Local contractors to fix Kwara schools, hospitals’ projects: AbdulRazaq

Local contractors to fix Kwara schools, hospitals’ projects: AbdulRazaq

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said local communities would have the option of nominating trusted indigenous contractors to fix their schools and hospitals while government funds the projects.

The contractors so nominated would be picked only after going through the government’s procurement processes as spelt out under the law.

AbdulRazaq said government has recently retooled the 2019 budget to focus on rebuilding basic infrastructure such as township roads, schools, hospitals and toilets to tackle the menace of open defecation.

“For each community where we want to rebuild the schools or hospitals, we want to use the local contractors from those communities, so that we have trickle down effects and regenerate the economy by investing in the economy,” AbdulRazaq said in Kaiama town late Tuesday on a tour of public facilities in the northern senatorial district.

He visited communities like Gwaria, a major hub for yam flour production in Nigeria; Junga Aboki; and Kaiama town — all in Kaiama local government area of the state.

“When we got in we realised that there are big issues with our roads, hospitals and schools, they are practically down, and I am here to make sure I understand in full the problems with all the hospitals and schools,” he said.

“They all have peculiar problems….We have seen the different challenges in different hospitals and schools and we are going to make sure that the right people are used in order to reposition the hospitals and the schools.”

The governor said while his campaign thrust of development and change remain valid, he is constantly rejigging the campaign promises to reflect the realities of Kwara he now sees, especially because basic infrastructures for education and health are almost non-existent and must first be put in place before other things.

AbdulRazaq suggested that government would provide the prototypes and the standard of the schools or hospitals to be built while local communities would engage contractors to fix them under strict monitoring — a strategy expected to engender community participation in project execution, empower local contractors, ensure community ownership of public infrastructure, and increase the purchasing power of the people.

He said Kwarans would start seeing more infrastructural development and better government’s presence across the board once the reviewed budget is passed in the coming months.

The governor, meanwhile, has ordered the site engineer handling the Kaiama Water project to fix the facilities within one month or be sacked.

AbdulRazaq handed down the directive when he visited the facilities in Kaiama town, warning that he would always personally keep a tab on projects funded with taxpayers’ money through unscheduled visits.

He said his visit to the town has revealed that claims about Kaiama water projects progressing as scheduled were not true, warning that his personal tour of facilities was meant to know the truth about their exact situation.

The Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Umar Shehu Mu’azu, had earlier told the governor that the engineer had been sabotaging the project despite getting money from the government and the community.

Mu’azu also urged AbdulRazaq to prioritise roads in the agrarian axis, especially Kishi Kaiama Road, commending him for approving the construction of the Kaiama township road.

The Governor said he has taken up the matter with the Federal Government, adding however that his administration might report the contractor employed by the previous administration to the anti-graft agency for collecting at least N1.1bn to fix a segment of the road without any result.

AbdulRazaq said the action of the contractor was a setback for the road as the Federal Government would not release further funds for the road unless it is satisfied that the one released had been properly utilised.

The Governor said the same scenario had occured in the Gwanara road in Baruten which led to the eight Assembly dragging the contractor to the EFCC and forcing the contractor back to site.

He also said the administration is discussing the Kosubosu-Kaiama-Bode Sadu road with the Federal government but added that the state might seek alternative funding for the huge project to hasten its construction in the next four years and then apply for refunds.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
18 September, 2019.

Tribunal dismisses forgery case against Kwara Gov

Tribunal dismisses forgery case against Kwara Gov

Kwara State Election Petition Tribunal on Friday dismissed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s petition seeking the nullification of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s election on the ground that he lacked the academic qualification to run.

The tribunal said the PDP’s candidate Razaq Atunwa failed to prove the allegations, holding instead that “all evidences before us show that (AbdulRazaq) sat the exam and was therefore qualified to run for the office of Governor.

“From all the evidences before us, we hold that the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” Justice Bassey Effiong, chairman of the three-person panel, held in a unanimous judgment in Ilorin, the state capital.

Effiong said the law is that where a petitioner makes the commission of a crime the kernel of their petition, then they must prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

“Has the petitioner discharged the burden of proof expected of them? From the evidence in this case, the answer is a resounding no,” Effiong added.

“We hold that all the evidences presented by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) — which the petitioners had relied upon and subpoenaed —were at variance with the pleadings of the petitioners,” Effiong added.

He insisted that the petitioners failed to prove that the Governor forged a certificate or presented a forged certificate in support of his candidature as alleged in their petition.

