Date: 2016-12-05

The chairman, Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) for Offa Local government area of Kwara State, Mrs Bolaji Ibiyeye-Adisa, has debunked claims that the TIC members were handpicked by Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed.

Ibiyeye-Adisa described the emergence of members of the committee across the 16 local government areas as an affirmation of the democratic process in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki.

Ibiyeye-Adisa, who is also the Iyalode of Offa, told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, that contrary to what Saraki's opponents were saying, the process for selecting the TIC members was democratic.

Said she: "It is only under a democratic process which somebody like the Senate President and Governor Ahmed supervised that somebody like myself could have emerged as TIC chairman in a council area like Offa because the Senate President being the political leader of the state would always insist that whoever emerges must do so from the community level and not because he knows such a person."

She hailed the Offa APC ward chairmen and the local party executives for their overwhelming support and the trust reposed in her and promised that their confidence in choosing her and her team would not be disappointed.

Recalling that Offa used to be in opposition to the Saraki political structure, the TIC boss said the commitment of the Senate President to transparent processes and the developmental strides being witnessed by residents over the years have now endeared Saraki to the people of Offa.

Ibiyeye-Adisa also commended Saraki and Ahmed and their wives for going beyond the 35 percent affirmative action for the appointment of women into political offices. According to her, there are 12 female supervisory councillors and five female chairmen in the TIC for the 16 council areas. "It is really a very great achievement for us women in Kwara state, we have never had it this good and I doubt if this exists in many other states of the federation", she said.