Date: 2014-05-15

Stakeholders in Kwara State have commended the successful implementation of a new brand of identity and campaign in a bid to enhance their shared prosperity as well as make the state an investment destination to both local and foreign investors.

The state government had unveiled a new brand logo and flagged off a new campaign tagged "Its Good Here" in its quest to grow the state for greater prosperity as part of its overall strategy to promote the state as a top investment destination.

Under this initiative the state intends to leverage on its existing reputation for peace, strengths in agriculture, commerce, solid minerals development, tourism and strategic infrastructure.

The governor of the state, Mr Abdulfatah Ahmed, said "the previous administration placed the state on a global stage through innovative programmes and policies."

He remarked that the present administration is making history by midwifing a new Kwara which will give everyone a greater sense of pride, ownership and participation. Consequently, the people of the state, over the last two years, have enjoyed shared prosperity through the creation of laudable programmes which has enhanced effective economic growth by way of support for commercial agriculture through public/private partnership (PPP), human capital development and youth empowerment.

Also strategic infrastructure such as strengthening of healthcare delivery through 500 meters access to quality primary health centres supported by a cluster of secondary health institutions and effective governance through the implementation of service charter with a strong emphasis on performance management, monitoring and reward through performance contracts among others are among these programmes.

Reacting to the positive impact of the policies, a teacher at Gaa-Akanbi LGBA School B, Mrs M.T. Ogunifa, said that before the renovation of the school building, the school was nothing to write home about. "Part of the building had collapsed for more than two to three years, endangering pupils' lives. We were therefore instructed to pull down part of the building in order not to endanger their lives. We did and after some time, they came to tell us that the building had been renovated. Initially, we thought it was a joke but eventually, within a short period of time, the work has been perfectly done," she said.

Parents, pupils and teachers of the school were all happy and the school now looks like a higher institution, not a primary school. They didn't believe that government could do something of this nature and this has really improved enrolment into the school.

A student of one government secondary school, Abdul-Quadir Ramat, also said government has renovated all their laboratries and bought new equipment for the infotech, chemistry, and physics laboratries.In the same vein, the principal, Government High School, Senior Section, Hajia Mariam Abdul Malik, said the infotech and food and nutrition laboratries in the school were renovated.

"We are lucky we have our laboratories and classrooms renovated. We have classrooms and the dining hall that had been condemned renovated," Abdul Malik.

On the provision of portable water, a resident of Ojo Ekun Community, Salisu Sulaiman, said, "The state governor has dug a borehole for us and we appreciate that. We know that this is not done just for the Ojo-Ekun's but all Kwarans."

A resident of Ofe Budo Egba, Fatimo Babatunde, said, "We have a lot to say about the government. First of all, we have good leaders; may God continue to enrich them in wisdom. They gave us transformer and it's not disturbing us."

A mechanic at Fate Road, Ilorin, Akeem Lawal, said, "The government is working. We used to encounter problem on this road during the rainy season but since the reconstruction of this road, we have not witnessed any flooding. Another resident at Omubo, Ilorin, Mrs Omidoyin, said, "We thank the government for the repair of this road because prior to this repair, our area was always flooded but now, we are free from flood."

A nurse from the state School of Nursing, also lent her voice to the changes the state government policies had brought to bear on the education sector, especially on her school library. "The library is more comfortable now and there are enough useful and relevant books not just books," she said. equipped books. There is also an air condition there which was not there as at last year. And there is enough water in the hostel and mosquito nets and fans are also available now. We now have porters to attend to our needs. Looking at the environment, it's more comfortable, the security is tighter than before.