* Says Kwara witnessing massive infrastructure devt

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has been described as a star progressive governor in Nigeria whose excellent performances in many key sectors are amazingly breathtaking.

The Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Folorunsho Aluko, who led a five-person media team of the Forum on a 2-day working visit to the state, said he could not believe that Kwara has achieved so much under AbdulRazaq, especially in the areas of physical infrastructure and social support programme, civil service welfare, youth development, gender inclusion, agriculture and sports.

Aluko said they visited the state to inspect and document legacy projects of the administration, as they have also been doing to other APC-controlled states, noting that it is easy to forget good legacies when they are not archived.

“I came to Kwara State with my team on a mission. On getting here, I am proud. The signature projects of His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Governor of Kwara State, are breathtaking. From the social support programme, infrastructure, civil service welfare, youth, gender empowerment, business, innovation and technology, to sports, we are really impressed with what we saw,” he told reporters on Friday after concluding the facility tour in the capital city.

“In terms of sports specifically, we saw the squash court that has ten courts identifiable by different colours and that accommodate both the youth and old, even those with special needs. This is the first of its kind in Nigeria to have ten courts domiciled within the same arena.

“The table tennis arena is also outstanding. This is also one of the best you can find anywhere in Nigeria…. The massive renovation of the main bowl and the indoor sports hall is also very wonderful.

“We have also visited the garment factory, innovation hub, visuals arts centre, film factory, and others. On the whole, I would tell you that no one would have believed that Kwara State has been able to achieve these in the last five years.”

The delegation, on arrival on Thursday, paid courtesy visits to Government House and some other offices, where they got briefings on some of the legacy projects of the administration, ahead of touring some of their locations for firsthand information.

Some of the projects visited include the Garment factory; Ilorin International Conference Centre; Innovation Hub; under remodeling Kwara Hotel; 12-storey ultramodern Revenue House; Centre for Contemporary Arts and Films; Sugar film factory; the Squash Court which is located inside the State Stadium Complex; and Flower Garden; among others.

They were variously received by the Special Adviser and Counsellor to the Governor Alhaji Sa’adu Salau; Special Adviser on Media, Bashir Adigun; Commissioner for Communication Bola Olukoju; Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun; Commissioner for Works and Transport Engr. Abdulquawiy Olododo; Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Oloruntoyosi Thomas; and Executive Chairman, Kwara State Sports Commission Coach Bola Magaji; and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Rafiu Ajakaye.

Aluko said their visit also serves to checkmate negative reporting, which he noted undermines the positives in the country, especially in APC controlled states.

He said it was unfair that negatives are allowed to dominate the media space, thereby discrediting many outstanding public officers in the society.

He said they will continue to utilize their publications — the PGF Weekly Pulse, PGF Monthly e-bulletin, and the newly-launched Legacy Documentation and Preservation Initiative — as fundamental tools to achieve their objectives.

He commended AbdulRazaq on his 10-year Agriculture Transformation Plan that focuses on promoting food security through support for farmers and better approaches in addressing the farmers-herders conflict across agrarian communities.

“I would like to advise politicians to always be prepared and come into power with enough knowledge and experience like we have in the Governor of Kwara state. And I won’t tell you lies: Governor Abdulrazaq and other progressive governors are a blessing to Nigeria,” he said.

“Like I said, all the progressive governors are actually performing governors. But with our visit, we have seen again beyond what we imagine was happening. So, for Kwara State, we are convinced in terms of good governance and innovative and transformative leadership. The Governor of Kwara is qualified to be called a star progressive governor.”

Salau, for his part, thanked the media team for the visit and encouraged them to focus on producing their publications in at least three popular local languages for wider coverage.

“The things people look for in government are good governance, justice, fairness, transparency and accountability, and on several occasions, the Governor has received awards on all these qualities that people look for all over the World,” he said.

Olukoju said most of the projects the administration embarked upon were popular choices of the youth whose affairs she noted occupy the heart of the Governor.

She said the government often interfaces with the people to harvest the views and needs of the populace before formulating policies to impact their lives.

“The Governor is really concerned about youth development in the state. And going by statistics, Kwara has a teeming youth population, and we decided on how we can engage them productively,” she said.

Adigun said the Governor is doing a lot to strengthen key infrastructure, which he noted had mostly collapsed in the past.

Olododo said not less than 170 roads have been constructed by the administration within just one year of its second term, adding that the Governor also facilitated the construction of at least 284 kilometers of federal road projects across the state.

Yusuf-Adelodun said the government is building the capacity of at least three thousand youths in textile production through the garment factory, with a view to boosting Nigeria’s textile industry.

This training will allow different companies across the World to see Kwara as a destination for garment production, she said.

Agric Commissioner Oloruntoyosi said the government is offering massive support for farmers and building the capacity of agric extension agents for knowledge transfer to increase farm yields.

“For us in Kwara, the 10-year Agric Transformation Plan has been an important document and a roadmap to achieve food security. Yes, we are blessed with land, but it is not just about crop production. It is about how we can improve our productivity in quantity and quality,” she said.

Coach Magaji said Kwara is taking a lead in many sporting events, especially in Squash Court game and table tennis, adding that the state has produced national champions in the under-10, under-13, and under-16 categories in the last four years.

This is due to the support the sports sector enjoys from the government, Magaji said.

He said the administration has renovated a lot of sporting facilities in the state stadium, including the Olympic-size swimming pool, outdoor basketball, outdoor volleyball, and squash court, with eight of them additionally built.

He said the indoor sports hall is also being fixed in a way not seen before since it was constructed in the 1970s.