Date: 2019-05-04

Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq prepares to rebrand Kwara for better governance...

For the governor elect of Kwara state, Alh Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq,elections have gone and it's time to work for the delivery of his electoral promises to all the residents of the state of harmony.

The incoming administration in the next twenty something days, is surely going to be a clear departure from what Kwara state of harmony had witnessed politically in the past.

During the years under review,the outgoing Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki who was also a governor for eight years ,installed the outgoing Governor Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed and indeed all the elected members from the state up till the national assembly.

Dr Bukola Saraki had dominated Kwara state politics until the last general elections when Abdulraman emerged as the new man in town.

AA as Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is fondly called is therefore not leaving anyone in doubt that he's ready to change the narrative about governance in Kwara state considering how he rode on the bulk votes of the masses to win the last governorship election.

Its also obvious by now, that with the current political development in the state, the majority of Kwara electorates who voted for Abdulrahman won't accept any excuse for poor performance from the governor elect.

So,in view of these developments the governor elect has started hitting the ground running in order to meet the high expectations of kwarans.

Four days of the last two weeks,all expenses paid by him,he sponsored all the twenty four members newly elected lawmakers to Ghana for a retreat on how best to perform legislative functions for the betterment of the people.

In Kwara state all the twenty three seats were also roundly won by the All Progressives Congress(APC) of the governor elect.

Experienced resource persons engaged the lawmakers elect on rudiments and ethics of legislative business and how best to interface with the executive for a better governance.

The lawmakers elect were also allowed the opportunities to clarify gray areas during the period and at the end of it all,it was a win-win for the motive behind the retreat.

The lawmaker representing Balogun/Ojomu from Offa constituency Hon Saheed Popoola who is the only lawmaker re-elected among all and also among the outgoing lawmakers in the state assembly commended the initiative and said he was better off after the retreat.

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard,Hon Saheed Popoola said "What our governor-elect has done to improve legislative business is unprecedented in the history of Kwara state. I have no doubt in my mind that the retreat we had would impact positively on our duties when we resume the ninth assembly.

"As a returning lawmaker I'm better off with the additional knowledge that I acquired talk less those of us who are just coming for the first time. So,for me, it's a good omen for our state."

Earlier last month, the governor-elect had assembled 80 distinguished kwarans from the nooks and crannies of the state to interface with the outgoing administration for a smooth handover and proper take off of governance.

The outgoing governor Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed in an apparent readiness to work with the incoming opposition government for a smooth transition also set up 24 key members of his administration to interface with the 80 members transition members on their assignments

The Governor-elect made the initial announcement of the transition committee in a statement issued in Ilorin, the state capital, by his media spokesman Rafiu Ajakaye.

The Chairman of the 80-member Transition Committee is Aminu Adisa Logun, an alumnus of the Prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies(NIPPS), Kuru.

One Chief James Bamisaiye Ayeni is the Deputy Chairman, while a one-time Permanent Secretary and former Clerk, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Muhammad Razaq Umar, serves as the Transition committee Secretary.

Other members of the Committee according to the statement include the APC Chairman in the State, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa; the three Senatorial District Party Chairmen; former Governorship aspirants or representatives; party chieftains and elders.

Also included in the committee are representatives of youth, women, labour, experts and professionals in different fields of human endeavour, including retired military and security officers.

Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that the members who were tactically selected to unravel how the kwara state government was administered in the last sixteen years in order to know by first hand its real assets and liabilities cut across the sixteen local governments of the state.

The statement by the media aide of the governor-elect noted that broad representation reflected in the selection of the committee members demonstrates the avowed commitment of the Governor-elect to fulfill his promise of an all-inclusive government under the new APC administration in the State.

It added that the composition of the TC also took into account best practices in a number of states, where a holistic change of leadership occurred.

The governor-elect listed the terms of reference for the committee to include liaising with the outgoing government to facilitate smooth transition to the new government on May 29, 2019, engagement of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), review of the finances of the outgoing government with a focus on receipts, assets, and liabilities, among others.

The committee is also mandated to come up with policy recommendations for the incoming administration.

The governor elect Alh Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq while inaugurating the committee expressed great optimism on the capacity of the committee members to deliver on their assignment, given their pedigree, track record, competence and evident public testimonials on their integrity, patriotism, and passion to serve the state.

AbdulRazaq therefore charged the committee members," to be sensitive to the high expectation of the electorate and the general public to experience the desired positive change in leadership "

He also appealed to the masses to support the committee with relevant information and memorandum where necessary.