When Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed spoke at an elaborate declaration ceremony in Ilorin for his second term bid, he rolled out a long list of achievements in less than four years of his administration in Kwara State. I was really impressed. It was as if he had turned the state into a little London. I guess these were the things that influenced the leader of the party in the state (Bukola Saraki) to endorse him for a second term. But the roads I saw in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital during a recent visit were not too pleasant. It seems Abdulfatah merely presented paper achievements in this sector. The state of development of this capital city is nothing to write home about. Of course, it is easy to query why previous governments in the state had done very little. But then, what has Abdulfatah done in almost four years? I was really disappointed by the poor state of roads in Ilorin. I am sure roads in other parts of the state will be begging for attention.

When I complained about the state of SK Quarters Road leading in and out of Balogun Private Hospital Road in Ilorin, a long list of other roads begging for attention in the state capital flowed in. If Governor Kwara has his pen with him, he should take down these names and privately visit the following roads/areas in Ilorin: Idigba Street, Oja-Tuntun Road; roads in Gaa Aremu area of Ilorin West; Aduralere Road, Dumo, Ilorin East; Airport-Odore axis road; Egbejila Road in Airport area; Ogundele-Temidire Road, linking Ilorin West and Asa LGA; Olusola Saraki Road in Sango area; Ipata to Isale Koko Road; Bani through Madina to Gaa Osibi Road; Afon- Aboto Road in Asa LGA and the road leading to the state’s College of Education in Ilorin.

Roads aside, just like virtually all the states in Nigeria, there is so much poverty in Kwara State. I don’t know if Abdulfatah has read the current Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) 2014 report on Nigeria? The OPHI is an economic research centre within the Oxford Department of International Development at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.  The OPHI report puts the percentage of Nigerians living in poverty at 43.3 per cent. According to the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) 2014, Nigeria Country Briefing, 19.3 per cent of Nigerians remained vulnerable to poverty while 25.3 per cent of Nigerians live in severe poverty. Abdulfatah and other governors need to get a copy of this report. It will assist them to build and advance a more systematic methodological and economic framework for reducing multi-dimensional poverty, grounded in people’s experiences and values.

If Abdulfatah’s second term dream becomes a reality, he would need to do an extensive study of the OPHI report and be more pragmatic in the quest to reduce poverty in this state with emphasis on human capital development. More people must be given access to basic amenities like water, decent housing, quality health care and schools and good roads. I wish Abdulfatah best of luck in 2015.