Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is 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, has said.
Aluko, who led a five-person Forum media team on a two-day working visit to the state, said he could not believe that Kwara has achieved so much under AbdulRazaq, including 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 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 impressed with what we saw," he told reporters 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 in Nigeria to have ten courts domiciled within the same arena.
"The table tennis arena is also outstanding. It is one of the best you can find anywhere in Nigeria. The massive renovation of the main bowl and the indoor sports hall is also wonderful.
"We have also visited the garment factory, innovation hub, visual arts centre, film factory, and others. Overall, I would tell you that no one would have believed that Kwara State has been able to achieve these in the last five years."
On arrival last Thursday, the delegation paid courtesy visits the Government House and some other offices, where they received briefings on some of the administration's legacy projects. They then toured some of their locations on Friday for firsthand information.
Some of the projects visited include the Garment factory, Ilorin International Conference Centre, Innovation Hub, the under-remodeling Kwara Hotel, the 12-storey ultramodern Revenue House, the Centre for Contemporary Arts and Films, the sugar film factory, the Squash Court located inside the State Stadium Complex, and the Flower Garden.
They were variously received by the special adviser/counsellor to the governor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, special adviser on Media, Bashir Adigun, commissioner for Communication; Mrs Bola Olukoju, commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mrs Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun, commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Abdulquawiy Olododo, commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, and executive chairman, Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Magaji; and the chief press secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.
Aluko said their visit also served 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 utilise 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, which focuses on promoting food security through support for farmers and better approaches to addressing the farmers-herders conflict across rural communities.
"I would like to advise politicians always to 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.
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"Like I said, all the progressive governors are performing governors. But with our visit, we have seen again beyond what we imagined was happening. So, for Kwara State, we are convinced about good governance and innovative and transformative leadership. The governor of Kwara is qualified to be called a star progressive governor."
The senior adviser/counsellor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, for his part, thanked the media team for a 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.
