After three years in office, Gov Abdulrazaq fails to hold media chat – Kwara journalists

By Hameed Muritala

For over three years that he has been in office, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara has not held any media chat with journalists in the State, a development that is so unusual of state governors and even presidents.
Journalists working in the State made this known during an interactive session with the immediate past Senate President and former governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, at the weekend.
Saraki, in his usual tradition, had invited the correspondents to an interactive session at his Ilorin residence, to converse with them on happenings within Kwara and at the national level.
One of the journalists who attended the meeting, lauded the PDP national leader for always looking forward to interact with them, recalling how as governor of Kwara, Saraki regularly interacted with news reporters to give account of his stewardship.
He noted that the same can however not be said of the present governor of the State, whom he said, had never invited journalists for interactive session nor accepted invitation for a media chat from media houses to give an account of his administration. The claim was corroborated by all the journalists in attendance, to the surprise of Saraki.
Visibly shocked Saraki described the development as a slap on democracy and not something to joke about, adding that “This sums up where we are today in the State.”
“It’s unfortunate that we have a Chief executive that does not hold media chat with journalists, which can also serve as an avenue for Kwarans to talk to and ask him questions. It is a situation like this that breeds the kind of lawlessness we see in the State today. If by God’s grace we win the next election and our governor doesn’t hold regular interactions with the media, I’ll be the first to castigate him.
“You know when I was governor, I was never like this. This kind of interaction was regular and that’s one of the ways we made ourselves accountable to the people. I’m sure you have colleagues in other states and you know how they interact with their governors. That’s democracy.
“I’m surprised you have been keeping this to yourselves. You’re not fair to your profession and to the people whose interest you claim to represent. I’m not asking you to fabricate stories but you have a responsibility to expose the lapses and inadequacies of the government. You’re the conscience of the people and must always stand on the right side of history. It is not about the PDP or APC but the people and future of the State,” Saraki told the journalists.
It is a common practice across the world for political leaders including governors and presidents to routinely hold media chats with journalists, and also interact with the people they govern. Media chats provide an avenue for leaders and the people to rub minds on government policies, action plans and sundry issues. It is believed that this is a better way for the government to get the needful feedback on sundry issues that will be of mutual benefit to both parties – the government and the governed.
Kwarans will recall that during the last political dispensation, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed usually held media chats tagged ‘Governor Explains’ where he fielded questions from a panel of journalists and even members of the public on a broad range of issues relating to governance and programmes of his administration. The media chat which aired on various radio stations in the State was religiously followed by Kwarans within and outside the State.
It is unclear why Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has refused to toe this line. Many have opined that it’s as a result of the failure of his administration and fear of facing probing questions from the journalists and people of the State.
With less than a year to the expiration of his tenure and as the general elections draw near, we hope that Governor Abdulrazaq will deem it fit to host a media chat with journalists in the State and also rub minds with Kwarans who have been eager to ask him questions relating to his handling of affairs of their State in the last three years.
Muritala, writes from Ilorin.