16—SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2021 AbdulRazaq: Excellent g<strong>over</strong>nance e but . . . •The change he needs for second term ticket By Demola Ak<strong>in</strong>yemi Twenty n<strong>in</strong>e months after he assumed office, <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state has redef<strong>in</strong>ed g<strong>over</strong>nance with the simplicity he brought <strong>in</strong>to office, even as he has been widely adjudged to be runn<strong>in</strong>g one of the leanest and most transparent g<strong>over</strong>nments <strong>in</strong> the country. The political template which <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq is us<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> g<strong>over</strong>nance has completely changed the nature of Kwara politics. He checked situations <strong>in</strong> the m<strong>in</strong>istries and parastatals across the state unannounced to avoid any c<strong>over</strong> up by civil servants and their bureaucratic attitude and also most importantly to enable him appreciate the problems as they are. <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq who said that he took off from below zero level based on the revelations he personally encountered has gone ahead to record many firsts <strong>in</strong> the history of the north central state. He was the first <strong>Gov</strong>ernor <strong>in</strong> black Africa to appo<strong>in</strong>t a 56% female cab<strong>in</strong>et, and the first <strong>in</strong> Nigeria to launch a social audit programme which enables civic groups and communities to audit g<strong>over</strong>nment’s projects and save public funds. <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq also recently restored the Public Procurement Agency to clean up g<strong>over</strong>nment’s contract process. His social <strong>in</strong>vestment programme, targeted at the poor and vulnerable, is adjudged the biggest and most transparent by any subnational g<strong>over</strong>nment <strong>in</strong> the country. It is the first <strong>in</strong>stitutionalised social safety system <strong>in</strong> the state. AbdulRazaq has also built what is currently Kwara’s first well-equipped <strong>in</strong>tensive care unit (ICU) facility <strong>in</strong> the entire central Nigeria located at the state’s premier General Hospital Ilor<strong>in</strong>. Build<strong>in</strong>g the state’s first tech-driven response to <strong>in</strong>fectious diseases, his adm<strong>in</strong>istration is rated among the first four nationwide <strong>in</strong> COVID-19 response and the best <strong>in</strong> vacc<strong>in</strong>ation preparedness and implementation nationwide. Under him, Kwara has the largest health <strong>in</strong>surance scheme, which is now supported by various <strong>in</strong>ternational bodies ow<strong>in</strong>g to its transparency and focus. Seven years after Kwara was blacklisted by the Universal Basic Education Commission, AbdulRazaq has also got the state back to national reckon<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> basic education sector. At the moment, various <strong>in</strong>frastructural projects are be<strong>in</strong>g undertaken across 600 basic schools <strong>in</strong> the state. Recently, his adm<strong>in</strong>istration conducted the most transparent and totally apolitical recruitment exercise for 4,701 teachers. This exercise has been adjudged the best and largest teachers’ recruitment exercise <strong>in</strong> the history of Kwara State. In 2019 when he assumed office, public water system had collapsed <strong>in</strong> Kwara State. Today, public water is runn<strong>in</strong>g across the metropolis and many parts of the state. So far, he has rehabilitated <strong>over</strong> 10 water works across the state while new ones are be<strong>in</strong>g built. He has also produced the state’s first 10- year agricultural transformation plan, among other people-focused programmes to help farmers and drive food security. As the adm<strong>in</strong>istration is mov<strong>in</strong>g closer to the third out of the four years tenure of first term, the eyes of the stakeholders <strong>in</strong> the state are already fixed on the second term of <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq. Impressed with <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq’s achievements, one of the political pillars <strong>in</strong> the state and his staunch supporter, the septuagenarian Senator Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi said recently that <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRasaq’s performance <strong>in</strong> 29 months surpassed that of 16 years tenure of Dr Bukola Saraki and Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed as g<strong>over</strong>nors put together. Ajadi said,”Your handwork will speak for you <strong>in</strong> any situation at the end of the day. So, people will not evaluate <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq based on what anybody is say<strong>in</strong>g about him, no