Politics

7th Anniversary: Kwara residents divided over Gov Ahmed’s performance

 

Plus special reports on Maigida’s Shared Prosperity programme

On Tuesday 29th May, 2018, Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed will celebrate 7th year in office as Kwara State Governor. JOKE ADENIYI-JACKSON takes a look at his strides in the road and water sectors of the economy and how it has impacted on the socio-economic development of the state.

Road Construction/Rehabilitation: The importance of road to economic development and growth cannot be over emphasised. Road infrastructure is said to be the most important of all public assets.

Perhaps conscious of this fact, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed since the inception of his administration in 2011 has embarked on massive road construction and rehabilitation across the state. In a bid to provide lasting infrastructural development, one of the steps taken by the present administration was the implementation of the initiative ‘Operation No Portholes’ in which roads across the state were repaired. Also, towards making the metropolitan and rural roads motorable, the present administration ensured completion of all the road projects inherited while roads that were initiated were completed and others at various levels of completion. This feat could be hinged on the State Infrastructure Development Fund (IFK) launched in September 2016. IFK is a sustainable platform designed to finance infrastructural projects from the State’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, where N500m is drawn monthly.

The effort of the Ahmed-led administration in this sector has no doubt accelerated socio – economic development in the state.

Some of the major road projects that have been completed across the state by the current administration include; the Eyenkorin Ballah-Alapa road;   Afon-Eyenkorin road; Akerebiata-Sango road;dualization of Ola-Olu-Offa Garage; rehabilitation of Alabi Owo road; construction of Baba Daudu-varsity avenue road; construction of Lafiagi township road;construction of Eruku-Koro road; Ganmo-Afon road and the rehabilitation of Sulu Gambari road.

Others are construction of Omu-Aran township-Landmark University road; dualisation of Offa Garage-Micheal Imodu road; rehabilitation of Post Office-ITC junction; construction of Olorunsogo road; Off Gaa-Akanbi; construction of Isanlu-Isin-Ijara-Isin road, Offa-Irra road;

construction of master concrete drain within Agbaji area; construction of Ero-Omo-Kilanko Offa garage road; construction of Offa township road metropolis; construction of Babanloma township road; re-construction of Pipeline bridge, to mention but a few.

The on-going road projects by the Governor Ahmed are the channelisation along Akerebiata Sango road; construction of Share-Oke-Ode road (section I and II) which has reached 49%;rehabilitation of Share-Oke-Ode road (section II) by 35%; construction of Isale Kannike-Idiopopo road Ilorin East; rehabilitation of Anilelerin Agun-Ita-Erin

(49%)and construction of Arandun-Rore-Aran-Orin-Ipetu road, which is nearing completion with 80 percent, among others.

Water Supply: Water is essential to life and living. To put an end to perennial water scarcity in the state the Governor Ahmed- government had adopted strategic approach to improve quality of water across the state.

Among other measures, the state government has rehabilitated various waterworks. The state government had assured that the Ilorin water reticulation project, which will pipe water to all homes within the metropolis, will soon be completed and reduce the accessibility gap from about 3000m to 1500m.

The projects completed by the administration of Governor Ahmed include; Ilorin Metropolis Pipe Network Extension Project; 78 units of  MDG solar boreholes;. rehabilitation of Arandun, Owode, Zambufu, Kanbi, Pepele, Gwanara; Ilesa-Baruba, Lafiagi, Kaiama, Megida and Rogun waterworks.

Rehabilitation works were also carried out on Agbeyangi, Pampo, Otte-Budo, Afon, Oyun, Ojoku, Obbo-Aiyegunle, Obbo-Aiyegunle and Ajasse-Ipo waterworks.

Other water projects by the state government are reticulation of pipes around Emir Palace, Ilorin; rehabilitation of pipes along Pipeline road, Ilorin; reconstruction of Share/Tsaragi Water Scheme; repair of washed-off Water Mains at Baba-Ode; provision of 160 and 281 motorised  and hand pump boreholes respectively.

To improve on supply of potable water in the state the present administration there are some projects that are at different levels of completions which are reconstruction of Share/Tsaragi Water Scheme; installation of pumps at 60% completion; rehabilitation of Rore Waterworks 75% and extension of water line from Pepele to Elesin-meta.


VOX POP: 7th Anniversary: Kwarans rate Gov Ahmed

Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah has been in the saddle of governance for 7 years, MATTHEW DENIS, AHMED AJIKOBI, KAYODE ADEOTi and MIKE ADEYEMI ask Kwara residents how the present administration has fared and their expectations towards the development of the state economy.

 

Yusuf Ali (SAN): The last one year of Governor Ahmed administration has witnessed a more aggressive developmental projects in the State.

 

Amos  Awoniyi (retired Civil Servant): Well, the state government has tried in the area of road construction. If I am to rate the government, I would give the present administration 60 per cent pass mark. Though lots still need to be done, but that doesn’t mean it has performed woefully.

 

Akeem Abdulsalam (Lawyer): Assessing the performance of the Kwara State government in the area of infrastructure, I think much still need to be done if compared with neighbouring state like Osun.

