By Oluwasegun Abifarin and Olawale Abideen

What are the major achievements of the present administration in Kwara State?

One of the greatest achievements we enjoy in Kwara state is the legacy of continuity. The governor Abdulfatah Ahmed led administration has been able to consolidate on the achievement of his predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki. Today, the Aviation College which the former governor started has been completed. The Advanced Specialist Hospital is near completion and we have built additional five hospitals across the state. 

Would you say performance of the governor has met the expectation of the people?

I think it has exceeded it. When you look at the state with commensurable allocation and its achievement, you'll see that we have achieved beyond expectation. And that is why encomium is showered on the governor whenever he goes around the state. Obviously, there is room for improvement and one of the things we will do in the next two years is to start an Independent Power Project. We intend to return discipline to our schools. We intend to establish a vocational training centre in conjunction with an institute in London. 

What are the challenges of governing a state like Kwara?

Governor Ahmed's administrations enjoy the support of the people because of the enormous achievements of his predecessor. Infact, we refer to Bukola Saraki's regime as the architect of modern Kwara. The current governor is continueing the good work delivered by the Saraki's administration.

We do have challenges. Our allocation is very low. Another challenge is that, Kwara is a civil servant's state. 

Some Kwarans allege that the present governor is not in control and that former governor Bukola Saraki has an over bearing inflence on the governor which they claim is affecting governance in the state. What is your reaction to this?

That is an incorrect and unfounded insinuation. We have a unique structure in Kwara state. The governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed is incharge of governance in this state. We recognise the distinguish Senator Bukola Saraki as the Political leader of Kwara state. Governor Ahmed is focusing on governance to deliver to Kwara state. Senator Saraki is not influencing governance in any way. Obviously because Saraki is the former governor, the governor may seek advice where necessary. Just as he can seek advise from the President or any other elder statesman around him. But Governor Ahmed is fully in charge of the administration and governance in Kwara state. Saraki is our political leader. There is a difference. Somebody used one imagery I found very interesting, he said, there is a cow that need to be milked for the teeming people to drink. But somebody has to hold that cow. So that it can be easily milked. Saraki is holding the cow, while Ahmed is milking the cow for the benefit of Kwarans.

But in some other PDP states, the governors are the leader of the Party (cuts in).

Yes, but we have a unique politics of consensus in this state. It has been our practice for a long time ago and it works for us. In those days, Baba Olusola Saraki used to be political leader and he was able to pull all of us together with his experience, with the bridges he has built across the state and the country, Now, Senator Saraki has taken over that mantle of leadership. We cannot say because other states are doing one thing, then we adopt it. That approach is not working for us. Our system is unique and it has been working for us for a long time and we don't see any reason to change it. That does not suggest Senator Saraki is teleguiding the governor or he has an over bearing influence on him. That's not the case at all.

You talked about spirit of continuity, is that why people refer to Governor Ahmed's regime as the third term of Bukola Saraki's administration?

Lack of continuity has been the bane of governance in Nigeria. People come into office and abandon their predecessors' projects. They easily forget the cost of such projects. Imagine the fantastic projects of Governor Saraki's led administration in the state. Such as the Aviation College or Diagnostic Centre. All lot of money would go down the drain if there is no continuity. Senator Saraki is not ruling the state by proxy. For Governor Ahmed, having been part of previous government in the state, where he played a key role as Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development. He has good insight on how the administration works. 

Come to talk of Senator Saraki who is very busy doing business of law making in the National Assembly, I doubt if there is any other first term Senator who has done well as Senator Saraki in the country. He has no time to Poke nose into governance in the state. 

Is it true that Governor Ahmed waits at the Airport to receive Senator Saraki whenever he is flying into the state?

That never happens. Never, it has never happened. Let me tell you an instance, when Alhaji Baraje retired as PDP Chairman, the governor hosted a reception for him and Senator Saraki was there. The governor came last and Senator Saraki stood up to welcome him. He never thought that Governor Ahmed was his Commissioner or that he is the one that anointed him for the governorship seat. Is that the person that would expect someone to wait for him at the Airport? Saraki is a person who recognises the provision of the constitution that a governor has his privileges. Ahmed also knows protocol would not allow him to go and wait at the airport. That is not to say the governor have any problem doing that. But Senator Saraki is not expecting it neither is Governor Ahmed mandated to do it. Senator Saraki respects Ahmed as the governor of the state while the governor gives him the respect as a former governor of the state and as a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Can you also react to the insinuation that the former governor is always involved in the sharing of allocation? 

That's totally untrue. It's ridiculous. Sharing as you used implies that they just sit down and share. Let me educate you. By the time allocation comes from Abuja. 75 per cent of it goes to salary and wages. What is left for the development projects? Not to talk of money to share. I just wish one day that you sit down with the governor and you'll see his compelling and strong vision for developing the state. Every time he says he's just left with less down eight hundred million per month. To develop the state, that's not enough. Senator Saraki gives monthly charity to people and whenever that happens, Governor Ahmed is always there and people cook up these things in beer parlours that Saraki is coming to share allocation. It's ridiculous, absurd, totally untrue. 

The Kwara Concerned Pensioners have issues with the former governor for allegedly diverting their pensions and gratuities. They claimed despite court judgement, the government still hold on to their money. What is the true position?

The pension crisis started before Governor Saraki administration. When Governor Saraki newly assumed office, he called the pensioners that were threatening demonstrations and agreed with them on modality to settle the issue. He told them the money is huge and government can not pay it at all. They agreed to pay part of it which government can afford and phase the rest out. The leaders of the Pensioners Union agreed to the government initiative. Later, some of their members felt their leaders should not have agreed to that resolution and went to court. The government fail to implement the High Court judgement because the case is in the Supreme Court. 

Who owns Songhai Farms?

Songhai farm is owned by farmers, banks and Kwara state government. The state government has 25 per cent stake in it.

We were informed that Kwara state government pays the salary of workers on the farm (cuts in).

That's not true. The workers are paid by Songhai Farms Holdings. They have an office very close to Government House

The loan secured from banks to finance the Songhai farms projects. Who is repaying it?

The banks lent the state government the money to finance the project. The same banks converted their loans into equity. So who's supposed to pay that money? People should make clarifications before jumping into conclusions.

We met some of the farmers who said the farm is not functioning well because there is no proper financing (cuts in).

They can't say nothing is working. We have a MoU with a company in Australia who take 500 metric tonnes of Cassava chips from that farm every year. If you drink peak milk today, 10% of it is from Songhai. If you eat chicken from Kwara Hotel, it's from Songhai.

But Kwarans are saying they can't access Songhai farm products. Why?

They won't see it because they don't understand commercial agriculture. Commercial agriculture works on a large scale. If I invest N50 billion in an agricultural venture. I must have worked out my potential buyers. It's not a social scheme. It's business. The farm adds value to Kwara. It generated employment opportunity and develops the environment.