubosu, Geasoro, Okuta, Taberu, Ngurume, Ilesha Baruba,Shiya and Boriya in BARUTEEN local government.
65. Renovation and rebuilding of center Igboro Health center to a modern system
66. Renovation of Oke Agodi health center
67. Renovation of Idigba health center
68. Oju-Ekun health center Ilorin
69. Payment of over 700M, seven months’ salary arrears owed by the past administration to the Colleges of Education.
70. N123, 137,802 was released for the accreditation exercise for three institutions namely C.O.E. (Technical), Lafiagi, College of Nursing and midwifery, Ilorin and CAILS, Ilorin.
71. College of midwifery, Ilorin which had been neglected since 2012 was resuscitated by this administration.
72. Disbursement of bursary to 8,304 final year students who are Kwarans in tertiary institutions across the country.
73. Scholarship of N100, 000 was given to 179 students of Kwara origin in law schools across the country. Total sum of N17.9M.
74. Disbursed N5, 000 each to 8,304 final year students of Kwara State indigene across various Tertiary Institutions in the country. Total expended, NGN41, 520,000.
75. Monthly subvention has been restored in the state- owned Colleges of Education.
76. Approval of 19,560,000 for Aircraft Insurance and salaries.
77. NGN19, 573,363.54 outstanding salary arrears was released to IVTEC, Ajasse-Ipo.
78. Approval of N40 Million to College of Health Technology Offa for accreditation.
79. Funds released for the purchase of DA42 propeller, ELT batteries and other IT equipment for flight operation in International Aviation College, Ilorin.
80. N17.562M was released for the college of law accreditation exercise by the council of legal education.
81. N1, 800,000 was approved to support entrepreneurship program 2019 (workshop), which was organized by MOTEST.
However, there are lots of other projects which he embarked on that are not adequately captured here but I will still remember later. One surprising thing about this government is that all the projects were executed by local contractors based on their senatorial districts and local government. During the last administration, contractors and even some bricklayers were imported from Lagos, Ogun and other parts of the country, thereby subjecting Kwarans to perpetual impoverishment. Today in Kwara, no more political thugs. All the erstwhile hoodlums have repented because there is no more place for them in government. They are now responsible citizens and that is why the state remain peaceful and calm despite the high rates of crimes and criminality in other parts of the nation.
It is unfortunate that our own brother from Kwara South, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who despite his eight years in office could not achieve something tangible for his own people. Here is a governor from Kwara Central and has touched every parts of the state within one year in office. Thank you, Mr. Governor.
What is your take on the ongoing crises within the Kwara APC?
Well, what we are seeing at the moment is a misplacement of priority on the part of some few individuals who are not after the progress of the state. To the best of my understanding, it is clearly stated in the party’s constitution that State Governors are the political leaders in their respective states. So why would anybody be contesting that with the governor? In fact, that is breech of party’s law which amounts to anti-party and most not be sweep under the carpet by the national leadership of our great party. As I speak with you, no member of the Kwara APC has the new party membership card which we recently applied for online. The temporary was which was supposed to be taken to Abuja National Secretariat for renewal was diverted to Lagos and no update was given and nobody is talking about this.
Sir, what is the genesis of the crisis?
Build up to the last general election, some quiet donations were made to the party by some well-meaning Kwarans and friends of Kwara to support the liberation struggle. Unfortunately, the money was not adequately accounted for after by the Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa-led executive council. When some members of his excos challenged the chairman to give account of his expense and how the money was spent, since then, he decided to stop holding meetings at the designated party secretariat and moved to one of the former governorship aspirant’s office. His thought was that members of the executive council were sent by the governor, whereas, they only acted in line with the dictates of the party’s guidelines and rules. Also, there was time the party leadership proposed to travel to Abuja to attend a one day meeting, they requested for huge amount of money from the governor. The bill submitted to the governor for a day trip was outrageous and he told them to make use of the amount he would provide for them from his own personal purse because such request to government cannot fly, he sought their understanding, but this does not go down well with the party chairman and since then he has been personally rude to the governor. You can’t believe that in Abuja, during a reception in honour of ministers appointed from Kwara, the party chairman failed to recognize the governor in the midst of dignitaries that attended the event. It was an heights of insult/rudeness anyone would meted on a state governor.
He now became a willing tools for those who are fighting to be leader of the party in the state and people with ambition to resuscitate a political dynasty demolished by the O’too ge wind. I just want to advise Mr. Bolarinwa to allow the governor to face governance, he should not embark on what will cause love lost between Igbomina and Ilorin Emirate, because we the people of Kwara South had eight years and Ilorin Emirate did not disturbed and It is the turn of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq from Ilorin Emirate and everybody is aware that he is trying and living up to expectations.
The same APC chairman is not staying in Ilorin. He only come from Lagos whenever he has radio programme without consulting the state government structure to know level of progress so far. He will just feature on radio programme and be abusing the Governor. In fact, he also contested to become governor in 2011, he polled 140 in the primary election which produced former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. At the moment, all they relied on his sponsoring some cyber-rats to be discrediting the Governor despite all his efforts to make Kwara state better.
The Governor is so simple to a fault and he never deemed it fit to go after people that are insulting him just like what the Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to radio presenter and his family members. He locked them home in police cell and humiliated the presenter, his wife and brother.
What are the chances of opposition parties in the state?
You will agree with me that there is no more oppositions in Kwara, only the state APC chairman and his collaborators are the one trying to be opposition now. Every party men and women of good conscience have all come together to work for the progress of the state. We have had an elections (re-run) after the 2019 general election and APC recorded landslide victory at the polls. Therefore, if another election is to be conducted tomorrow in Kwara, APC will still coast home to victory. This is because there is more awareness among our people and all what we are saying is that “Let the Votes of The Masses Count” and that is what has been happening since the liberation was launched beginning with the governorship election, Senatorial, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly and I am very sure of APC’s victory in the local government polls anytime in the state.
