BIOLA AZEEZ captures last week's reception organised by the Kwara State government for the immediate past Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, who was dropped by President Goodluck Jonathan recently.

Many Nigerians, especially sports lovers, saw the removal of the immediate past Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi from the nation's Federal Executive Council as shocking. However, political watchers in the country saw it coming, particularly with the current political calculations and manouvering prior to the 2015 general election.

Despite the apprehension and anxiety that greeted the government's pronouncement, the people of Kwara State, especially in Ilorin, state capital, where Mallam Abdulahi hails from, were proud of their own, with the records of achievements he was able to garner while in the saddle. Thus on Saturday, March 15, 2014, people, especially youths, trooped out into the streets in a carnival-like show to receive the former minister back home, in what many described as a triumphant entry.

Abdullahi, a former deputy editor with the THISDAY Newspapers, had joined the immediate past administration of former governor of the state, Dr Bukola Saraki, where he served in various capacities such as Special Assistant on Information and Strategy and Commissioner for Education. The journalist-turned technocrat, having served meritoriously, was put forward by his political leaderin June 2011, for appointment as a minister in President Goodluck Jonathan's cabinet. He was thereafter assigned a portfolio as Minister of Youths, and later moved to oversee the Ministry of Sports and made chairman, National Sports Commission, until he was removed by President Jonathan few weeks ago.

The state government, led by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, organised a reception to welcome him back to Ilorin. From the Ilorin International Airport, he landed, at about noon, into the waiting hands of a tumultuous crowd of well-wishers, friends,  supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and government functionaries. The former minister led a long convoy of vehicles in an open roof of his Jeep along the road to the Emir's palace.

The crowd of supporters and party faithful also followed him to Government House and Ilofa GRA residence of Dr Saraki where another group of people had waited to catch a glimpse of their illustrious son.

Speaking while meeting with Governor Ahmed in the Governor's Lodge, Mallam Abdulahi described the reception accorded him as unprecedented and inspiring. "What else can I say, except that the Almighty Allah will reward you for the love you have shown to me today. I have never seen anything like this in my life. And in my wildest imagination, I did not expect that a day like this would come. As I stood in the vehicle waving to the tumultuous crowd all the way from the airport to the Emir's palace, I kept asking myself what is it that I have done to deserve this? And that is why I want to thank Governor Ahmed very sincerely. You are my brother and my friend, but I'm not thanking you only for this day.

"Several times I came close to walking away but you always encouraged me to hang on there. I thank you very much and I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to guide you, abide by you and he will never bring you down. I want to thank all the people of Kwara for this show of love. I don't think I know one per cent of the people that came out to welcome me today. I don't think I have in any way done anything for one per cent of them.

"What I can say is that what we are celebrating today, that is what God has made possible for me to do in the last three years that you have sent me to Abuja as a minister, I dedicate to all the youth in the state. We, who were born towards the end and after the end of the Nigerian civil war, belong to the generation of people that are mostly here today. That is the generation that I belong to and what we have done in the last three years has shown that our generation, if given the opportunity, is capable of achieving great things.

"The governor and the Speaker, state House of Assembly, Razak Atunwa, and myself have come a long way. I thank the Speaker for standing by our governor. Kwara is one of the few states where you don't have crisis between the House of Assembly and executive. I believe this is due to the way our leader, Senator Saraki, has structured everything and the kind of leadership he has provided," he said.

Responding, Governor Ahmed described Abdulahi as "our own dear illustrious son, who, by all standards up till today, is the best Minister of Sports that has served in the country.

"We are indeed very happy to receive you. Some of us were not surprised about what you have done because you have always demonstrated that you are a man of quality, target and focus. Any position such people find themselves, they do well. We can go back to history. When you came as a special assistant to Governor Saraki, you exhibited enough support for government. You were the first special assistant to become member of the state executive council. You have a way of understanding what is going on in government and a sense of relevance in driving governance. It is not common.

"For us in Kwara, we are exceptionally proud of you and we are happy that you have gone and served very well. I'm happy that you left when the ovation was loudest. This is the choice of God. Allah created an edge for you into an administration that required a lot to be put in place to get public confidence and you were initially placed in Ministry of Youth and for the first time people know that there was youth ministry in Nigeria.

"When you got to the Sports Ministry, all the problems that existed and stopped Nigeria from making progress and winning laurels, you solved them all and we now have a fantastic Ministry of Sports. The result is history. No doubt, this is a reflection of your person and, for us, it is part of the qualities which have been imbued in us under the leadership of Senator Saraki. A lot of us went through the tutelage and exhibited that confidence in every assignment that we were given. For what you have done, glory be to Allah and I know this is just the beginning, because you have a lot of steam, energy and mental capacity to continue to contribute to grow Nigeria to greater heights.

"We all know that this is a turning-point in the political history of Nigeria, as quite a few things have happened that never happened in the past. We can see the security challenges; we can see the current political trend where it has become desirable to effect a change, for the needs and aspirations of our people. This change can only be carried out by people whose generation recognises them. And I'm very happy that we have all imbibed the need to effect a change on the lives of our people. I want to assure you that Kwara is still your home. It will not be different from the one you left behind. I beg you to continue to do the good works you have been doing since your incursion into politics in 2003.''

While at the residence of the senator representing Kwara Central senatorial district and political leader in the state, Senator Saraki, Abdullahi urged youths in the state not to be deceived by politicians promising freedom, saying they should continue to support and be loyal to the political leadership of Senator BukolaSaraki. He averred that Senator Saraki made him what he had become by appointing him to important positions, just as he did to Governor Ahmed. He said Senator Saraki did what he did without considering his poor background, saying his father was a tailor and his mother a petty trader.

He urged the youth to remain with Saraki whom he said was the only leader that could give them the desired freedom by enabling them to achieve their dreams and rise to prominence. "Don't allow anybody to deceive you about any freedom. There is no freedom anybody can give you. It is only our leader that can give you the freedom to rise to stardom and bring you to prominence," he added.

Also speaking, Saraki described Abdulahi as the best Minister of Sports ever produced in this country. Said Saraki: "I think our youths have something to learn from Bolaji. He has vindicated me. His performance has proved people wrong because when I brought him from Lagos, some people were against his choice. They wondered whether he would be loyal or committed to our cause. If I were not careful then I wouldn't bother to support him. But, today we thank God he has not disappointed us. When Bolaji wanted to quit I asked him to hang on there."

Also speaking, former PDP acting national chairman and now an APC chieftain, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, observed that Abdullahi did not betray the trust reposed in him by his leader, hence, he had prospered in his ways.