Gov. AbdulRazaq congratulates Alade over appointment

Gov. AbdulRazaq congratulates Alade over appointment

AbdulRazaq congratulates Alade over appointmen

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has congratulated Dr (Mrs) Sarah Omotunde Alade on her appointment as Special Adviser to President Muhamadu Buhari on Finance and Economy.

In a congratulatory message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said the appointment was well deserved for a Kwaran who has contributed her own quota to the development of the country as a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Mrs Alade is a round peg in a round hole. She has proven to be an epitome of hard work and good service delivery. She’s no doubt a pride to us,” the statement added.

AbdulRazaq urged Mrs Alade to bring her wealth of experience in boosting the economic agenda of Mr. President in making life-changing policies that would impact positively on the lives of Nigerians.

“On behalf of the good people of Kwara, we thank Mr. President for yet another honour of appointing one of us to be part of his NextLevel Agenda of transforming Nigeria,” it stated.

Mrs Alade, a former Acting CBN Governor and teacher at the University of Ilorin, is from Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

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

Gov AbdulRazaq mourns, recalls years under Coach Adenuja

Gov AbdulRazaq mourns, recalls years under Coach Adenuja

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the family, protégés and contemporaries of Coach Usman Adenuja, the head coach of the defunct Kwara Academicals and the Northern Lions, who died on Wednesday, October 29.

AbdulRazaq said in a condolence statement personally signed by him that he was once a player of the Kwara State Football team which Adenuja coached.

“Coach Adenuja was the football coach when I represented Kwara State at the National Sports Festival in Lagos in 1973. He was a great coach and a leader of men. He was great at what he did! I pray to the Almighty God to repose his soul and comfort the family he has left behind,” the Governor said.

“I also commiserate with the entire sports family in Kwara and Kogi States, especially the football family, which benefited immensely from the ingenuity, patriotism and commitment of Coach Adenuja while he held sway.”

The Governor recalled visiting Adenuja in his Okene country home a few years ago while he also spoke with his son, Abubakar, a week ago to inquire about the health of the coach.

Adenuja, a former head of coaching at the Kwara State Sports Council and Ag. Director of Sports at the Council, was from the old Kwara State before the creation of Kogi in 1991. He was also a very skilful footballer.

Top players like Moses Otolorin and Toyin Ayinla, among others, were nurtured by Coach Adenuja.

Prominent coaches who grew up under Adenuja’s tutelage included Busari Isola and Albert Adetoye.

 

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
2 November, 2019

KWHA confirms AbdulRazaq’s cabinet nominees

KWHA confirms AbdulRazaq’s cabinet nominees

Kwara State Assembly on Thursday confirmed all the 16 commissioner nominees forwarded to it by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

That came three days after the lawmakers commenced the screening of the cabinet picks in what has been described as about the most thorough yet friendly confirmatory sessions in the state.

Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi said the nominees were confirmed following a three-day screening that saw the House asking them questions related to their backgrounds, expertise and track records as Kwarans.

“The nominees are hereby confirmed as commissioners (for Kwara State). We so resolve. I now direct the Clerk of the House to communicate this decision to the Governor,” Danladi said at the plenary after the House had earlier dissolved into a Committee of Whole.

The Thursday confirmation was preceded by screening of four nominees who were the last batch of the 16 appointees.

The nominees were Oyedun Julianna Funke (Isin); Agbaje Wahab Femi (Offa); Joanna Nnazua Kolo (Edu); and Arinola Fatimah Lawal (Ilorin East).

A seasoned educationist and women-rights advocate, Funke said the best strategy for Kwara to keep teachers in the hinterlands would be to pay rural teachers’ allowance to personnel who agree to serve in the villages.

She also called for free accommodation for such teachers and concerted efforts by the host communities to accommodate them in manners that make them comfortable to work and live there.

“If I find myself in the education ministry, I will ensure that we liaise with the communities to embrace the teachers and offer them the necessary support. We will also reintroduce or strengthen School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) to help in this regard,” she added.

“The idea of political officials influencing transfer of teachers should stop. Our children are the ones suffering. Once we give them these incentives and take away undue political influence, the teachers will stay.”

Femi, an administrator and grassroots politician, said Nigeria must never prioritise stomach infrastructure at the expense of physical infrastructural development.

“I believe there are other ways of compensating those who have done one thing or the other. But we definitely can’t play with physical infrastructure. Several Countries have left us behind because of our attitude to governance. Our problem is the lack of honest and altruistic leadership, or people who place public interest above personal interest,” he said.

