By Tunde Akanbi

There are some states in Nigeria today that have not been enjoying peace or peaceful co-existence among their citizens since the inception of the present administration in the affected states years ago.

They have been battling with multifaceted crisis ranging from between the governors and their deputies, among lawmakers in the state Houses of Assembly while the grevious cases are killings or maiming of innocent souls which might be linked to political differences while some states are involved in various litigations.

It is unfortunate that residents of the affected states have been caught up in the web of political crises, insecurity and legal tussles. Kwara State, widely known and referred to as the state of Peace and Harmony, however, has a story of success to tell.

 To start with, the relationship between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary has been in good shape while the civil servants and other residents in the state have been going about their businesses peacefully in harmonious co-existence.

Traditional rulers, community and religious leaders across the state and their followers have not been crossing one another’s path. They have been basking in the glory of God and enjoying dividends of democracy as provided by the government.

Also of note worthy is the sustenance of  relationship between the political leader of Kwara State politics, Senator Bukola Saraki and the State Governor, Alhaji Abdul Fatah Ahmed which started years ago and has continued to flourish unabated and extended to the executive and the legislative arms.

The humility of Governor Abdul Fatah Ahmed and his respect for all and sundry, have earned him a great honour among the pen pushers in the last two years as the governor also shows respect to the media practitioners and even calls most of them by their first names at official gatherings to show the level of familiarity.

“ The Governor Explains” a live and phone-in programme, which gives the people, no matter their political learning’s the opportunity to trash out any knotty issue with the Chief Executive is another giant stride which closes the communication gab between the people and the Governor thereby providing more peaceful co-existence.

Governor Ahmed is one of those democrats that believe in the free flow of information in view of the fact that a problem known is a problem half solved.

The Offa and Erin-Ile communities, Share and Tsaragi as well as Ganmo and Gana settlements will continue to appreciate the present administration’s proactiveness in restoring peace to their domains.

Due to the faithfulness and sincerity of purpose of the Governor and without taking sides, he was able to overcome the disturbances in those communities that ordinarily, were indivisible large family.

The various concerned communities have now realised that peace cannot be acquired by force but can only be achieved through mutual understanding One other issue that the Kwara State government has also pursued with vigour to maintain peace in the state is providing employment and empowering the people so as to guide against youth restiveness.

Most of the youths and unemployed graduates that were jobless after the 2011 general elections that would have disrupted the peace in the state, have now been engaged in one trade or the other courtesy of KWABES and the SURE-P programme of the Federal Government since the government has realised that one of the greatest dangers to peace lies in the economic pressure in which people found themselves.

It is, not therefore how long one has served in a position of responsibility that matters but how well such individual has been one able to impact positively on the people.

As the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdul Fatah Ahmed begins another journey to his third year in office as the governor of the State of Peace and Harmony, it is expected that the good people of the state would continue to maintain peace and tranquility. And on the part of the government, it is expected that more goodies of democracy would be distributed equally to the electorate and the entire citizenry without fear or favour so that Kwarans would continue to live as a one big family.

Akanbi writes in  from Ilorin.