Progressive Governors Praise AbdulRazaq for His Achievements

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State is a progressive governor in Nigeria. His outstanding performance in many key sectors is astonishing, according to Folorunsho Aluko, Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).

Aluko, who led a five-man media team from the Forum on a two-day working visit to the state, said he could not believe how much Kwara had achieved under AbdulRazaq, including in the areas of physical infrastructure and social support programme, government welfare, youth development, gender inclusion, agriculture and sports.

Aluko said they visited the state to inspect and document the legacy of the government as they have done in other APC-controlled states. According to them, it is easy to forget good legacies if they are not archived.

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

“Specifically in the area of ​​sports, we saw the squash court with ten courts that are identified by different colours and that cater to both the youth and the elderly, even those with special needs. This is the first in Nigeria with ten courts in the same arena.

“The table tennis arena is also excellent. It is one of the best you can find in Nigeria. The massive renovation of the main bowl and the indoor sports hall is also great.

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“We also visited the garment factory, innovation centre, visual arts centre, film factory and others. Overall, I would like to tell you that no one would have believed that Kwara State could have achieved these goals in the last five years.”

On arrival last Thursday, the delegation paid courtesy visits to Government House and some other offices where they were briefed on some of the government’s legacy projects. They then visited some of their locations on Friday for first-hand information.

Some of the projects visited include the Garment Factory, the Ilorin International Conference Centre, the Innovation Hub, the almost renovated Kwara Hotel, the ultra-modern 12-storey Revenue House, the Centre for Contemporary Arts and Films, the Sugar Foil Factory, the Squash Court at the State Stadium Complex and the Flower Garden.

They were received in turn by the Special Adviser/Counselor to the Governor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, Special Adviser on Media, Bashir Adigun, Commissioner for Communications; Mrs Bola Olukoju, Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mrs Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun, Commissioner for Works and Transport, Eng. Abdulquawiy Olododo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, and Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Magaji; and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.

According to Aluko, their visit also countered negative reporting, which he said undermines the positive aspects of the country, especially in the APC-controlled states.

He said it is unfair that negative figures dominate the media and thereby discredit many prominent officials in the society.

He said they will continue to use their publications – the PGF Weekly Pulse, the PGF Monthly e-bulletin and the recently launched Legacy Documentation and Preservation Initiative – as fundamental tools to achieve their goals.

He praised AbdulRazaq for his 10-year agricultural transformation plan, which focuses on promoting food security by supporting farmers and finding better approaches to addressing farmer-herder conflict in rural communities.

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

“As I said, all progressive governors are performing governors. But with our visit, we have seen more than we imagined. So for Kwara State, we are convinced of good governance and innovative and transformative leadership. The governor of Kwara is qualified to be called a star progressive governor.”

The Senior Adviser/Counselor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, thanked the media team for their visit and encouraged them to focus on producing their publications in at least three popular local languages ​​so that there would be wider coverage.

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