community will judge him based on the abuses few people <strong>in</strong> the system are pass<strong>in</strong>g on him, so all the communities will decide whether or not to vote for him based on what he has done for them.” Saturday Vanguard went to town to have •<strong>Gov</strong> AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq conversations with other stakeholders. In his assessment, renowned labour activist and former Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)<strong>in</strong> Kwara state, Comrade Emmanuel Ayeoribe said <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq should be <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> the k<strong>in</strong>d of legacy he wants to leave even if he gets second term. Speak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>terview with Saturday Vanguard, he said ,”If anybody is say<strong>in</strong>g that it’s the people that will decide <strong>Gov</strong>ernor A b d u l R a h m a n AbdulRazaq’s second term, I th<strong>in</strong>k that is correct to the extent that the elections would be credible. Any g<strong>over</strong>nor is a tenant <strong>in</strong> the g<strong>over</strong>nment house, the best AA can get is second term and that’s all. “On the other hand, factionalisation of the party is also a bad omen. A good leader must strive to ensure the unity and oneness of his members. For the g<strong>over</strong>nor to have started on a factionalised party also spells bad omen. So he will dissipate more energies on rais<strong>in</strong>g his own army with<strong>in</strong> and outside the party <strong>in</strong>stead of spend<strong>in</strong>g the same time and resources on improv<strong>in</strong>g the lots of the people and residents of Kwara state. So, <strong>in</strong> a way there is no way factionalisation won’t affect progress <strong>in</strong> any system. “I challenge the g<strong>over</strong>nor to take a bold step to do personal survey to know how people feel about him and their rat<strong>in</strong>gs of him and his adm<strong>in</strong>istration. This is because At the moment, various <strong>in</strong>frastructural projects are be<strong>in</strong>g undertaken across 600 basic schools <strong>in</strong> the state. Recently, his adm<strong>in</strong>istration conducted the most transparent and totally apolitical recruitment exercise for 4,701 teachers he should be <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> the legacy that he wants to leave after office. I th<strong>in</strong>k this is necessary because <strong>in</strong> a big office like that and with what is currently go<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong> the rul<strong>in</strong>g party, I have strong feel<strong>in</strong>gs that many people who surround the g<strong>over</strong>nor might not be tell<strong>in</strong>g him the truth but only what he wants to hear.” In his own op<strong>in</strong>ion, Mr Olusegun Modey<strong>in</strong>, a legal practitioner based <strong>in</strong> Kwara state said the g<strong>over</strong>nor as a technocrat <strong>in</strong> politics has tried his best but that he must carry his people along to get a second term. He said,”I see <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as a technocrat, he came with good <strong>in</strong>tentions to serve his people and with the way he mobilized the people through “O to ge” slogan to secure victory, it showed that the state really needed a change. But at times gett<strong>in</strong>g a change doesn’t mean that you can get the change that you really want. What I mean is that the change you have might not br<strong>in</strong>g what you need to your table. With the quantum of development the g<strong>over</strong>nor has brought, I th<strong>in</strong>k he has tried be<strong>in</strong>g a technocrat. “But I want to say that as a politician you need to carry your people along. With just one vote you can lose or w<strong>in</strong> an election and if you don’t carry your people along, you will have problems with them because there are some people <strong>in</strong> the society that you need their bless<strong>in</strong>g. I learnt the g<strong>over</strong>nor at times took decisions without consult<strong>in</strong>g people coupled with the k<strong>in</strong>d of cab<strong>in</strong>et that he has where most of his cab<strong>in</strong>et members are not perform<strong>in</strong>g. “The commissioners should be politicians who are popular among the people, not those who don’t know their left from their right politically. The g<strong>over</strong>nor has jettisoned some of those who helped him <strong>in</strong>to power but there is still a way out. If he can retrace his steps and br<strong>in</strong>g back these people to his fold, he will get his second term if he wants to come back.” For Eng<strong>in</strong>eer Dickson Tolufase who described <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq’s early days as very impressive, he believes that if he <strong>in</strong>creases the tempo of his performance to warm himself <strong>in</strong>to to the hearts