By Joke Adeniyi-Jackson and Mumini Abdulkareem
On Thursday, 5th September, 2019 Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who was sworn
on May 29 as Governor of Kwara State, marked his first 100days in
office. Though, 100 days is not long enough for fair assessment, but
the foundation of governance, be it good or bad, is believed to be
laid within this timeframe.
Since the governor came on board, his style of governance has
attracted controversies, commendations and condemnations. The
emergence of the governor through the sweeping ‘Otoge’ movement, had
heightened expectations of Kwarans who believed they were in for
better deal in governance and purposeful leadership. However, critics
are wont to believe that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor
who had an easy ride to power, came in unprepared for governance.
This, they allude to lack of clear cut policy direction and blue print
for development of the state. While his supporters are praising him
for hitting the ground running, critics believe that his movement is
not surefooted.
The Governor first courted controversy with his unusual governance
style. His unorthodox and ‘unexecutive’ style of administration
received criticism from various quarters. Governor Abdulrazaq since
he assumed office has been using his personal car and going about
without the usual convoy and visiting facilities at odd hours. It was
reported that the Governor few weeks ago paid unscheduled visit to
Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin at about 11:30pm.
Speaking on Governor Abdulrazaq’s unusual style, a legal practitioner,
in the state, Abdul Tunde Gegele, described it as suicidal. In a
recent interview, the lawyer said, “It is wrong and dangerous, I agree
that the governor is popular…But that does not mean he should throw
caution to the wind. It is risky for him to be driving himself around
town without security details.
“President John Kennedy was very popular in America when he was
assassinated and so was our former military head of state, General
Muritala.”
He advised the Governor to be more concerned about governance than
impressing people.
Also the Governor has been bashed by the opposition and critics for
dereliction of responsibilities which have been taken over by his
deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi. On several occasions, his deputy had stood
him for him at public functions. Mr. Alabi has been handling most of
the state assignments as well. Recall, that the Deputy Governor played
host to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari during the
last Bareke and represented the Governor at the second edition of the
Grand Durbar, among others.
A look at the activities of Governor Abdulrazaq reveals admixture of
achievements and low performance viz-a-viz his campaign promises.
The Governor like his counterparts in some states, is yet to
constitute his cabinet, which political analysts posited has slowed
down governance in the state.
His tour and unscheduled visits to facilities, ministries and
parastatals were dogged by kudos and knocks. While some Kwarans were
of the opinion that the visits will give him first hand information on
state of things, others perceived it as time wasting as he was
expected to have had fore knowledge of what is on ground.
Nonetheless, Governor Abdulrazaq has made interventions in some
sectors towards development within the 100days time frame.
One of the foremost intervention of the state government was in the
information sector. At the time the Governor assumed office the Kwara
Television, Radio Kwara and The Herald were not in operation. Through
his intervention, the television and radio stations as well as the
newspaper came back on air and newsstands respectively. But, with this
intervention, there has not been visible changes in the operation of
the three media houses; it is still business as usual.
In the water resources sector, Governor Abdulrazaq released fund to
the ministry in charge, to fix some abandoned waterworks in the state.
They are Agba Dam, Igbaja, Kaiama, Patigi and Lafiagi waterworks among
others, which are at various stages of completion. Also, there is the
ongoing rehabilitation of boreholes, to address the problem of water
shortage in the state. Though, this effort has yielded some level of
result, but many parts of Ilorin, the state capital are yet to enjoy
the supply of potable water.
Towards quality healthcare service delivery, the state government paid
N232m counterpart fund to address child and maternal health problems,
malnutrition and malaria, to enable Kwara access the Basic Healthcare
Provisions Fund to provide subsidised healthcare, especially for the
poor and the vulnerable. In line with the objective, the state
government also organised health summit designed to be problem-based
and solution- oriented with emphasis on health financing. Aside, these
efforts, the health sector is still grappling with problems of
inadequate health personnel and equipment, as well as poor welfare of
health workers.
In the area of road infrastructure, a major plus for the present
administration is the rehabilitation of the Oke-Foma bridge, Ita Amo
of Ilorin, which hitherto collapsed and cut off the community from
other parts of the metropolis. For ease of movement, the Governor
released fund to the state Road Maintenance Agency (KWARMA) for the
rehabilitation of pothole ridden metropolitan roads. The first tranche
of N200m counterpart funds was paid for the state to benefit $60m
Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project III of the World Bank.
The rehabilitation of Gwanara road in Baruten Local Government Area of
the state is ongoing while the Coca-Cola road bridge in Ilorin and the
Ilala bridge in Irepodun Local Government Area have been fixed.
However, the repairs of pot holes on roads in Ilorin have stopped and
no reason has been adduced for the development.
In a bid to ensure qualitative education, one of the steps taken by
the Abdulrazaq led government is the payment of the N450m counterpart
funding for Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The Governor
upon assuming office released N250m for Colleges of Education in July
to offset part of salary backlogs.
For effective dispensation of justice, two courts; one at Centre
Igboro and the other in Sango are being rehabilitated.
Nevertheless, the Governor has about 1,360 days in office for his
first terms; it is left to be seen if he would live up to the
expectations of Kwarans who gave him their mandates at the March 9
polls.
Controversies
Governor Abdulrazaq has take some controversial decisions that have
attracted differing comments from the populace. This report takes a
look at some of the contentious pronouncements that has defined the
administration in the last three months.
