These are indeed trying times for Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State. The governor, who had been having a seemingly rosy term since assumption of office in May, 2011, was suddenly in the last few weeks pushed into troubled waters.

The three main issues staring the embattled governor in the face include the delay in the payment of salaries of local government workers, the state's land acquisition law and the rumoured rift between him and his political leader, Senator Bukola Saraki.

While the delay in the payment of local government workers' salaries had necessitated the issuance of a 14-day ultimatum to the government by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to pay the salaries, the furore over government's land policy has led to the suspension of the urbanisation law by Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed.

Though frantic efforts had been made by both the governor and Senator Saraki to refute the rumoured rift between them, the news is spreading like wild fire.

The furore over government's land policy first reared its head in June, this year, when the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), an influential socio-cultural group, kicked against it through newspaper publications. This was followed by paid advertorial in LEADERSHIP and The Nation newspapers on July 17, 2012.

In both newspapers' publications and advertorial; the IEDPU punctured the land policy, describing it as repulsive.
It said: "It has found it extremely necessary to unveil her total displeasure and opposition to the insensitive Land Policy of the Kwara State Government as encapsulated in the State Legal Notice No: 45/8 of September, 2009."

The IEDPU added, that "the repulsive policy, which regrettably urbanises all the land across the state, and particularly as it affected both the main city of Ilorin and her environs, cutting across the Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Asa and Moro LGAs of the state, is essentially insensitive, largely anachronistic and clearly unjustifiable.

"A critical appraisal of the unedifying policy would reveal that it is not only disgustful in conception, but also disdainfully and undemocratically contemptuous in application and implementation."

Following the IEDPU outcry over the state urbanisation law of 2009, Governor Ahmed last Sunday announced the suspension of the law.

The decision, according to the governor, was to allow a reconsideration of the law by the State House of Assembly.

He announced this in his Eid-el-Fitr message to the people of the state, pointing out that his decision was informed by the spirit of responsible leadership and to dialogue with major stakeholders in the state about government's overall land policy.

The governor, therefore, called on all concerned to maintain peace and continue to employ dialogue in all other issues of public interest.

Also, the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, assured the Ilorin community, under the umbrella of IEDPU, that the urbanisation law was in the best interest of the public.

Saraki said steps were being taken in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, including members of the State House of Assembly to review the law.

He urged Kwarans to view the land acquisition policy in the proper perspective of laying a solid foundation for the state capital, adding that, "if there were grey areas on the issue, all parties should embrace and explore the option of dialogue for amicable resolution and not give the exercise a political colouration".

The senator pointed out that the legislation was part of the master plan to transform the state capital into a model city in the country.

The dust raised by the IEDPU's position on the land policy had barely settled when the rumoured face-off between Ahmed and his godfather, Senator Saraki, crept in.

But the duo, in a swift reaction, denied the rumour, saying it was the handiwork of the opposition in the state.

The governor's third headache is borne out of the delay in the payment of June and July salaries of local government workers.

The workers had through their industrial union, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), issued a 14-day ultimatum within which their salary arrears must be paid, otherwise they would commence an indefinite strike action. The ultimatum, which was issued on August 16, will end on August 29.

The workers in a statement signed by NULGE Secretary in the state, Comrade Abayomi Afolabi, lamented that the councils were "grossly under-funded and cannot meet up with the statutory challenges associated with the third tier of government".

The issue of the delay in the payment of local government workers salaries has, expectedly, pitched the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

While the ACN had expressed its support for the council workers on their plan to commence an indefinite strike action by August 29 if their salaries are not paid before then, the PDP cried out over an alleged plot by the ACN to capitalise on the workers' demand to destabilise the state.

Political analysts in the state are of the view that how the governor and his party are able to manage these challenges would go a long way in determining the future of the PDP, which has ruled the state since 2003.

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