The All Progressive Congress, APC Asa has applauded the political sagacity of governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq in the selection and appointment of credible, knowledgeable and intelligent person; Alhaja Habibat Yusuf as chairman Civil service commission.

The Asa APC Chairman, Mallam Hassan Abdullah in a statement issued to in Ilorin expressed optimism that the carefully selected chairman would justify the appointment; bringing her administrative experience to use, bringing the desired transformation to the commission and will significantly help the governor to deliver the dividends of democracy to Kwarans as enshrined in the TÓ GÉ Mantra.

The party expressed its readiness, willingness and commitment of the entire Asa people to join hands with what it described as team of best hands and administrators to help Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq deliver on his promises made to the people before, during and after the election.

It further urged the appointeeto justify the confidence reposed in her, prioritise service to the people and avoid anything capable of undermining the determination of the Governor to make Kwara a better place for all.

The party therefore, assured Governor Abdulrazaq of its continuous and unalloyed support, at all times.

Signed:

Alhaji Hassan Abdullah , Chairman APC Asa local government.

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

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

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.