He was later asked to bow and go following massive endorsements of his nomination by the lawmakers who recalled his contributions to the victory of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

26-year-old Kolo told the lawmakers that her nomination was a challenge for her to contribute to the development of the state, calling it a “a rare privilege to serve.”

“I thank God for this rare privilege to serve. It is not by my power or any personal effort. I also want to appreciate the Governor for the golden opportunity given to me to be here today,” Kolo said, her speech repeatedly interrupted by wild applause from the gallery.

She commended her party and community leaders “for their mentorship and support”.

Speaker Yakubu he was impressed by Kolo’s opening remarks which were rendered in flawless British English, urging her to represent “our (youth) constituency well”.

“You’ve got a lot of work to do. You can’t let us down as members of your Constituency,” Yakubu added, asking her to bow and go.

The final nominee was Arinola Lawal whose screening session was the most emotional as lawmakers took turns to praise the role of former Governor Mohammed Lawal — Arinola’s father — in the socioeconomic development and political struggle of Kwara.

She was ushered into the parliament amid loud praises of her father while the screening session was punctuated by shouts of ‘omo L’Aderin’ — one of the many cognomens of Arinola’s father whose tenure as Kwara Governor was the most memorable since 1999 when Nigeria returned to civilian rule.

Arinola, whose managerial experience spans tourism and hospitality sector, was later asked to bow and go as the session became emotional. She was the only nominee who did not say a word throughout the screening.

The Governor had sent a total of 16 nominees for confirmation as commissioners.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary
31 October, 2019.

Women Affairs Minister hails AbdulRazaq over women commissioner-nominees

Women Affairs Minister hails AbdulRazaq over women commissioner-nominees

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, has appealed to governors, especially the new governors, to encourage more women in governance by allocating more political positions to them at the state level.

Speaking Saturday at the 2019 Edition of the Arise Women’s Conference in Lagos, Tallen, who commended Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his Lagos counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for giving more political positions to women in the State Executive Council, said other governors should emulate them by promoting women representation in governance at the state level.

The 2019 Arise Women’s Conference, which was the 11th edition of the annual programme to celebrate women in Nigeria, was put together by Dr. (Mrs) Siju Iluyomade, Convener and Founder of Arise Women Initiative, a faith-based Non-Governmental Organisation.

 

Tallen, who was a former Plateau State deputy governor, also assured the women that as Minister for Women Affairs, she would continue to push for women interests across the country

In his address, the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, who was represented by Dr. Mero Al-Makura, commended the Siju Iluyomade-led Arise Women Initiative for empowering women, which according to her is in line with her Future Assured Programme, to reach out to people at the grassroots level.

Also speaking at the event wives of Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti states; Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun and Erelu Bisi Fayemi, commended the Arise Women Initiative for supporting and empowering women through different philanthropic gestures.

In her address, Dr. Iluyomade called on all women to come together to improve villages across Nigeria. She said her organisation has done this by having as its model Dafara Adopt a village programme by building a hospital and provide qualitative health care delivery.

Kwara trains team ahead National Livestock Plan takeoff

Kwara trains team ahead National Livestock Plan takeoff

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said his administration has keyed into the Federal Government’s National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) to drive economic growth, create jobs, and equip farmers/herders with necessary tools to thrive in the agribusiness.

The Governor dropped this hint at a two-day training programme in Ilorin, the state capital, on the implementation of the pilots under the NLTP for state livestock transformation officers and project management officers (SLTOs/PMOs). The training was held between Monday and Tuesday.

“We both have a shared goal of supporting investments in the livestock value chains that will catalyse sustainable economic growth, create more jobs and equip farmers with the necessary tools to thrive in the agricultural sector,” said AbdulRazaq, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Aminu Adisa Logun.

The trainees, drawn from various sectors of the state, were taken through topics like Overview of NLTP; Technical Inputs on Economic Core Pilar; Investment Promotion: the Role of the State Team; and Technical Inputs on Conflict Resolution, Justice and Peace, Humanitarian Relief and Early Recovery.

AbdulRazaq said the government has assembled a robust project management team that will be supervised by a steering committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the State Government to fully benefit from the initiative.

He thanked Abuja for supporting the state’s agribusiness agenda, noting that Kwara has no option than to seek ways of increasing the productivity of its dairy and beef in order to remain competitive.

“We believe that strategic collaborations with critical stakeholders in the industry is pivotal to achieving defined and well-tailored objectives and results….We need to significantly increase the productivity of our livestock (dairy and beef) as well as reduce cost of production if we are to remain competitive,” he said.

