By Babatunde Opoola.
“It is easy for human beings to say that nothing is being done, but at least, na koro koro eye I take see… well, it does not matter what you say.” (Olusegun Obasanjo , 2006, while on inspection of projects during the visit to one of the South Eastern states.)
I have made reference to the above quotation to urge the opposition and the unrepentant critics of the present administration that we can differ politically but we should not differ in terms of development of our state which is our joint enterprise. At least we can see the impressive projects with our Korokoro eyes not Coronavirus as known in our local parlance now but vividly and strikingly alive.
At the dawn of the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq May 29, 2019, the state was somewhat grounded. Call it abyss. Largely to misrule.
One year on,a strong sense of reversal is evident in all spheres; infrastructure across the state, schools wearing new look, healthcare delivery resuscitated, dry taps running with water and a renewed confidence all around.
Imagine that the neglected Kwara North Senatorial district has been targeted for accelerated infrastructural development. Government has approved a radio station to be sited at Baruten local government area. The ongoing rehabilitation of Gwanara road is yet another one. The Government High School Kaiama, which would be celebrating its 50th anniversary is wearing a new look with the comprehensive rehabilitation of the school. Regrettably, this school which had always hosted political gatherings for the past administrations was reduced to ruins until the coming of this administration which came to the rescue.
Imagine that in many parts of the state, there is now a fairly stable supply of water. For the indigenes that were conditioned to never expecting water, the dry taps are now running. This prevailing situation makes you ask at times, won’t the water stop again?
Across the three senatorial districts in the state, the Kwara state Ministry of Water Resources has successfully completed the comprehensive renovation of some major Waterworks that will enable residential and industrial buildings have access to clean and stable water for domestic and commercial use. Before now, most of the waterworks were vandalised and moribund.
Not less than 14 motorized boreholes have also been embarked upon in Kwara North to end water scarcity in communities extending to as far as neighbouring Benin Republic where there have been water scarcity for years.
The communication sector is now vibrating literally and figuratively. As part of AbdulRazaq’s effort to reposition the moribund state-owned broadcasting corporation, you can now listen to Midland 99.1 FM anywhere you are in the world with a click online.
All over the state , a massive investment in infrastructural development is yielding a network of roads for effective movement of goods and people and a consequent boost to the economic development of the state. Testimonies abound of the importance of the reconstruction of the Adeta-Kuntu road in ilorin which has suffered perennial neglect. Work is ongoing at various stages on road projects across the state.
On national scene, the state’s profile has also risen. Before the inception of AbdulRazaq’s administration, development partners never wanted to have anything to do with Kwara state again. The state could barely get external partnership in financing critical sectors like health and education. Today the decibel is increasing. FG and Development partners are indeed showing readiness to stake their money on several undertakings with the payment of several counterpart funds of over N800m. The state is definitely on its way to prosperity.
In Kwara, AbdulRazaq is working to improve the state’s teledensity with slashing of Right of Way (RoW) fee for telecommunication firms from N5,500 to N1 per kilometre of fibre — the second lowest in Nigeria after Kaduna. The reduction took immediate effect. Until now, telcos were paying N5,500 per linear metre as the fee for laying fibre cables in the state. The Governor said the decision was to strengthen digital penetration and improve Kwara’s ease of doing business ratings. This will eventually increase direct and indirect employment, infrastructure and productivity.
The road ahead may appear daunting but the successes so far recorded are enough for all to see. Here in Kwara, there are fresh vistas and things are getting better.
#Ise nlo.
The Pendulum 