Date: 2010-09-22

The Kwara State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki has urged those clamouring for 2011 to exercise patience, saying it was too early to start thinking of issues relating to the 2011 political race. 

Dr Saraki, who disclosed this on Monday at an interactive session with journalists in the State as part of the activities to mark the Eid-el-Fitri celebration, said the kind of political stability that exists in the State and the policies and agenda of his administration does not warrant such agitation now.  

His words: “I believe that with the kind of political stability that we have, a year and nine months is still a long time  and as I said, when the time comes, we will begin to address those issues”.  

“For now, I have no concern for 2011 at all and I don’t think we should allow the cold that might be in other States to catch us here”, Saraki stated further.
 

Our concern, he explained, is to ensure that all the on-going projects, particularly the road projects and some of the infrastructural projects as well as some of the projects that are slated under the bond like the State University and its Satellite Campuses at Osi and Ilesha-Baruba, Aviation College among others are executed and completed.  

Preparation for 2011 in his view, was rather too early because of the background and the stability in the political set up in Kwara State, pointing out that the focus of his administration should be on what is needed by the people and we should  be able to deliver in 2011.  

According to him, it was only in a situation of political instability or strong opposition that a ruling party would have to swing into action early enough.  

“If it was a case of where you have political instability, a case where the opposition is even much stronger and you have a case of where there is internal crisis within the political parties, then I will agree that it is time for us to begin to look at those issues”, Saraki explained.  

He described the situation in Kwara State as the advantage of providing political stability and having a focus government in power that is committed to the well-being of its citizenry.  

Dr Saraki cautioned the relevant stakeholders, most especially those drumming support for early preparation for 2011 race not to divert the focus of his administration from providing good governance, which he said, his government was known for in the past six years.  

He assured that when the time for politicking comes and knocks on our doorsteps, we will all begin to address those issues concerning the 2011 project.
 

Mas’ud Adebimpe

Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
22/09/09