Development is spread throughout Kwara -Akorede ilorin.info/fullnews.php?id=10776 The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State on Media and Communication, Dr Muideen Akorede, speaks on current issues relating to the nations democracy, development, 2015 general election and other issues. BIOLA AZEEZ brings excerpts: There is insinuation that most development projects of the present government are being concentrated in the Kwara Central senatorial district, especially Ilorin, the state capital. How do you react to this? That perception is limited to the opposition elements in the PDP who are trying to stir discontent in the state. Because anybody who is a keen follower of what government has done will know that Governor Ahmed has ensured equity in the distribution of projects. The most obvious example is the new five general hospitals that have been done. Three of them are in Kwara South, that is Offa, Share and Omu Aran. Only one is in Kwara Central and one is in Kwara North. At that level, it is not true. If you go to Kwara South, there is hardly any local government that you visit today that does not have an ongoing project. If you go to Offa, there is Anilelerin/Agun/Igbo Oro, which is ongoing. We just commissioned Oro/Ijomu Oro road, Isin/Ijara-Isin was also done. If you go to Oyun, there are ongoing projects. Ekiti, Oke Ero local government areas have ongoing projects. If you go to the North, you have the Kaiama General hospital, which has been completed, waiting commissioning. You have Patigi/Paada road, which had also been done in the Kwara North. A significant number of boreholes 400, had also been sunk and distributed across the state evenly. The QuickWin employment intervention of the present government, where the government engaged 5,200 youths and the jobs distributed equitably. This is because the governor is the governor of the whole of Kwara and not just a section. He cannot concentrate projects in any way. But what we have to recognise is that Kwara Central and Ilorin in particular is the most populated in the state. Inevitably, there will be greater demand and pressure on social services, which is why it will appear projects are being concentrated there. That is why the Ilorin General Hospital is the biggest, because everybody lives here. There is no part of this state that is not represented in Ilorin and probably there is no part of this country that is not represented here in Ilorin. Everybody knows how people have moved down here because of what is happening in other parts of the country. So there is a lot more pressure on Ilorin. So, its untrue that these projects are being concentrated in Kwara Central. What is the rationale behind the present governments slogan and practice of legacy continues in the face of criticisms trailing it? Governance is a continuum. You dont say you have changed government and then abandon projects. In 2011, Governor Ahmed campaigned on the platform of continuity. He told people that he would finish all the good things the former governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, initiated and was unable to conclude. What that does is that it gives people hope. Again, we are not the most endowed in terms of federal allocation, so you need to have optimal allocation of resources. One of the ways to do that is that projects started by previous administration are completed so you dont have abandoned projects. Imagine if Governor Ahmed had not started and completed the International Aviation College, the money would have gone to waste. The Diagnostic Centre would have gone to waste. Even Kwara State University, (KWASU), which was already operational before Senator Saraki left office, he also continued with that by constructing an N800 million Engineering complex in that university. It is an ongoing thing. And if you look at all parts of the state, you see evidence of benefits of this continuity. Look at Ahmadu Bello Way, people forget that it was Senator Saraki that started it, and it was Governor Ahmed that completed it. Gambari Road, where you have the state library, was concluded by this present government. A Division Road to Tate and Lyle area was completed by this administration. And there are other examples of such outside the state capital. I can mention Offa/Ira road, Offa/Ipe road, Lafiaji township road, Afon/Ganmo road, which I see as one of the best roads outside the state capital, was also completed by this administration. There are quite a few of those roads that had been done. So we have given hope, we have saved money and we also demonstrated the benefits of continuity by making sure that not only has this present government completed projects, but has also started new ones. It has started new roads like the expansion of UITH/Oyun road, Oro/Ijomu Oro road that was initiated and completed by this administration. Fate road, which is a federal road technically, was done by this administration. Many people dont even know that the iconic International Vocational Center, in Ajase Ipo, was actually initiated by the previous administration of Senator Saraki, but he couldnt ground-break it before he left office. And as a government of continuity, this administration has started it and about bringing it to conclusion, all Kwarans will be proud to see that school, not only in terms of physical structure, but what it is meant to achieve by filling the middle manpower gap in the country. In terms of health sector, everybody knows, and even the UN has applauded the community health insurance scheme that Dr. Bukola Saraki started in Edu Local Government. This administration has now extended it to other parts of the state to make sure that more Kwarans benefit. From its beginning in 2009 and we