 

Segun Ategbese (Teacher): The Kwara State government in the past seven years has done nothing in the area of road construction in comparison with the Bukola Saraki administration. The state witnessed some level of infrastructural growth then than now. So, I will rank this government low in that regard.

 

Akorede Samson, (Trader): There is nothing to celebrate about the 7th year of Governor Ahmed in office. In the area of road construction. Most of the road projects are being executed by the Federal Government and Member of the House of Representatives, Funke Adeyemi. In my opinion the state government has not really performed in this area.

 

Femi Olarewaju, (Butcher): To me, our government has performed in the area of road construction. Even the blind knows that  road projects are being executed in parts of the state. The water scheme of the state government should also be applauded. The government has taken dividends to the doorsteps of the people. It is good here.

 

Emmanuel Ogunleye, (Engineer): I only pray that our government should yield to yearnings of members of the public. Kwarans are suffering. The distribution of water through tankers to nooks and crannies  of Ilorin is obsolete and the scheme is limited to Ilorin metropolis.

 

Alabi Femi, (Banker): Kwara State is not moving in the area of infrastructure as we witnessed during Bukola regime. Despite increased in the state’s IGR, there is nothing visible in terms of economic growth.

 

Idayat Olayinka, (Teacher): Kwara State will  join the league of states with infrastructural development with time. There is not much parade as achievement but  at least we enjoy peace in the state.

 

Sunday Adeniyi, (Banker): In Kwara State we enjoy relative peace and that alone is okay.

 

 Mas’ud Adebimpe , (Ex-Chief Press Secretary to the former state governor): Road rehabilitation programme by the state government is laudable. It will be recalled that the present administration started off with ‘operation no porthole’. The scheme ensures that our roads are motorable but along the line there were challenges and it stopped. It is a welcome development that it has been resuscitated. It is commendable because it is coming at a time when the state government is showing more commitment in this regard.

However, government needs to do more because the concentration of the road rehabilitation are being carried out in the  government reserved  areas, there is a need for it to be extended to the indigenous parts of the state capital.

The only way our roads can be sustain is by maintaining it and with the economic situation, government don’t have enough money to construct new roads, hence the need for regular maintenance in order to safe money for other projects that will impact on people’s lives..

On the aspect of water, the government is working on the reticulation by changing the old pipe and replacing it with new ones.

The water project is in three phases, the first and second phases have been completed. Much has been done in the  area of water projects in this state.

Water corporation should be alive to its responsibility by ensuring prompt repairs of pipe leakages to maintain the water project.

 

Muniru Alabi (Vulcanizer): Areas where the elites reside can boast of good roads  but coming down to the interior part of Ilorin, most of the roads are not good. For instance the road at  Oke-Fomo area is nothing home to write about. This is an area the state government should look into towards doing the needful. In the area of water supply, I will rate the present administration as average.

 

Owolabi Ismail (Driver): In the area of road construction, I will rate the state government above average. The Governor Ahmed’s administration need to speed up work on the Asa-Dam/Egbejila road, the Gerewu area should be considered for road construction need.

On water, the administration needs to do more as it is not seen to be doing enough. Majority of people are suffering as a result of water scarcity. Distributing water with tankers is  not the solution. There is need for government to find lasting solution to the problem.

 

Muhammad Yaro (Unilorin Lecturer): On the Underpass, this is a nice project that will not only beautify the state capital which is the centre of business attraction in the state. Apart from beatifying the capital, it will also reduce traffic congestion which will ease vehicular movement and traffic congestion. It is a very nice project which will boost economic and business activities in the state.

One other project where I  will give the Governor a pass mark is the electrification programme that will increase the number of business hours, I  have been to other parts of the world where electricity is 24 hours and business activities takes place all round the clock. This will equally increase production and the GDP of the state which will equally reduce the unemployment and the level of poverty.

As for the water, the reticulation which is in its final stage is a key project. With the provision of water government has shown that it has the welfare of the people at heart and fulfilment of the social contract. It is expected that the citizens will show more support to government policies by paying taxes. So all these combined together will equally increase the credibility of government.

 

Yakeen Agunbiade (state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC): Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s seven years in office has recorded  lots of projects in the state this is as a result of his experiences as the former commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning respectively during the previous administration. He was able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage for the civil servants in the state. Despite the dwindling Federal allocation the Governor has continue to ensure that the salary of workers are paid promptly every month. He ensure welfare of workers through promotion. The Governor has performed well in the area of road construction and rehabilitation across the state. However, he must ensure prompt delivery of the Geri Alimi underpass project. The Governor has however failed in the area of housing scheme for civil servants.

 

 Kunle Oloruntade (Deputy President, Kwara State National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE): Governor Ahmed has done well in facilitating the recent N4 billion loans to offset salary arrears of local government workers, but we want him to look inwards towards   ensuring that the issue of salary arrears is cleared before the end of his tenure. Another area is to reduce  financial  burden of local government by ensuring that the state government takes over responsibility for junior Secondary Schools.

 

 Oladele Babajamu (Retd Colonel): Many of my relations work with Local government in the state and they are being owed  backlog of ssalary. There are many people who are unemployed and there is marginalization of Christians when it comes to political appointments.

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