Hammed Shittu writes about the successful return of the current Kwara State administration led by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, which is poised to deliver more gains of democracy through good governance.

When the erstwhile administration led by ex-Governor Bukola Saraki propounded the theme of 'Legacy Continues' for the administration of incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed in 2011, little did the people of the state know that the theme would manifest into laudable achievements.

The fallouts of that them cut across all facets of the state's economy and had hitherto has gone a long way in transforming the socio-economic growth of the Kwarans.

The development for choosing the theme was not far-fetched as the immediate past administration in the state had initiated a lot of lofty programmes that had spread across the state that the time span then did not allow the administration to complete. However, leaving such projects not seeing the light of the day would not augur well for the socio wellbeing of the populace.

The Setting

The immediate past administration then saw the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed as a major stakeholder, having served as the commissioner for Finance for almost six and half years and later as commissioner for Economic Planning for the period of the winding up of the administration and later emerged as the governorship candidate under the platform of their former party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the political structures of Saraki moved from the PDP into All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

However, when the administration of Governor Ahmed took over the rein of power from Saraki in 2011, he had ensured that all the uncompleted projects inherited by the administration were made to see the light of the day and this had brought a new lease of life to the doorsteps of the rural populace in the state.

Vital Projects

Among such projects are roads that were ongoing before the immediate past administration winded up; roads that dotted all the three senatorial districts of the state, the Ilorin International Aviation College, Harmony Diagnostic Centre, classrooms constructions, and other viable projects in the state.

Out of the 28 road projects inherited from the previous administration in the state, 80 per cent of these covering 204km were completed by the current administration. These include Lafiaji township road, Ganmo-Afon road, Offa-Irra road, Ola- Olu-CBN Quarters road, Ilorin; Sango-Akerebiata road, Omu-Aran township- Landmark University road, and Isanlu-Isin-Ijara-Isin road.

The administration under the continuity agenda also ensured the completion of electrification projects that spread across the state like the street light projects along major highways of Ilorin, rural and urban electrification projects also completed and unveiled by the administration.

The second phase of Ilorin water reticulation project was implemented as planned by the immediate past administration, while the final phase of the project is to be implemented in this new tenure of the current administration in the state.

Health is Wealth

The importance of healthcare delivery cannot be over-emphasised in the socio economic development of the society, hence, the current administration under the leadership of Governor Ahmed to ensure that the community health insurance scheme fashioned out by the immediate past administration under the continuity agenda was continued.

The scheme which was piloted in three local government councils of the state by Saraki administration has now been extended to ten local government councils of the state and covered about 80,000 beneficiaries in the affected local government councils.

This was the scheme that allowed the beneficiaries to pay just N500 per year and enjoy all forms of medical attention. This scheme has touched the lives of the people of the state; thereby adding more values to its socio-economic growth.

Other Strides

Other projects inherited by the present administration and brought to life under the continuity agenda include the International Aviation College, Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre, Kwara State University, Malete, and Ilorin cargo Terminal.

The International Aviation College, established by the Saraki administration was unveiled by the current administration of Governor Ahmed. The first batch of the students of the college has graduated and they had been employed by both private and public airlines operators in the country. This development has created employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the state; thereby reducing the social vices that usually imbedded on youths.

The Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin has provided an opportunity for the people with various kinds of ailments to have access to affordable diagnostic experiment at the lowest rate; thereby saving money for travels outside the state and country before one can know the kind of ailment that is affecting such person before applying any medical treatment on such ailments.

Voting the Agenda

No wonder, based on the successes recorded under the continuity agenda of the current administration in the state, the people on both March 28 and April 11 trooped out enmasse to cast their votes for the president-elect of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and all the national assembly candidates of the party.

The electorate also crowned the process with the recent re-election of Governor Ahmed and the state house of assembly candidates in the election of April 11, so as to ensure the continuation of delivery of good governance to the doorsteps of the rural populace of the state.

The feats recorded by the APC in the state were based on the achievements recorded under the legacy continues as all the residents of the state felt the good governance impact of Governor Ahmed under the continuity agenda as initiated by the Saraki administration.

Continuity Benefits

Speaking on the benefits of the continuity agenda in the state, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Femi Akorede said, "We won the 2011 election on the platform of continuity and a pledge to create new programme areas based on current exigencies. It is therefore politically strategic and financially prudent to complete ongoing projects while starting new ones based on established need, especially in view of our resource challenges".

He said, "Besides, we all know that lack of continuity is the bane of development in Nigeria but we have broken that jinx in Kwara State. We have completed the bulk of the road projects we inherited, started, and completed new roads while some are ongoing.

"I am very proud of everything we have done because all our interventions and programmes have impacted positively on our state and its people. For me governance is not a PR stunt but the ability to transform lives and create conditions for inclusive prosperity.

"Examples of these include International Vocational Centre, Ajasse Ipo, the five General Hospitals, Quickwin, the N700m expanded microcredit scheme, the 400 communities who now enjoy electricity, increased access to education through KWASU fee reduction, Operation Harmony, support for transporters, workers welfare. Ultimately, we have enhanced the people's trust in governance and in their elected leaders by fulfilling our covenant with them through our people-centred programmes".

Dividends of Democracy

However, addressing journalists in Ilorin after his declaration by the INEC as the winner of the governorship polls in the state, the state governor, Alhaji Ahmed, said, "I want to see this as a great change for Kwarans and Nigeria. And I see it as a good platform for ushering in not only good governance but true dividend of democracy".

According to him, "I want to urge all Kwarans irrespective of ethnic nationalities to join hands with us in moving Kwara state forward".

He said, "Politicking has just come and we move on. The next level is governance. Governance is a collective responsibility where inputs are expected to come in from different quarters.

"So I use this to appeal to all those who were involved in the process of this elections either those who voted for us or against us to recognise the fact that the business of governance is a collective one. It requires us to put our heads together and design Kwara of our dream", the governor added.

Also speaking, the leader of the APC in the state and senator representing Kwara central senatorial district at the national assembly, Senator Bukola Saraki thanked the people of the state for staying with him by voting for all the candidates of the APC in the state. He said the present administration would continue to work harder in order to improve the socio wellbeing of the rural populace in the state.

By and large, with the recent victory of Governor Ahmed for second term in office in the state during the recent governorship/assembly polls, the desire of the people of the people of the state is that the benefits of the continuity agenda of the administration would continue unabated to add more values to the socio-economic development of the state.

This is especially so in the area of completion of second phase of Ilorin water project, opening of more roads across the rural settings, and provision of rural electrification to the grassroots, so as to move the state forward.

QUOTE

"With the recent victory of Governor Ahmed for second term in office in the state during the recent governorship/assembly polls, the desire of the people of the people of the state is that the benefits of the continuity agenda of the administration would continue unabated to add more values to the socio-economic development of the state".