Date: 2021-09-06

•Swears in two commissioners

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved the appointment of AbdulGaniyu Sani as the new accountant general of the state.

The appointment followed the conclusion of a process that began with an advertorial announcing the vacancy for the office in line with the law. Sani, a chartered accountant and lawyer, beat three others in the job placement screenings to get the top job.

A native of Ilorin, the appointee is a finance wonk with decades of experience spanning public and private sectors.

Sani is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Nigeria Institute of Management; Association of National Accountant of Nigeria (ANAN); National Institute of Marketing; and Institute of Management Consultants. He was educated at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (MBA, Finance); Kaduna State Polytechnic (PGD Marketing Management); and Kwara State Polytechnic (OND and HND, Business Administration). He is an alumnus of Ilorin Grammar School.

He was until 2020 the Managing Director of the pan-northern Northern Nigeria Investment Limited (NNIL), a subsidiary of the New Nigeria Development Company Ltd (NNDC) where the appointee was once the Head of the Group Internal Audit between 2006 and 2012. He was also the head of Corporate Services at the NNIL between 2013 and 2019.

The Governor meanwhile has sworn in two commissioner-nominees: Florence Olasumbo Oyeyemi and Harriet Adenike Oshatimehin.

Oyeyemi was named Commissioner for Finance; while Adenike will head the Ministry of Youth Development.

AbdulRazaq charged the new commissioners to be team players and to key into the administration's commitment to rebuild the state for greatness.

"As you are aware, Kwara state is undergoing a rebuilding process. Prudence, discipline, team work, and sacrifice have been our watchwords," he said. "Revenue is drying up. Yet our administration is confronted with huge challenges of human capital and infrastructural development, and an urgent need to lift as many people as possible out of poverty. Every penny is being channeled to tackle this. The administration has a duty to chart a sustainable course for our state. That is why we can't afford to be flamboyant or wasteful."

Oyeyemi, who spoke on behalf of the new commissioners, said they would not take the opportunity to serve the state for granted.

"It is a privilege and honour. It is a huge privilege we do not take for granted. We will work together as a team with other members of the cabinet and contribute our quota maximally to the development of Kwara State," Oyeyemi said.

The brief swearing in was attended by Chief Judge Suleiman Kawu; Secretary to the State Government Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril; Head of Service Mrs Modupe Oluwole Susan; and the chairman of Kwara APC caretaker committee Alhaji Abdullahi Samari

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

September 6, 2021