Dissolution of Local Government Chairmen
Despite the lawsuit filed by the sixteen Local Government chairmen
during the last administration to stop their possible sak by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state, Governor
Abdulrazaq citing the resolution of the 9th Kwara State House of
Assembly on the issue suspended the entire Local Government chairmen
and directed the Director of Personnel Management (DPMs) to take over
the mantle of leadership at the third tier of government.
Although, the government has maintained that the ongoing investigation
will determine whether the affected officials will be recalled or
rejected depending on the findings and recommendation of the
legislature investigating the matter the issue has continued to
attract fireworks from the opposition and ruling party. While
opponents of the government’s decision have cited the recent Supreme
Court decision in Ekiti State which criminalise the sack of the
state’s council officials, the proponents of the administration have
said that the they were only suspended and not sacked and argued that
investigation will determine whether the council bosses will be
recalled or kicked out.
Twelve out of the affected council bosses have however sought
political solution to the issue with four chairmen viz Ekiti,
Irepodun, Ilorin East and Ilorin West rejecting such move. With the
completion of the report of the investigation by the legislature,
there is palpable anxiety in the polity over the LG bosses plight.
Dissolution of Commissions
After it first dissolved the State Fiscal Responsibility Commission
chaired by former chairman of Irepodun Local Government, Lukman
Owolewa, Governor Abdulrazaq last month finally moved against three
other statutory commissions in the state set up at the twilight of the
last administration. These include the Kwara Assembly Commission,
Civil Service Commission and Kwara State Independent Electoral
Commissions (KWSEIC). The chairmen of the last two commissions, Alhaji
Sakariyau Onimago and Taiye Eleja Banu respectively where initially
queried by the government over accusation of allegedly shunning the
latter’s activities since they were sworn in. But after initial lull,
the Governor struck recently wielding the big stick against the
commissions.
Change of State Logo
In August, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye announced that his principal has ordered the
immediate reversal of the use of the Kwara State logo which many
believed converged the cultural and economic diversity and potentials
of the state adopted by the last administration in 2012, to the
national Coat of Arms. The government’s position which came without
any explanation surprised many stakeholders who criticised the
needleless decision considering the billions of naira that would be
involved to effect the change across board for a state that said it
wants to curb unnecessary wastage of resources.
Non attendance of Grand Durbar
Governor Abdulrazaq decision to stay away from the second edition of
the Ilorin Grand Durbar was a major talking point that many citizens
of the emirate are yet to come to terms with. The religious event
which seeks to promote the social-cultural diversity of Ilorin emirate
that is held a day after the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration was heavily
blighted by the politicisation by the government even after earlier
requesting top members of the opposition party like the former Senate
President, Dr Bukola Saraki among others be excluded from the list of
invitees despite his position as the Waziri (Prime Minister) of Ilorin
Emirate. Unlike the first edition last year which saw members of all
the political parties who are Ilorin indigenes present at the event,
the government decision followed by boycott from other top invitees
took the shine off the event this year.
Absence at Eid Prayer Ground
Just like the situation was during the Grand Durbar, Governor
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was conspicuously missing at the central Eid
prayer ground, Irewolede during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration. The
effect of his controversial absence was however compounded by the
failure of the government to provide any official information as
regards where the Governor was during the all important religious
festival giving room for insinuations that he was in the UK for
undisclosed reasons. For a Governor that was one of the early callers
at the same venue during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration, it became
difficult for some stakeholders to rationalise his absence at the Eid
against the backdrop of his presence at the Juma’at that preceded the
Sunday event.
Shunning Bareke
Just like he did with the Durbar and at the Eid praying ground,
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq completed the tripod with his non
availability at the traditional Bareke ceremony where the Emir of
Ilorin will visits the Governor at the Government House. Instead, it
was the Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi who was reportedly seconded
by the governor to receive the Emir at the event. The action was
criticised by sympathisers of the traditional institution within the
emirate.
Declining Responsibly for Local Government Salaries
Another announcement or decision taken by the APC government in the
last 100 days that also attracted unsupportive comments from
stakeholders in the sector was the statement by its media men that the
government is not responsible for the payment of the salaries and
arrears of the local government workers and SUBEB teachers. The
statement, coming after similar position by the last government was
used by top APC leaders to allegedly instigate affected workers
against the last administration, was heavily criticised by the local
government stakeholders. Coupled with the allegation of the labour
unions in the state that the governor has been playing “hide and seek’
by refusing to meet them after his inauguration despite several
efforts
Appointment of Market Leaderships
The decision by the government of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to install a
new leadership for the traders associations in the state has elicited
criticism in the polity. The certification of new Iyaloja and
Babaloja, Alhaja Sidikat Akaje and Alhaji Abdullahi Saad respectively
by the government last week was seen in the camp of the opposition as
unnecessary dabbling into the politics of traders’ association in the
state and an attempt to sack the leadership that was installed by the
last administration because of politics.
Promises
Although, the APC manifesto which Governor Abdulrazaq hinged his
promise on did not say anything or what to expect in 100 days of
governance, some top chieftains of the party described by critics as
vuvuzuelas led by former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), have reportedly promised while featuring on numerous radio
programmes that their government will clear salary backlogs owed Local
Government workers and SUBEB teachers in the state and implement the
N18,000 minimum wage among numerous ‘outrageous’ promises including
construction of roads and provision of tractors in Local Governments
across the state among others. The Kwara State chairman of the
Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Ade Alabi speaking on 100 days
of the Governor described the promise as a wish list until proven
otherwise. “Up to this moment, the basic and needed governance
parameters are apparently not in place. So, to me the Campaign
Manifestos of the ruling “O TO GE” government in Kwara still remain a
wish list until proven otherwise”, he added.
