ByAhmed Lukman
I was lucky to be one of the young persons in the media hosted by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on a Saturday evening. The event is almost a past now, but I still relish the awesome experience it offered.
The Governor breezed into the venue of the meeting. No airs. He then walked as quick as he could and settled down quietly. Finally, the great man we have been anticipating his arrival is here. I could read the excitement in everyone’s face. Myself was excited too. The meeting commenced.
After a prelude, we the guests introduced ourselves. The Governor listened carefully to each and everyone of us, with his gaze firmly following every speaker. For me, that speaks to attention to details. We rounded off the introduction session.
Fast forward to the time the Governor began his remarks. Soft-spoken and articulate, H.E AbdulRazaq spoke to issues around governance, administration, development, politics. Forget what some naysayers who have never had the opportunity to sit down with the man say. Governor AbdulRazaq is a great thinker, repository of ideas (global ideas) and an effective communicator. He rolled out the feats he has recorded in the last three years, the ones he’s recording, and his vision for the state. He spoke about the ROTS he met on ground too, and how he and his team have been making sacrifices to clear them and once again put Kwara on the map. He dished out statistics, case studies from various countries. The Governor has a fine grasp of developmental issues. He’s acquainted with the trends on international scale.
He started from the media itself, touching on how our heritage Radio Kwara, Kwara TV, The Herald were left in tatters and pitiable conditions by the previous administration. All these state-owned media outfits were completely off air and out of production for issues bothering on poor working equipment, workers welfare, inconducive work environment, among others. Staff were owed backlogs of salaries. He spoke to how he has been able to rescue the situation. Radio Kwara and Kwara TV now running 24 hours. The latter is now on Star Times, while efforts are ongoing to enlist it on DSTV. The turnaround that has happened to their studios. And lots more. The Herald is now running consistent quality publications. The labour of our forebears that was already heading to vain is now being rewarded with the efforts of Governor AbdulRazaq.
He moved to education, spoke on the UBEC funds (the PDP people hate to hear it because it exposes their callousness to state and particularly young children). He spoke on the facelift happening in schools across the three senatorial districts; the thorough recruitment exercise, the KwaraLEARN programme. And many more. He touched healthcare, water, agriculture. How his administration has revived so many waterworks across the three senatorial districts. How every area is now being reconnected to get water. In the past, tankers were used to distribute water in the state capital. Yes, he also spoke on workers welfare. How he has not been owing salaries, clearing arrears, banished gerigedi, providing conducive work environment for civil servants.
He then went on a journey into the signature projects of his administration. The Garment Factory. The Innovation Hub. The Visual Arts Centre. The International Conference Centre. The General Tunde Idiagbon Flyover. And lots more. These are projects that stem from visionary, futuristic and global thinking. They will create job opportunities, place Kwara on the map and make it a go-to place, as many of them are rare projects in the country. Film post production works are only being done in Lagos. Kwara will join the list as the Visual Arts Centre will house a Dolby studio. Governor AbdulRazaq told us how Garment Factory would create not less than 2,000 jobs. The potentials in Innovation Hub and ICC. And how these projects are already nearing completion. Some vociferous PDP elements have been dragging the Governor on signature projects. They should tell us if those signature projects they link to Saraki were ready in his first term. Governor AbdulRazaq will deliver many of his signature projects in his first term. H.E also spoke on the Ilorin Masterplan too. The Okuta Radio. Ilesha-Gwanara, Osi-Obbo-Aiyegunle road projects. How he is spreading development across the three senatorial districts.
The Governor was so robust, clear and on point with his narrative. He spent quite a lot of time rolling out his feats and plans for Kwara. From my observation, he did not exhaust one-third of what he intended to lay bare due to time constraint. We later told him to ‘off the mic’ (Your Excellency, issokay, off the mic). It was a reassuring moment to be a Kwaran. With AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, our state is sure heading for greatness.
There’s also something to note. He said the PDP leadership cannot compete with his administration in terms of policy and administration, and that they only depend on lies, propaganda. Then, a video emerged where the leader of the Kwara PDP, Bukola Saraki was urging the new entrants into his party to weaponise propaganda against the current government. That’s clearly true to type!
Yes, as expected, some mischievous persons and little minds have latched on the meeting to do infantile and petty things. Most of them from the opposition PDP and the erstwhile Aanigbas, now splintered into SDP and NNPP. But they were united in pettiness. I saw laughable posts tagging our loving pictures as “Data Boys Visit Governor AbdulRazaq”. These are elements who do similar praise-singing for their principal, but are very rabid to see others commend and sell their own leaders. What colour of hypocrisy is that.
Deep down some of these fellows, they are very crazy to get that kind of opportunity to meet the Chief Executive of the State at a close range. Many of them have never had such opportunity. When their leader was in power, they were not given that sense of recognition. Political thugs were valued and regarded than them. That meeting with the Governor really unsettled them. It shows unlike their leader, Governor AbdulRazaq appreciates our loyal followership of him, fairness to him and belief in his cause. And he did communicate it too.
In fact, in 2018 when Bukola Saraki later hosted some of these fake boys, they were given ill-treatment meant for the sub-human. A few of them sat of the floor, while a large number of them were on their feets. That’s dehumanising! But these shameless persons are outside today macking mockery of guests who sat on chair, were given opportunity to flow with H.E AbdulRazaq. Is that not an irony?
There have also been stories about a gift doled out by the Governor. I struggle to see what is beyond the ordinary about this. Especially when the fake boys Saraki hosted in 2018 were also gifted a paltry N200,000. But little minds continue to make issues out of it. For me, it’s really not about the gift. It’s about the recognition. The dignity with which we were treated. The courtesy rather than dehumanisation the fake boys were meted with. The opportunity to speak with the Chief Executive of the State which some of these fake boys never had with people they call leaders when they were sitting in same position. Thugs were valuable than them. The gates of Government House were flung open for thugs during the years of their leaders, but not for them, who were not even recognised by the slightest means.
I look forward to more of such close range meetings with His Excellency. As e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us. Fake boys and their colleagues in mischief, the Aanigbas will cry me a river!
Lukman writes from Ilorin