The All Progressives Congress, APC in Kwara State is leaving no stone unturned in its drive towards the transformation of the state. This move is bringing the dividends if democracy closer to the people ABDULLAHI OLESIN writes.

Mindful of the implications of their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the leadership of APC in Kwara state is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to deliver the state to the party during the 2015 general elections.

The development has made it imperative for the leader of APC in the state, Dr Bukola Saraki to embrace the principle of internal democracy. It also made it possible to party members to elect their representatives as well as present nominees for appointments, unlike the previous arrangement whereby only the leader decided who takes what.

This has given the party members in the state a sense of belonging and also explained why the implosion, earlier predicted in certain quarters to befall the party particularly after its ward, local government and state congresses, failed to occur.

Thus, arising from the party's consensus arrangements, party executives, at all levels in the state, emerged without any bitterness, rancour and bickering unlike the opposition, PDP in the state, which still has litigations in court over who is the elected chairman of the party in Ilorin West local government area of the state.

It's also pertinent to state here that all the mega parties that formed the APC in the state were adequately represented in the new executives put in place at the ward, local government and state levels.

And for the first time in the history of Saraki's political dynasty, party members at various wards in the state were given the opportunity to nominate those recently appointed as senior assistants and senior special assistants to the governor. It’s on record that all the 193 wards in the state benefited from one appointment or another in the current dispensation.

Another factor that makes the APC the party to beat in the 2015 general election is the legendry philanthropism of the Saraki political dynasty. Just like his father, the late strongman of Kwara politics, the late Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki (Olooye) did during his life time, the heir to the throne, Dr Bukola Saraki, is consistently giving charity to the people before, during and after elections.

It is equally important to note that the various leaders of the party have also endeared themselves to the populace by always making themselves available whether there is election or not, thereby meeting the people's material needs such as food items and clothing materials, among others.

Saraki has also been in the vanguard of sponsoring both Christians and Muslims in large numbers on pilgrimages to Israel and Mecca, aside empowering women with fridges, grinding machines, and cash, among others to enable them start small businesses. Of particular note was the recent commitment of the sum of N80 million by Saraki to provide Ramadan gifts to Muslims across the state irrespective of ethnic and political affiliation.

And it is not an exaggeration to say that anyone, indigene or non-indigene of the state, who is visiting the state for the first time in the last 11 years, will surely miss his way because of the monumental infrastructural projects executed by Saraki during his eight-year tenure as the governor of the state. The truth is that Saraki's administration had turned Ilorin, the state capital, to a modern and commercial centre.

The Saraki's efforts towards making APC the darling party of the people of the state are being actively complemented by the governor of the state, Alh AbdulFatah Ahmed through the implementation of people- oriented programmes and policies, empowering transporters, students, youths, artisans and farmers, among others while also creating employment opportunities to the unemployed.

The recent introduction of "Quickwin" programme, through which thousands of youths were engaged, is a pointer to this. Before the end of 2014, government plans to engage over 8,000 youths under this scheme which has been roundly applauded by the people. All these combine to make the party cohesive in the state.

Between 2011 and now, the administration of Governor Ahmed has engaged 10, 200 youths, empowered 41, 000 small business owners, provided 100 taxis to transporters, reduced fees at the state university, abolished tuition fees at senior secondary schools level, supplied free notebooks to senior secondary students, modernized five and equipped 13 general hospitals and 42 primary health centres, constructed and rehabilitated several hundred kilometers of urban and rural roads.

The governor has also expanded water supply, created a new generation of commercial farmers, connect 400 communities to the national grid and extended a globally-applauded Community Health Insurance Scheme to cover about 80, 000 Kwarans.

Everyone recognizes Governor Ahmed as youth-friendly and focused. He started earning those credentials within weeks of taking office with the engagement of 2, 000 youths through Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES).

Not only did the government engaged 5, 000 youths under the scheme in three years, 2, 000 of them now hold pensionable permanent employment in the state civil service. And it is on record that the state government has never defaulted in payment of KWABES beneficiaries since its inception.

Despite the shortfall in the federal allocation to the state, the government is still able to pay civil servants and pensioners their monthly salaries promptly on the 25th of every months.

The Ahmed administration has also established International Vocational Center in Ajase-Ipo, in the southern axis of the state to train youths on various vocational skill that could make them self-employed and employers of labour after the completion of their courses.

The Harmony Advanced Medical Diagnostic centre, the International Aviation College, both in Ilorin, the state capital and the New Nigerian Commercial Farming initiative in Shonga, Edu local government area of the state, aside from improving the fortunes of the state and its people have also registered the state on the world map.

To cap it up, the governor recently announced plans to upgrade 59 traditional institutions in the state. He also said that plans were in the offing to create local government development councils areas out of the existing 16 local government areas of the state. If the governor makes good his promise on the upgrading of traditional stools and creation of more local government councils, that will give APC bloc votes from both Kwara South and Kwara Central Senatorial districts.

While grading of traditional rulers are of paramount importance to the people of Kwara South, the people of Kwara Central have long been yearning for the creation of additional councils out of the existing five councils in Ilorin Emirate.

Indeed, Governor Ahmed worked and is still working as if he will not have a second chance. But for every hard work, there is a reward.

It's therefore, not surprising that without prompting, various groups from the length and breadth of the state are on a daily basis urging the governor to seek a second term of office.

Various groups such as Kwara South Youth Consultative Forum (KSYCF), Council of Ex- Students Leaders of Nigeria, Kwara State chapter and Kwara North Youth Consultative Forum, (KNYCF) from Kwara South and North Senatorial districts are daily pressurizing Ahmed to contest the 2015 governorship elections in the state.