“Our cost of production of a kilogram of beef, estimated at $6 per kg, is one of the world’s highest, compared to $4/kg in Netherlands and $2.5/kg in India.”

He maintained that Kwara needs to transform its “athletic cows” into “business cows” and to create several businesses along the chain to enhance sustainability and profitability.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, for his part, said the success of the federal government’s policy on agriculture lies solely on its adoption at the state level.

Stressing that Nigeria’s problem is not about policy formulation but the will to implement it, Andrew said the NLTP needs the critical support of all states of the federation to actualise the objectives.

He commended the level of competence and engagement of the participants, hoping that they will be able to make the NLTP a huge success in Kwara State.

Kwasari commended Abdulrazaq for putting together a vibrant and youthful team which he said was about the youngest he has seen any of the states participating in the programme so far. He also lauded the state government for playing an active role in maintaining friendly relationship between the farmers and herdsmen in the state.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
23rd October, 2019.

Kwara Gov makes history with commissioner-nominees’ list

Kwara Gov makes history with commissioner-nominees’ list

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Tuesday released an additional six-person commissioner-nominees’ list, with five more women added to what has now gone down in history as Nigeria’s most gender-friendly government cabinet.

The latest list, which again reflects the state’s demography, means that Kwara now has nine women (56.25%) and seven men (43.75%) commissioner-nominees who included top bureaucrats, enterpreneurs, educators, professionals and grassroots politicians.

Kwara has 16 local government areas.

The latest nominees are Afolabi-Oshatimehin Adenike Harriet (Ifelodun); Ahmad Fatima Bisola (Ilorin West); Aremu Bose Deborah (Irepodun); Oyedun Juliana Funke (Isin); Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence (Oke Ero); and Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu (Moro).

The full list came five months after the governor apologised to and pledged to compensate for women’s loss at the general election in which 100% of the elective positions went to men, according to a statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary.

The list was unveiled on Tuesday at the Kwara State House of Assembly where Speaker Yakubu Danladi said the screening of the nominees would begin next Tuesday, October 29.

AbdulRazaq had initially released a four-woman list which was followed a few weeks ago by another list of six men.

The latest nominees are Afolabi-Oshatimehin Adenike Harriet (Ifelodun); Ahmad Fatima Bisola (Ilorin West); Aremu Bose Deborah (Irepodun); Oyedun Juliana Funke (Isin); Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence (Oke Ero); and Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu (Moro).

An entrepreneur and renowned community development advocate, 38-year-old Harriet hailed from Okeayo/Ora community in Ifelodun local government area of the state.

She was an officer at Surveillance Department of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) Abuja between 2007 and 2011 and was until the appointment the Chief Operating Officer of M&P Micro Credit Scheme. Harriet, a top chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has contributed immensely to her community’s development, including the ongoing relocation of Ora Community Grammar School, construction of the AWUA bridge that connects her local government to Isin local government.

Harriet is an alumnus of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State Polytechnic and Abadina College of the University of Ibadan.

Fatima Bisola, who holds a postgraduate Diploma in Education from Usman Dan Fodiyo University, graduated from the Department of English of the University of Ilorin in 2011 . She attended Federal Government Girl’s College Omu Aran.

The 30-year-old nominee is currently an employee of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), attached to the Sheikh AbdulSalam Junior Secondary School, Ilorin.

The nominee is an author of two publications: Aesthetics of Africanism in Camara Laye’s African Child and Radiance of the King and Effect of Mother Tongue Interference in Spoken English.

Deborah, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from University of Ado-Ekiti, currently teaches at the ECWA Secondary School Omu Aran.

The 45-year-old nominee has taught for over 10 years. She is a leader of the Irewolu Cooperative Society which facilitates women’s access to small loans and credit as part of the community’s efforts to empower women in small scale businesses.

Funke, 57, holds a Bachelor of Education (Guidance and Counselling) from University of Ado-Ekiti and Nigeria Certificate of Education from Kwara State College of Education Ilorin (Integrated Science).

She worked at the Kwara SUBEB as School Support Officer (SSO) between 1980 and 2015 where she retired as a Deputy Director.

Funke, a chieftain of the ruling APC, was Organising Secretary of APC Women Elders’ Forum and Secretary of the Kwara State chapter of the Women Teachers Association of Nigeria.

Florence, 31, holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Education and Master of Science in Industrial Chemistry. She is an alumnus of the University of Ilorin and National Teachers’ Institute Kaduna.

