Date: 2017-05-20

With the celebration of 50th anniversary of Kwara State formally kick-starting today, the state government has said there was no plan to rename the state from what it is presently.

It said agitation in some quarters on changing the name of the state from the subsisting name was a mere clamour, insisting that it was not in the agenda of the present administration to change the name.

At a world press conference heralding the golden jubilee anniversary of the state held in Ilorin on Wednesday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Sola Isiaka Gold, maintained that the government was not weighing any option whether to rename the state.

The SSG addressed the press conference alongside the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe; his counterpart in Planning and Economic Development, Alhaji Wasiu Odewale; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede and former Special Adviser Communication Strategy, Alhaji Abdulraheem Adedoyin among other members of the anniversary committee.

He disclosed that the name "Kwara", sourced from River Niger, is better left the way it is because of historical antecedent that gave birth to it.

Gold, who is also the Chairman, Golden Jubilee Anniversary Committee, told the press conference that Kwara was not the only state that derived its name from the River, adding that some states in the country also carved their names from the River.

He said the state has turned a model for its contemporaries in terms of peaceful co-existence, pointing that this has eluded some states in the country.

"The naming of Kwara is a big river, and the big river we have is River Niger. That is where we derived Kwara. We have River Kaduna, River Niger and River Benue and so on. If you are talking about naming, that was how we got our own. Those ones clamouring for change of name, I don't know what they want again. But I think Kwara is Kwara and we have cause to celebrate.

"If you go down to other states, you will see within a community two different tribes fighting themselves. In Kwara today, we have the Barubas, the Ibolos, the Yorubas, the Hausas, the Fulanis and the Nupes and so on. Unity in Kwara, that is our greatest achievement.

"Despite the fact that we are diverse in terms of tribes, religions, we are more united than any other states in this country. If in the last 50 years, we want to go back, we will say in this area, we have achieved.

"Another thing is that in 1967, before the creation of the state, we knew how the state looked like but today, we can boast of many Universities including federal, state and private. We have Colleges of Education and Polytechnics", he said.

On whether state has met the yearnings of the founding fathers, Gold noted that Kwara remains one of the most united states in the country, which is a major attribute bequeathed by forefathers.

"When Kwara State was created, we happened to be alive at that time and we are not small. At that time, we know what the state was and today, there is one thing we can take in this state and be proud of.

"Our founding fathers wanted united people, a peaceful environment. Today in Kwara, if you are talking about anything, we are more united than any state in the country. If you are talking about women or people in other places, people migrate to Kwara than any other state either in the South or in the North. In terms of security, Kwara State is more peaceful than any other states. So, I think we have been able to meet the yearnings of the founding fathers".

The state scribe denied that the government had earmarked N2billion to celebrate the golden jubilee, saying it was a rumour.

He said such huge amount was not even in the coffers of the government considering frequent shortfalls in the monthly allocation coming to the state from the federation purse.

Gold told the briefing that the event would be celebrated on a low key basis because of the mood of the nation.

"If anybody carries the rumour that N2billion will be spent on golden jubilee celebration, we don't even have the N2billion here. What do we get from the federation account on a monthly basis that we will now talk about N2billion for this thing? I think that is just a rumour. There is nothing like N2billion being spent on this event.

"For the amount budgeted, we said it is low key. If you say something is low key, you will spend little amount or money on it", the SSG said.