The judge said WAEC confirmed to the tribunal that AbdulRazaq’s certificate was “genuine and authentic”, adding that a classmate of the Governor also told the panel that the latter sat in front of him in the secondary school leaving certificate examination of June 1976.

Effiong said WAEC, which is the only statutory body to issue such a certificate, had made it clear that AbdulRazaq’s credential with all the relevant security details had emanated from it and that no other person can make contrary claim.

Tribunal judgment, triumph of truth over falsehood: Kwara Gov

Tribunal judgment, triumph of truth over falsehood: Kwara Gov

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday said the tribunal judgment dismissing the PDP’s certificate forgery allegations against him and upholding his election was a triumph of truth over falsehood and a sweet victory for Kwarans.

“This judgment affirms the truism that never will falsehood triumph over truth nor evil over good till the end of time — no matter the efforts or public grandstanding of the purveyors of such falsehood,” according to a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye.

The statement said the judgment confirmed the party’s long-held position that the entire allegation was malicious and a tale by moonlight.

“For us, the judgment serves as a tonic to go the extra mile to build a polity where players will be motivated only by truth and the dream of serving our people and not by unbridled ambitions,” the statement said.

“We thank their Lordships for their erudition and well-considered judgment. We express our profound respect and gratitude to our legal team who meticulously and professionally handled the provocative issue with admirable comportment and superior knowledge of the law.

“While we were always confident of victory since we had nothing to hide, there were some Kwarans who felt concerned that some persons were bent on either causing confusion or going through the backdoor to get whatever Kwarans did not give them at the poll. It is to this end that we most sincerely thank Kwarans for their support and prayers while the case lasted. We also assure them that we will follow through on the steps being taken to build a Kwara that is prosperous and is the pride of all.”

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
20 September, 2019

AbdulRazaq warns against sabotage as NNPC commissions Ilorin Depot

AbdulRazaq warns against sabotage as NNPC commissions Ilorin Depot

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Saturday said his administration would not tolerate sabotage of petroleum pipelines, calling on the host communities of the newly commissioned Ilorin Depot to guide the national asset jealously.

“While I am happy about this development, I must also express my disappointment at the fact that we are having to spend public funds to revive a depot that the government had spent so much money to put in place just because of the activities of some vandals and economic saboteurs,”

AbdulRazaq said at the official recommissioning of the Depot at Oke Oyi suburb of Ilorin, the capital of the state.

“For how long do we want to sabotage our fatherland and collective prosperity for selfish reasons?”

The governor however commended the NNPC for reviving the depot which he said would impact positively on the economy of the state.

“This is a happy day for us in Kwara. We are delighted to have this depot resuscitated,” he added, saying the the administration would be proactive and work with the security agencies to secure the integrity of the pipelines.

The event was attended the Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Speaker od the Kwara State House of Assembly Yakubu Salihu Danladi; the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mele Kyari; Chief of Staff to the Governor Aminu Logun; representative of the Emir of Ilorin and Balogun Gambari of Ilorin, Mohammed Adebayo; heads of security agencies in the state; and representatives of the petroleum workers’ unions, among others.

Kyari, the NNPC chief, called the recommissioning of the depot a great boost for economic growth of the state.

“The NNPC exists to bring comfort and ease to Nigeria but each time petrol distribution is disrupted, there is great unease in the country,” he said.

Kyari called on the host communities to work with the corporation and the security agencies to maintain the integrity of the national assets.

Established in the 1970s, the Ilorin Depot became inactive in 2015 following the activities of vandals who consistently sabotaged the pipelines and stole fuel in commercial quantities.

Until Saturday’s recommissioning of the depot, fuel tankers from Kwara State had to travel hundreds of kilometres to Apata Depot in Ibadan, Oyo State, or Mosinmi in Shagamu, Ogun State, to load petroleum for distribution in the state and its environs.

Analysts said the previous state of the depot resulted in waste of time, a drain on public resources, and increased pressure on the roads — aside from the potential for auto crashes and loss of lives.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
21 September, 2019.

Beneficiaries hail AbdulRazaq, partners over Kwara’s free surgeries

Beneficiaries hail AbdulRazaq, partners over Kwara’s free surgeries

At least 70 percent of the ongoing free eye surgeries and 50 percent of the overall medical interventions in Ilorin General Hospital have been carried out, with beneficiaries commending the Kwara State Government and other sponsors of the exercise for the gesture.

