Date: 2014-11-30

It might have taken some time to come, not because he was not willing to fulfill but because the federal government has continued to engage in financial profligacy and continuous decimation of states’ allocations, but finally, the people of Kaiama can testify to the faithfulness of the Ahmed administration to its promise to ensure every  section of the state is touched with its projects and programmes.

The opposition may sing whatever kind of song that comes to their mouth but nobody can deny that today, there is a befitting General Hospital for the people of Kaiama and its environs and the long-abandoned Kaiama-Kishi N7.9 billion federal road had been kick-started by the Kwara state government. They have also been connected to the national grid, as promised by the governor during his campaigns for election in 2011.

This administration has not deceived the people of the state for one day by giving the impression that it will attend to all the problems confronting the people in a jiffy. Rather, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had consistently told the people, with genuine assurances that if they will wait and cooperate with the administration, “In Sha Allah, each community will get its turn to be attended to”.

The history of the Kishi-Kaiama road which governor Ahmed also flagged off has been a sad one since 1980. Contract for the rehabilitation was given to so many contractors by the federal government but never saw light of the day because the FG either lacked the desired commitment or corruption. Like most other federal roads in the state, all the contractors abandoned the project. Banjoko Construction company was given the job in 1980 but abandoned it shortly after earthworks; Meridian Engineering Company was awarded the contract in 1986 and also abandoned the project after a few kilometres. In 1995, Ra-Lawal Construction Company commenced construction and abruptly stopped work after 28km progress.?

Following the Progressive steps of his predecessor and leader, Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki who constructed the Ilesha-Baruba-Kosubosu road which the FG has sadly not paid for, the governor was also determined to make a difference. A strategic planner, human and material resources manager, he planned. Knowing full well that the meager resources of the state may not weather the storm of this very important road, he decided to go for a bond after offloading the existing one in June. The enemies of the people would not allow him have his way. They connived with the Diaspora politicians whose stock in trade is negotiating the people’s welfare for their personal benefits. They succeeded in temporarily prolonging the pains of the people.

While the people prayed, Governor Ahmed, an unrepentant lover of the people was exploring other possibilities. This sad history must have explained the sense of fulfillment the governor displayed at Kaima when he told the people about his sense of joy starting the road again with a promise that he had secured the needed funding for the take-off and completion of the project. He said, “I am fulfilled because having pledged to rehabilitate this Federal Road since last year and connect more communities to the national grid, we are fulfilling that pledge with these interventions. Today, we once again demonstrate that whatever we pledge to the people we deliver to the people.” Like I always tell people, whenever Ahmed gives you a promise, you can take it to the bank because it is guaranteed to deliver.

And that is why other communities yet to benefit from the touch of government can relax in the understanding that they are not forgotten and that their own time will soon come. For instance, the governor has promised to flag-off work on some other roads in the next few days. They include Ilesha-Baruba–Gwanara Road in Baruten Local Government Area, Maigida – Arobadi Road in Moro Local Government Area, Mission Road, Lafiagi, in Edu Local Government Area and the bye-pass from Asa Dam Road to Egbejila and Airport in Ilorin West Local Government Area.

The commissioning of the remodeled General Hospital in Kaima, at a cost of N300 million, also had its own significance, just like the road in the area. The hospital is one of the physical symbols of this administration in providing quality health care for the people. But there are other efforts that one may not see on ground like a building but which are yielding great dividends to the people of the state. One of such is the subsidized community health insurance which the governor has pledged another sum of N7b as co-premium to other parents in the scheme to ensure that in the end, subsidized community health insurance gets to all rural dwellers in our state. yet he has also promised to remodel additional hospitals and build new ones in 2015 all of these basically because the Shared Prosperity Programme of the government has prioritized infrastructure development, especially the strategic provision of quality and affordable healthcare as core of its focus for pursuit.

Perhaps I should remind the good people of Kwara State that the health insurance scheme has won laurels for this state in foreign lands and that we have also established a world class diagnostic centre in Ilorin which is also doing well and have upgraded over 15 primary Health Centres across the state all in a bid to fulfill the vision of providing affordable health care for the people.

And I like to report that flowing from the abundance of their joy, the people of Kaiama bestowed a surprise chieftaincy title on my boss. It was to them, I believe, a demonstration of their gratitude to a governor who has shown without any room for doubt that he remains faithful to the people of Kwara and will continue to work for their upliftment notwithstanding efforts to strangulate the state economically merely for being in the opposition.

Hear him after accepting his new title, Jarman of Kaiama: “My turbaning as the Jarman of Kaiama is a pleasant surprise, a royal endorsement that I will always value and cherish. Today is, no doubt, a day of joy for myself and my family. Having successfully completed the flag-off of Kaiama – Kishi Road and commissioning of the General Hospital, I consider it a rare privilege and honour to receive the traditional title from His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kaiama.

