Kwara's Dissolved Cabinet And Exploits Of Female Commissioners

Date: 2021-01-11

ABDULLAHI OLESIN examines the performances of women who served as commissioners in the recently dissolved cabinet of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State.

In December 2020, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State appointed nine women as commissioners in his 17-member cabinet. The number of women in the cabinet, representing 56.25 percent, even surpassed the 35 percent slots reserved for women in such appointments across the globe.

It was, therefore, not surprising that the appointment of nine women into the cabinet was greeted with disdain and not many gave the women any chance to perform. But, a year after their appointments into the cabinet that was dissolved on December 31, 2020, a cursory look at the performance of the cabinet showed that the female members had indeed proved their mettle and justified their appointments.

The female commissioners- Hajia Fatima Bisola Ahmed, Hajia Fatima Arinola Lawal, Hajia Saadatu Modibbo Kawu, Harriet Afolabi- Oshatimehin, Joannah Kolo, Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence, Oyedun Juliana Florence, Aremu Abosede Deborah, had all proved to be performers going by the achievements recorded in their various ministries within 12 months.

For instance, the Ministry of Water Resources, which Hajia Fatima Arinola Lawal headed, was able to fix all the five moribund water works in the state and water now runs regularly from the hitherto dry pipes.

Also, the Ministry of Tertiary Education supervised by Hajia Saadatu Modibbo Kawu was able to return life to all state-owned tertiary institutions by offsetting all the backlog of salary arrears owed staff of the institutions by the past administration in the state. Money was also released for the accreditation of the institutions courses.

The erstwhile commissioner for communications, Harriet Afolabi- Oshatimehin, also recorded landmark achievements in her ministry. The government, through her ministry, revitalised the state-owned newspaper, The Herald, and the State Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara). While The Herald had gone digital, Radio Kwara-both AM and FM stations are now heard loud and clear in far and near 24 hours daily.

But, there is this woman whose achievements are monumental. The achievements of Hajia Fatima Bisola Ahmed as commissioner for education and human capital development are so glaring that they earned her and her ministry commendations from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Before the inauguration of the AbdulRazaq administration on May 29, 2019, the state had been blacklisted for eight years by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) over the failure of the past administration to pay counterpart funds, while the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) also sanctioned the state over the large scale examination malpractices in the state's public secondary schools during WASSCE examinations.

The effect of the blacklist by UBEC for eight years was the deterioration of infrastructure in the state's public primary and junior secondary schools.

But, under the watch of Hajia Ahmed, Kwara is now off the UBEC blacklist. It has accessed a backlog of N7.1bn UBEC grant to gradually reposition the schools. Thirty-one basic schools have been renovated.

Hajia Ahmed also carried out radical reforms in the ministry to stop examination malpractices.

Under her watch, the state has commenced the process to employ 4,107 teachers who will be deployed to primary and secondary schools across the state. The recruitment process is digital-proven to ensure that only qualified candidates are employed.

In recognition of its efforts in tackling examination malpractice headlong, WAEC wrote a letter of commendation to the state government.

WAEC's human resources manager, Adesoji Faboro, made the commendation in Ilorin during the 2020 state committee meeting.

"The swapping of principals to other schools and the involvement of external monitoring teams that cut across lecturers from state's Colleges of Education was a good initiative which is going to go a long way in reducing examination malpractices and enhancing the development of the education sector in the state," he said as he implored the state to sustain the initiatives in the interest of future.

Governor AbdulRazaq also commended Hajia Fatima Ahmed for her invaluable efforts in the development of human capital.

The governor, in a commendation letter dated November 23, 2020, thanked Hajia Ahmed for the measures she put in place, which he said had helped in eradicating examination malpractice in last year's WAEC examinations.

Reacting to the development, Hajia Ahmed thanked Governor Abdulrazaq for giving her free hands to operate.

This, she noted, had contributed greatly to the successes recorded by her ministry since her assumption of office. She assured the governor that her ministry would continue to introduce and implement reforms that would further enhance the standard of education in the state.

The performances of these women have justified the clamour for the appointment of more women in public offices across board and vindicated Governor AbdulRazaq's decision in populating his erstwhile cabinet with nine women against seven men.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Aliyu Adebayo     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Aliyu Muyideen     Congress For National Consensus     Ekweremadu     Suleiman Ajadi     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Transition Implementation Committee     Turaki     Muazam Nayaya     Saliu Ajia     Funmilayo Oniwa     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Press Release     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Abdulkadir Jimoh     Abdulrahman Onikijipa     Jide Oyinloye     Idris Garba     Valsolar Consortium     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     NaAllah     Olayinka Are     Shuaib Jawondo     Eghe Igbinehin     Edret Sabi Abel     Olupako Of Share     Bukola Saraki     Saduki Lafiagi     RTEAN     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Nigerian Medical Association     Baakini     Okin High School     Maimunat Oloriegbe     Adeola Abraham     Bolaji Nagode     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Amusa Bello     Kpotum Mohammed Baba     Tanke Flyover Bridge     Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia     Sam Onile     ASKOMP     Ibrahim Mohammed     Gobir Organization Foundation     Kwara State Football Association     Tunde Oyawoye     Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     HYPPADEC     Elerinjare-Ibobo     Maryam A. Garuba     Ile Arugbo     A.O. Belgore     Kwara 2019     Baba Issa     Ijagbo     NULGE     IHS     Paul Olawoore     CACOVID     M.Y. Abdulrahaman     Shero     Shehu Salau     Osuwa     Kwara North     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Ndakene     TESCOM     Aishat Mohammed Lawal     Mukhtar Shagaya     Sayomi     Na\'Allah     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Tunde Yusuf     Salihu Yahaya    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Nagode     Okasanmi Ajayi     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Monthly Sanitation     Muhammadu Gobir     Ramadan     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Buari Edun     Aisha Buhari     Segun Olawoyin     Ahmad Belgore     Idiagbon     Ilesha-Gwanara     Hassan A. Saliu     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Universal Basic Education Commission     Galland Marcias     Kubra Kazum     Share     Bayo Ajia     Yahaya Muhammad     Lai Mohammed     James Kolo     Harafat E. Mukadam     Alagbado     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Kwara United     SDP     Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa     Tunji Ajanaku     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Kale Ayo     David Adesina     Just Law Forum     Zubair Folorunsho Erubu     Minister     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Jalala     Akeem Olatunji     Saka Adeyemo     Ibrahim Bio     Tayo Awodiji     Ubandoma     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Bank Of Industry     Simeon Sayomi     Fatimat Saliu     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Abubakar Suleiman     Ayodele Shittu     Ilorin Airport     Alaaya     Garba Idris Ajia     Shao     Cassava Growers\' Association     Saidu Yaro Musa     Bilikis Oladimeji     Noah Yusuf     Ado Bayero     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Maryam Ado Bayero     Jamiu Oyawoye     Sam Okaula     Popo-Igbonna     School Of Nursing     Matthew Okedare     Aliyu U. Tilde     Muhammed Abdullahi     Ibrahim Taiwo Road     Fulani     AbdulRazaq Abubakar Jiddah     Academic Staff Union Of Universities