She was until her appointment the Administrative Manager and Public Relations Officer at Roemichs International School Ilorin. She also worked at Dabco Nigeria Limited Ilorin.

Florence is a member of the ruling APC who participated in the party’s electoral campaigns. She has always been a political activist in her locality where she has acted as female youths leader and canvasser.

Rotimi, a 38-year-old political and community development campaigner, was until his appointment the Energy Development Coordinator for the BUA International Limited where he was Projects Coordinator at the conglomerate’s multimillion dollars Lafiagi Sugar Company.

He was between 2013 and 2015 the Manager, Gas and Power Package at Bua Edo Cement, a subsidiary of the Bua Group in Edo State. He was also Energy Development Coordinator of Epe Power Generation Limited, another subsidiary of the BUA Group.

Rotimi is an alumnus of the Newcastle University, United Kingdom, where he bagged a Post Graduate Diploma in Pipeline Engineering in 2009. He read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ilorin where he graduated in 2006. He is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

A scion of an influential political family from Moro local government, he has expertise and interests in Agriculture, Plant Mechanics, People Development, Supply Chain Management, and Workshop Efficiency, among others.

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

We’ll build a viable, prosperous state through SMEs: Kwara Gov

We’ll build a viable, prosperous state through SMEs: Kwara Gov

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the weekend said his administration’s upcoming social investment programme has been designed to fund small businesses, artisans, and lift many people out of the poverty bracket.

“This journey has begun with the passage of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme Bill by the State Assembly. We will make sure to redistribute wealth to our people, lift many people out of the poverty line, and support small and medium scale businesses to grow,” the governor said at the Omu Aran Day celebration on Saturday.

“Kwara South, like the northern senatorial district, has huge potentials in tourism and agriculture, especially agroprocessing. The great traditional displays here today attest to this. We are seeking partnerships to attract investments to these sectors. On our part, we are going to commit a lot of money into opening up our state with rural roads and basic amenities like decent schools, sanitation facilities, and functional primary healthcare system. We have recently paid RAAMP counterpart funding.”

AbdulRazaq also said efforts are ongoing to strengthen security across the state and put in place modest infrastructure to facilitate development in the hinterlands, adding that the best strategy to build a viable state was to help small businesses to grow through funding and infrastructure.

“Our administration is also working on putting in place the necessary security architecture to protect lives and properties. We are seriously working to ensure that normal banking operations resume in our major towns like Offa, Omu Aran, Patigi and so on. The current situation where full time banking operations are restricted to the state capital is not acceptable,” he added.

AbdulRazaq also promised to look into the requests of Omu Aran community in the area of infrastructure and water.

ODA President Bisi Adeyemi, for his part, called on the state government to look into the infrastructure deficit in the town, including the lack of any public tertiary institution there and the abandonment of the Omu Aran township road by the last administration.

“We are hopeful that the present government of the people in Kwara, led by our indefatigable Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, will not hesitate to carry Omu Aran along in its water revolution in Kwara State,” Adeyemi said.

The event, which included the launching of a N500m development fund for the town, was attended by many dignitaries from within and outside the state, including Kwara State Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Senator Sulaiman Ajadi; House of Representatives member Raheem Tunji Ajuloopin; founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide Dr David Oyedepo; Olupo of Ajasse Ipo Oba Sikiru Woleola II; Elese of Igbaja Oba Ahmed Babalola Awuni Arepo III; and Olomu of Omu Aran Oba AbdulRaheem Oladele Adeoti (Olomu Efon II).

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

Kwara Gov orders refund of exam charges to principals, Vice principals

Kwara Gov orders refund of exam charges to principals, Vice principals

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has ordered immediate refund of N2000 and N1500 examination charges that the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) collected from teachers who applied to become principals and vice principals across the state.

AbdulRazaq reasoned that there was no basis for such charges since all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government now get their running cost since he came on board, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.

The statement said the over 100 applicants for the positions who sat the evaluation examination last Wednesday had been asked to pay the fee as was the practice before but the administration objected to it on the ground that the government had already paid for running cost that covers such exercise.

TESCOM has complied with the Governor’s directive as over 90% of the applicants have been refunded, the statement said, quoting the TESCOM’s supervisory Permanent Secretary, Bayo Onimago.

“The directive has been complied with immediately. Almost all the affected principals and Vice principals have been refunded,” the statement quoted Onimago as saying.

A key development in Kwara’s civil service since AbdulRazaq’s ascension was the restoration of running cost to the ministries — a step that has gone a long way in energising the civil service to perform its roles as the government’s engine room.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

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.

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.