have extended it to 80,000 enrollees in the state, even the UN General Secretary has applauded it saying this is one of the few places in the world where that community health insurance scheme has worked. And the governor has taken it from the primary health, telling himself that his predecessor did primary health, he did tertiary health, let him do secondary health. Thats why we are doing those general hospitals. Hopefully, this year we are starting another five general hospitals bringing it to 10. So, the benefits of continuity are there for everyone to see, but for the cynical. And we have reignited peoples hope in government, that it is possible for politicians to keep their words. What will you say informed this criticism from the opposition? I think they are just seeking relevance, and when you are seeking relevance in a state you know you dont have any stronghold, you will get desperate and start fishing for ways to cause discontent. They are trying to cause discontent and they have failed, because as the governor said; this structure that our leader has is not party-dependent. It was built 40, 50 years ago, which he has inherited and up scaled. When you dont have leaders, you have problems. We have a structure. Our leader is Senator Bukola Saraki, thats unequivocally clear. Governor Ahmed is looking after governance. There is no distraction. They have looked at our structure and they are threatened and feel that one way to deal with it, is by causing discontent and they have failed because the people of Kwara are politically aware and intelligent to check whatever you are saying. This is a state of harmony. Our people know where their bread is buttered and it is with the APC-led government in this state. Kwara State government says it is planning to take N23 billion bond from capital market to prosecute projects, while the opposition says it is meant for 2015 general election. What do you have to say to this? Thats the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. And you see that claim is not intelligent enough because raising bond is backed by law. If you go to SEC to say you want to collect N23 billion, you must demonstrate the projects you want to do. And before you start the projects they would come and inspect the projects. They would check, for instance, if you say you want to build N10 billion road, it is actually going to cost N10 billion. And you cant take the money for example and change what you want to do. During the Saraki era, the Truck Terminal that was planned to be done was in the original bond, but when we discovered that the foreign partners had pulled out, the government went back to SEC to say we needed a variation because of this and that. And they varied it and we now used the money for approved projects. Because you are asking people to invest in your infrastructure you cant just mess about with their money. We do not need to raise bond to fund election. Elections are funded by politicians and supporters of our leaders and they will come to us when the time comes to fund campaign. So, we do not need to do that. And in terms of timing of the bond in 2009, it was supposed to run until July/August this year. When it ends, logically, if I borrow money from bank and I have done what I said I would do with the money and return the money to them, it is an incentive for them to give me more money. It is logical. And look, we have embarked on Ilorin water reticulation project. You cant abandon such a project half way. We have been talking of benefits of continuity. The former governor started it; this governor is taking it to the next stage. We are about to take it to a logical conclusion when every home will get pipe borne water. Only groups who are anti-people will stand against this kind of project. Only groups who are anti people would say we shouldnt do roads, even on federal roads that they control and they havent done. Kishi Kaiama is a federal road and we are about to ground-break it with over N2 billion in this bond. Those who are anti people would say we should not make our secondary schools up to the state of global schools so that people should continue to waste their money in Ghana, to give our children good education. So, it is completely untrue. Talking about continuity of government, what encouragement do you get from people as its benefits? It is in the feedback people express. You were there when we went to Isin and the joy people expressed. They had thought that when Governor Saraki left office, the road would not be done, but for this governor to do it was a source of joy for them. Same for Lafiaji township road which was completed by this administration, people have come to say thank you to this administration for doing the project. If you look at the communities where these projects are sited in Ajase Ipo in the Irepodun local government for example, people are very happy that the projects were initiated and completed by government. People are happy and their faith in governance has been strengthened and they have hope that few that had not received projects would get projects since they know those that were promised projects did get. So, the people of Kaiama Kishi axis for example knew that government will give them that road. The students of KWASU and people of Malete, where the university is located are happy that this government is expanding on what the previous administration had done. All beneficiaries of government projects have expressed appreciation and happiness on promises fulfilled. To that extent, we are getting very positive feedback on the projects from people and we are continuing.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 21:00:00 +0000
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