of the masses, the second term ticket would be easy for him. He said,”the g<strong>over</strong>nor’s early days <strong>in</strong> office was victory for the masses, I would say. We were happy, we jubilated for his victory with the assurance that he would be able to deliver. As time went by, I personally disc<strong>over</strong>ed that he has slowed down his performance. For example, by now as we are gett<strong>in</strong>g to the dry season the roads should have been ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed. Virtually every road <strong>in</strong> the town is bad, so where does our money go to? I learnt that he doesn’t give money to thugs to enable him pay attention to development. Though money might not be com<strong>in</strong>g like it used to come for the previous adm<strong>in</strong>istrations but at least we expect to see some reasonable level of development. “For sometime now, we have not heard him speak<strong>in</strong>g and even his Deputy. The masses are not feel<strong>in</strong>g his impact like his first days <strong>in</strong> office. I’m aware of the factionalisation <strong>in</strong> his party but my po<strong>in</strong>t is that if the masses who are to decide are not feel<strong>in</strong>g his impact, then what are we talk<strong>in</strong>g about?”he queried. Mr Lekan Ajayi, a public analyst and educationist told Saturday Vanguard that the powers that be would decide the fate of the masses <strong>in</strong> any election, cit<strong>in</strong>g Kogi,Osun and Imo state g<strong>over</strong>norship elections among others. He recalled that,”In Lagos state when the then <strong>Gov</strong>ernor Ak<strong>in</strong>wunmi Ambode wanted to contest for second term, we were told that he performed but his offence was that he didn’t carry the so called politicians along, and that was why he could not w<strong>in</strong> the primaries of the rul<strong>in</strong>g party APC <strong>in</strong> Lagos state. “In Kwara, when <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq came he did someth<strong>in</strong>g to carry the masses along. I was made to understand that at Yidi pray<strong>in</strong>g ground, <strong>Gov</strong>ernment House used to spend N7m annually to cut the grasses, clean up the place and make it ready for the annual Sallah prayer. But when they approached him he promised to give them the money but <strong>in</strong>stead he mobilised people to the place and we were told that he spent less than N1m. It was a laudable effort to those of us who are keen about the development of Kwara state. “We also saw some projects spr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g up but we were told that they were the projects of the last adm<strong>in</strong>istration that he resuscitated and s<strong>in</strong>ce then I can’t po<strong>in</strong>t to any serious project <strong>in</strong> the town that he has done to portray him as be<strong>in</strong>g on the side of the masses. “If the g<strong>over</strong>nor is not giv<strong>in</strong>g back to the party that him to power, I don’t know how he wants to succeed without carry<strong>in</strong>g the people along. In Nigerian politics, the masses vote vote for candidates who have been sold to them. So, now if you are fight<strong>in</strong>g the stakeholders and you are still not do<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g good for the masses, how will you w<strong>in</strong> an election. “But we are <strong>in</strong> Nigeria where anyth<strong>in</strong>g is possible, we have seen where elections are won by unpopular candidates. We saw what happened <strong>in</strong> Kogi state,what did <strong>Gov</strong>ernor Yaya Bello do that made him to w<strong>in</strong> second term? Noth<strong>in</strong>g, and he knew he didn’t w<strong>in</strong>. That can repeat itself anywhere. But when <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRazaq came people really respected him,he needs to step up his performance. “If the stakeholders are not happy with him and the masses too are not feel<strong>in</strong>g his impact then he needs to go back to the draw<strong>in</strong>g board. In Nigerian politics there is no popular candidate except you come through the stakeholders. Buhari came about five times and didn’t w<strong>in</strong> until he came through the comb<strong>in</strong>ed efforts of some stakeholders who campaigned for him and changed people’s m<strong>in</strong>dset about him. “For <strong>Gov</strong>ernor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to get second term ticket he has to w<strong>in</strong> back the masses and he has to reconcile with his people because he’s not an <strong>in</strong>dependent candidate. If there is a faction <strong>in</strong> the party it’s his fault because he’s the leader of the party, it doesn’t cost him anyth<strong>in</strong>g to carry these people along and of course nobody supports a candidate <strong>in</strong> politics without expect<strong>in</strong>g anyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> return.”
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