“I am aware that with this title, I have automatically become a warrior for the community, an arrow head of the Palace and a member of the Emirate. I humbly place my services at the disposal of Your Royal Highness, the Emirate Council and indeed the entire people of Kaiama area. I pledge to serve all our people to the best of my ability to justify your confidence in me.

“Furthermore, I assure your Royal Highness and indeed the good people of Kaiama that we would continue to do our utmost to ensure the growth, development and progress of Kaiama and indeed the whole of our state.”

And like I said at the start of this piece, the opposition may sing any song they like about us, after all the Yoruba have concluded such issues by saying every man is at liberty to use his tongue they way he pleases. But the truth on ground will always justify us. The good people of Kaiama, who are seeing their road coming up, who can go to a remodeled and befitting hospital, who now have better access to electricity, will always remember us for good when the time comes.

Congratulations, Jarman Kaiama.

FOR THE RECORD

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has lauded the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed over the construction of abandoned federal roads that had been long neglected by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration in Kwara State.

The APC also mocked the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its groundless and shameless criticism of the recent flag-off event for the construction of Kishi-Kaiama federal road by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, the APC said, “Kwara PDP is a nest of hypocrites and valueless politicians in a gang up to undermine the development of Kwara State”.

“We commend the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed for taking courageous step, in the interest of the good people of Kwara State, to construct and rehabilitate abandoned federal roads in our dear state.

“This intervention is highly lauded owing to facts that Kwara State experiences condemnable and outrageous decline in federal allocation, and the failure of the federal government to pay the outstanding debt of over N12billion that Kwara state government has spent on federal roads over the years.

“It is cloudless and clear that the PDP-led federal government has abandoned all its statutory duties to the people of Kwara State. However, we encourage Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to continue to stand by the people of Kwara State.

“Meanwhile, the criticism of the recent flag-off event for construction of Kishi-Kaiama federal road by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State is groundless and shameless.

“It is surprising to the people of Kwara State, especially the people of Kwara North senatorial district, that the only premise of criticism offered by PDP spokesman, Mr Rex Olawoye on a live programme at Harmony FM on Thursday was that because the dilapidated Kishi-Kaiama road is a federal road, the Kwara State government shouldn’t have intervened.

“The ridiculous assertion of PDP spokesman shows that Kwara PDP is a nest of hypocrites and valueless politicians in a gang up to undermine the development of Kwara State.

“The issues are: why has the PDP-led federal government abandoned the Kishi-Kaiama road for years immemorial? Why has Kwara PDP, with its pretences, been unable to get President Goodluck Jonathan to fix the road if PDP truly cares about the welfarism of Kwarans?

Now that Offa Road has been rehabilitated by Kwara State government, are motorists and commuters of the route not better off? Of course, the hardship hitherto experienced by Kwarans on the route have been eliminated.

“It is interesting that Kwara PDP has dug its political grave in Kwara State. Kwara PDP lacks genuine plans, capacity and competence to enhance the development of Kwara State. Kwarans shall gladly bury PDP in its self-dug political grave by February.

“Even though, the political reality in Kwara State shows that President Goodluck Jonathan can not gather up to 20% of votes in next year’s presidential election against PDP’s targeted 25% in Kwara State, we appeal to him to show responsibility in its statutory duties to the people of Kwara State.”, the statement read.

Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has submitted his nomination forms for the February 2015 Gubernatorial elections to the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja.

Speaking after the submission, Governor Ahmed said he was seeking re-election in order to expand the frontiers of infrastructural and human capital development in the State.

He said in over three years his administration in line with the driving force of a legacy of continuity completed projects inherited from the last administration in the State and embarked on new ones.

The Chairman of APC in Kwara State, Honurable Ishola Balogun Fulani commended Governor Ahmed for sustaining the tempo of development initiated by the Bukola Saraki administration.

Hon. Balogun Fulani said it was noteworthy that despite the shortfall in fiscal allocation from the federal government, the Abdulfatah Ahmed administration had been able to pay workers’ salaries regularly, embark on life impacting projects, including youth employment and empowerment, micro credit schemes among others.

In his remark, the National Organising Secretary of the APC, Senator Osita Izunazo commended the APC in Kwara State for the peaceful conduct of its affairs.

He also commended Governor Ahmed for initiating programmes and policies that were impacting positively on the people of the State.

The Governor was accompanied to the APC National Secretariat by the State Chairman of the Party, Hon. Ishola Balogun Fulani, Chairman, Kwara North Senatorial District, Alhaji Isiaka Oniwa his Kwara South and Central counterparts, Alhaji Jimoh Balogun, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina and former Governor of Kwara State, Senator Muhammad Sha’aba Lafiagi, Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold and Chief of Staff, Alhaji Toyin Sanusi.

Oba, Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, writes from Ilorin.