The beneficiaries singled out Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for commendation for the corrective surgeries and other interventions which they said were made possible with multimillion naira equipment the government newly supplied to the hospital, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The interventions, which began on Monday, are sponsored by the state government in partnership with the Kwara State Association of Nigeria, North America (KSANG) and Sakinah Medical Outreach.

As at Wednesday, nearly 70 of the 100 cataract surgeries have been done while 250 glasses have been given to patients suffering from various eye disorders, according to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital Prof. Abdulfatai Olokoba.

He said additional 300 surgeries were being carried out across specialities of obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgical interventions within the week.

Olokoba added that the surgical interventions have led to impressive capacity building within the General Hospital with the supply of more equipment, the opening of new wards and the ICU, which he said would be useful to the state.

Dr Salman Yusuf, chairman of the Sakinah Medical Outreach and head of the Volunteer Doctors, said they partook in the programme to support AbdulRazaq’s efforts to improve basic healthcare delivery in the state.

“We are volunteers medical practitioners — Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other supporting staff —decided to support the government to change the fortune of the state in basic healthcare,” he said.

Oloyede Lamidi, an hernia patent who benefited from the intervention, said the surgery carried out elsewhere last year was not successful and he could not bear the cost of carrying out another operation for lack of funds.

He commended AbdulRazaq for the interventions which he said were beneficial to indigent patients.

Miss Aderemi Olabisi, who had her breast lump removed, admitted that lack of funds had led to the delay in carrying out her surgery.

Muhammad Isa, who had a successful hernia surgery, said he had over the last one year been managing the case without success until the intervention.

Isa noted that he heard the information about the medical and surgical missions on radio and seized the opportunity.

“I made several efforts to carry out this surgery with no success because I don’t have money. I am very happy with this. They didn’t collect any money from me. I want thank the sponsors of this exercise whether those in Nigeria or the USA,” he said.

Miss Basirat Amzat, who had a Breast Lump, narrated her ordeal before the intervention and said exercise was seamless in the theatre.

“I really appreciate the Governor of Kwara State for this. Everything from check up to surgery is free. They did not collect anything from me,” she added.

Abubakar Jimoh, a guardian of a nine-year-old Muhammad Jimoh, who had hernia, said the family had taken the child to another hospital without success until the intervention this week.

Mrs Zainab Abdulwahab, mother of 45-day-old boy Abdulwahab, who had surgery for Hydrocephalus, commended the government and its partners for coming to the aid of the baby.

She said the had spinal difida and the surgery carried out earlier led to Hydrocephalus and the family was unable to fund the surgery until the government’s intervention which Mrs Abdulwahab enthused had lifted a huge burden from the family.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
25 September, 2019

AbdulRazaq donates audio books to Special Needs School

AbdulRazaq donates audio books to Special Needs School

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq on Tuesday visited the state’s Special Needs School where he donated audio books for the use of the visually impaired students and congratulated the students on Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary.

The governor’s visit came after the students returned from the independence parade at the Metropolitan Square in Ilorin, the state capital.

AbdulRazaq, who had gone to identify with the children, also inspected the ongoing renovation of two blocks of five classrooms in the school.

The renovation works came following AbdulRazaq’s maiden visit to the school in July, during which he lamented the neglect of the school and pledged to ensure the facilities are upgraded.

Mrs Faoziyah Aroyehun, the principal of the school, commended the Governor for the audio books which she said would be very useful for the pupils.

“These audio books are particularly useful for the visually impaired students and we appreciate His Excellency for the kind gesture. We also commend him for the ongoing interventions in the school which he had facilitated,” she said.

In a message that targeted the interest of the less privileged, AbdulRazaq had earlier in his Independence Day message called on Nigerians to “build a country that works for all and not just for the privileged few. This requires that we look at the bigger picture each time we take decisions in our areas of influence. That bigger picture is national unity, national development and collective prosperity where no one is left behind.”

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
1 October, 2019.

Kwara gets N3.5bn allocation for October

Kwara gets N3.5bn allocation for October

Kwara State Government has received a total of N3,516,975,521.40 (three billion, five hundred and sixteen million, nine hundred and seventy five thousand, five hundred and twenty one naira, forty kobo) as net monthly allocation for the month of October.

The amount is minus N681,499,217:53 (six hundred and eighty one million, four hundred and ninety nine thousand, two hundred and seventeen naira, fifty three kobo) deductions made at source as monthly repayment of loans including the bailout funds (budget support) that the past administration received from the Federal Government. The monthly deductions started in September.

