Abdulfatah Ahmed, immediate past commissioner for Planning and Economic Development and gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had just gotten to know he won the election.

Though expected, the implications of the victory were overwhelming,  given that the party had just won amidst a division in the house. Dr. Olusola Saraki, incontrovertibly the most influential politician to have come from Kwara state, was yet to be assuaged. Beyond that, the victory also meant the party, the PDP, and by extension the candidate, had just defeated the younger sister of the sitting governor. As such the development was of great interest to newsmen across the nation.

In Ilorin, the state capital, journalists, obviously must have been tasked to get the first words from Ahmed, by then the governor-in-waiting. They found him in a small guest house somewhere in the old GRA area of Ilorin. But if they expected a gloating winner, particularly given the verbal war that had accompanied the election, especially between the then ACN and the PDP, they were utterly disappointed. Not only did the newly elected governor refused to share in the victory of the polls, he pointedly told the journalists there was no way of removing the hands of the elder Saraki, now of blessed memory, from the victory.

Then one reporter asked a daring question. Ahmed responded but with a caveat not to be misrepresented. Then he did something unheard of in this clime; almost on his knees, he begged them not to misrepresent his views. Some may say if  he went that low it was because the weight of his office and powers were yet to dawn on him at that instance but more than two years down the line,  it is evident that he was not pretending; the governor is still the same man: humble to the core.

Those who have come across him at personal level since he assumed office will testify to the fact that one humbling fact about Ahmed’s personality is his humility. He is not one to allow the grandeur of his office to blind him from the reality of his humble beginning and the opportunities that God has given him to rise to the position of privilege he occupies.

The pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, had this testimony about Governor Ahmed:  You are humble. You are respective. “You are a decent human being and God has blessed you with all that is decent in nature. God will not take this away from you. You are an epitome of decency and respect. May Allah build around you an impregnable fortress which neither mole nor ant can touch. Insha Allah”.

As a member of his campaign team and now his chief press secretary, I am often amazed at how the governor relates with even young reporters at the end of every interactive opportunities. I have also seen him mingle with the down and the low, the women and the youths, at various fora and there is no other conclusion one can draw other than to say that God has clothed him with the garment of humility which seldom signposts privileged individuals.

Yet he is focused and hard-working. One lesson I have learnt working with this chemist-turned –banker-turned-politician is that a lazy man cannot work with Dr Ahmed who is given to focused discussions and detailed analysis of issues. Ahmed is always on top of every issue at any point in time. He is not the type of politician to be coached unnecessarily; he can hold his forte on any platform at any time, little wonder he is a journalist’s delight. He once held political editors spellbound during an interview prior to the gubernatorial election 2011: he brilliantly fielded questions for over three hours without holding a note and not once did he missed or mixed his points.

If you thought it was because Omolewa, his humble, generous, humane and resourceful wife, was right beside him during the interview, what about his out of the box interactions with the Nigeria Guide of Editors, the Christian Association of Nigeria, members of the academia, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, among others? Femi Adesina, Boni Iwuoha, President of the Guild and former President of the NUJ respectively, among other members of the Guide requested that Kwara donate the Governor to Nigeria for the much desired social economic transformation of the country.

In less than three years that God has given him the privilege to rule the state, everything points to the fact that Ahmed has caught the ultimate Saraki bug: my people, my people, what is in this for my people?  It is this passion that has led to the creation of several pro-poor financial schemes in the state. In the last two and a half years, the government gave N250 million as first tranche of a N500m revolving loan for small scale entrepreneurs. The fund has generated more than 3000 jobs across the state, just as another N100million was disbursed for artisans who for the first time have been brought under an umbrella association to allow them form smaller sub-groups to access the facilities. In spite of irregular inflow of expected resources, the governor approved the release of N60m for the payment of NECO and NABTEP examinations as a demonstration of his love for the youths.  2014, Maigidan Kwara, as his fondly called, promised a N50m quarterly allocation to generate the much needed youth employment.

Communities that have long been neglected are now feeling the impact of government. Not talking about five general hospitals that were rehabilitated and fully equipped to international standard, the people of Ora-Ayetoro in Ekiti local government area of Kwara state, among other numerous communities, now have cause to smile. For 20 years, according to the monarch of the community, Oba Christopher Olatunji Odeyemi, they were in ‘bondage’. For 20 years, they had suffered neglect as the only bridge linking Ora-Aiyeetoro with other communities in the local government had collapsed. For 20 years, the people had to contend with the dangerous option of swimming to cross to the neighbouring Ejiu community and ditto for the Ejiu people whenever there was the need for them to visit Ore-Ayetoro or other communities after Ora-Ayetoro. As a matter of fact, they transported their farm produce to other communities by swimming with their loads to cross the river.

The pro-poor governor has also approved the rehabilitation of the16 kilometres-long Obbo-Ora-Ayetoro road as part of its N2.5 billion rural road projects.  The newly constructed bridge over the Ora River has been completed. Other communities across the state are enjoying the same gesture; not bound to their economic viability but their existence as locations inhabited by Kwarans because with Ahmed the mantra is ‘shared prosperity.’

Teachers in the state can testify to his humane nature; this year they gave him a Merit Award for outstanding performance in education. When teachers in Nigeria honours a man it is no joke; they are one of the most effectively organised and united workers’ group in the country. And what did Ahmed tell them at the award ceremony: “It is no longer tenable that teachers’ reward is in heaven. We must do everything we can to enhance the welfare of teachers and also create a conducive atmosphere for effective teaching and learning”.

It is a story of commitment to the well-being of the people. And the story is the same among the youths. It is the same among traditional leaders. It is the same among religious leaders. It is the same among those who have one form of disability or the other.  It is the same among indigenes and non-indigenes.  Indeed, as several activities take place to mark yet another fulfilling birthday anniversary for this versatile banker and administrator, it is apt to say that Kwara is blessed to have had a successor like Abdulfatah Ahmed taking over the mantle of state administration from an achiever like our indisputable Leader, Senator Bukola Saraki.

Happy birthday, Boss!

Oba, Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, writes from Ilorin.