The monthly allocations included N3:333:607:862,59 statutory revenue allocation (SRA); N859, 606, 843,58 Value Added Tax (VAT); and N5,260,032,85 Exchange Gains, according to a statement on Friday by Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance Benjamin Fatigun.

The statement said a total of N2,689,825,780,50 (two billion, six hundred and eighty nine million, eight hundred and twenty five thousand, seven hundred and eighty naira, fifty kobo) also came to the 16 local government areas of the state as allocation for the month.

The tally includes N2,198,740,352,73 SRA; N487,616,079,59 VAT; and N3,469,348,22 Exchange Gains.

26-year-old, three other women make Kwara’s first cabinet list

26-year-old, three other women make Kwara’s first cabinet list

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has forwarded the names of four women to the State House of Assembly as commissioner-nominees, including a 26-year-old Joana Nnazua Kolo from Edu local government area of the state.

AbdulRazaq has also nominated a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the FBN Mortgages Limited, a subsidiary of the First Bank, Mrs. Folashade Omoniyi, as the new Chairperson of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS). She would succeed Prof Murtala Awodun whose tenure expires soon.

Omoniyi, who holds a bachelor of engineering from the University of Ilorin and Masters of Business Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University, has many years of leadership experience in the banking sector, marketing, information communication technology, and business management.

She has executive education in positive leadership from Michigan Ross Executive Education (USA); Market Driving Strategies from London Business School (UK); Strategic Uses of Information Technology from Stanford Business School ( USA); and Senior Management Programme (SMP18) from the Lagos Business School (Nigeria).

Omoniyi is from Irepodun local government area of the state.

Miss Kolo, the youngest commissioner-nominee in the state’s history, is a 2018 graduate of Library Science from the Kwara State University (KWASU). A grassroots mobiliser, Miss Kolo is an ardent advocate of community development.

If confirmed, she would be Nigeria’s youngest commissioner, taking the trophy from Oyo State’s 27-year-old Oluwaseun Fakorede.

Miss Kolo is still having her National Youths Service Corps programme in Jigawa, where she is teaching at Model Boarding Junior Secondary School Guri. Her screening for the cabinet seat would hold after she rounds off her NYSC service in the next two weeks.

The three other nominees are professionals and grassroots politicians: Mrs Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu; Arinola Fatimoh Lawal; and Aisha Ahman Pategi, according to a correspondence AbdulRazaq forwarded to the House and read at the Tuesday plenary by the Speaker, Rt. Honourable Salihu Yakubu Danladi.

A 1997 graduate of Economics from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Mrs Modibbo-Kawu also holds Masters in Business Administration from University of Ilorin and various certificates from Penn Foster Career School Scranton in the United States and Metropolitan School of Business and Management in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A member of several professional bodies like the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria and Nigeria Institute of Management, she is a co-founder of a number of schools and learning centres.

She is married to the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu and would be representing Ilorin South in the cabinet if her nomination scales through the House of Assembly.

Arinola Fatimoh Lawal, a 1993 graduate of Catering and Hotel Management from the Kwara State Polytechnic, is a top-rated player in Nigeria’s hospitality industry with experience as chief executive officers of several firms including Batool Nigeria Limited, Mohbalamira Nigeria Limited and MirMira Enterprise.

Hajia Lawal, who was a member of the Kwara State Transition Committee in 2019, is a daughter of former Kwara State Governor Mohammed Lawal from Ilorin East local government. Her skills cover project management, tourism and hospitality, change management, and Risk Management. A grassroots mobiliser with effective leadership skills and emotional intelligence, the nominee is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State.

A scion of one of Kwara’s oldest political families, nominee Aisha Ahman-Pategi is a professional business manager with over 20 years experience in communication strategy, investment/financial consulting, and marketing and motivational leadership. She is a serial entrepreneur known for a contagious passion for excellence and innovation with great resource skills in research, government and relations.

Ms Ahman-Pategi was educated at the School of Remedial Studies and FASS-International Relations in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State in 1996; Agent and Broker License Barney Fletcher School, in Atlanta GA, USA in 2004; Capstone Institute of Mortgage Finance, also in Atlanta in 2006; Stanford University, Stanford California where she obtained a certificate in Political Science (Data Analysis) in 2013; Bachelor of Art – Mass Communication from Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma; and MBA Business Administration from American Inter-Continental University, Dunwoody GA.

Aisha was Sales Manager for J&S Auto Sales Decatur, GA 30082 before founding A-Line Realty SMYRNA, GA 30082 in 2004 as the President and Managing Broker. The agency serves more than 300 clients by providing financial planning, assets management, commercial and residential estate transactions.

Between 2005 and 2007, she joined Continental Mortgage/World Financial Services Inc., Atlanta, GA 30324 as Financial Advisor/Mortgage consultant where she assisted clients with their needs via financial need analysis.

Aisha, a former Senior Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Strategy and Communication, has also worked for the nonprofit Project Coach Foundation since 2018 as executive director.

The nonprofit organisation serves the most vulnerable communities in Nigeria through Community Outreach, Advocacy, Capacity building and Health (COACH) projects.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
17 September, 2019.

Kwara Gov inaugurates task force on immunisation

Kwara Gov inaugurates task force on immunisation

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday inaugurated the State Task Force on immunisation and primary healthcare, saying the exercise forms a part of his administration’s efforts to stamp out polio and strengthen access to primary healthcare.

“The presence of an active State Task Force on Immunisation is a prerequisite for quality polio campaigns and routine immunisation services. The role of the Task Force amongst others is to coordinate/supervise all Polio Eradication Initiatives (PEI) activities in particular and Primary Health Care in general in line with recommendations from the State Technical Team,” AbdulRazaq said in an address inaugurating the Task Force headed by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi.

“It is also to be noted that one of the requirements for the full implementation of Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) in the State is the functionality of the State Task Force especially with the prevailing outbreak of vaccine-preventable poliomyelitis in the State.”

He urged members of the Task Force to work closely with Alabi to deliver quality primary healthcare to the people of Kwara.

Alabi, for his part, commended the Governor for his leadership which has raised the quality and depth of healthcare services available to Kwarans.

“We appreciate Your Excellency for the trust reposed in us and we pledge to work very hard to fulfil the expectations of our people to improve healthcare services so that Kwara can regain its leadership position in the scheme of things.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Rhoda Ajiboye, said the inauguration was in line with the Abuja Commitment by all the state governments to support polio eradication and routine immunisation in the country.

“This Task Force will provide political support and mobilise necessary resources for the implementation of both routine and supplemental immunisation activities in the state,” she said.

AbdulRazaq had recently paid counterpart funds to strengthen polio immunisation in the state following the outbreak in January 2019 of some vaccine-derived polio cases. He had also recently paid counterpart funds to facilitate free malaria treatment, nutrition, and other basic healthcare services.

Membership of the Task Force include the Deputy Governor (Chairman); Chairman House Committee on Health; Representative of the Wife of the Governor; Representative of the Ministry of Health; Representative of the Ministry of Finance; Representative of the Ministry of Information; Representative of the Ministry of Environment; Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA); Directors of the SPHCDA; State Immunisation Officer; Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON); Representative of Ministry of Women Affairs;
Representative of Ministry of Education; and representatives police, army, artisans, civil society organisations and religious bodies, among others.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
4 October, 2019

Kwara Gov pays N60m counterpart fund for community projects

Kwara Gov pays N60m counterpart fund for community projects

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved N60m counterpart funds to key into the World Bank-funded Community and Social Development Projects (CSDP) that would help attract development to rural areas.

The payment, which is a requirement for any state to be considered for the initiative, would enable the Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency (KWCDA) access over N1bn to implement micro-projects in various communities that express interest and pay 10% of whatever project to be sited there.

Each community can benefit up to N10m project in the areas of health, education, water supply, environment, infrastructure, and gender/vulnerable group project empowerment, according to a statement on Sunday by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Planning and Economic Development AbdulAzeez Tayo Oyelowo.

“In addition, vulnerable and physically challenged are to benefit from micro-projects to be implemented through access to funds. This will help through skills acquisitions and support with tools for operation,” the statement added.

The CSDP is different from the multi billion naira Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) for which the Governor had paid the first tranche of N200m counterpart fund earlier in his administration. Under RAAMP, several rural roads would be constructed to facilitate access to agricultural produce.

The state government, meanwhile, has reopened the Moro-Bailey Bridge for traffic following prompt rehabilitation of the bridge by the Kwara State Road Maintenance Agency (KWARMA).

The agency has also commenced rehabilitation works on the damaged portions of Ilorin-Ogbomosho old federal road at Otte to ease free flow of traffic in the area.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
6 October, 2019