Since 2011, the Kwara State government has implemented a service charter with a strong emphasis on monitoring and evaluation through performance contracts. Under Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed administration's Shared Prosperity Program, Performance Contracting seeks to promote efficiency in public service and transparency through a commitment to published work plans, measurable deliverables, key performance indicators and critical success factors.

As such heads of ministries, departments and agencies agree specific performance targets on development programs and projects against which their performance and that of the government is measured. 

The scheme also offers a way to keep the people informed about what government has done, what it is doing and what it plans to do in the key sectors of  Strategic Infrastructure, Human Capital Development and Youth Empowerment, Impactive Economic Growth and Effective Governance that have been identified as commitment projections of the administration to the electorate.

One year down the line, administration officials are looking at the books and reviewing how far they have gone with the charter of performance. For Ahmed, even if opposition politicians say otherwise, it has been a tough but successful year. While presenting the 2013 budget proposals to lawmakers in the state, he recounted some of the challenges of the outgoing year and how tall he felt he could walk considering what has been achieved.

"Our resources may be limited but our resolve to overcome these challenges and provide good governance for the benefit of the people is boundless", Ahmed said at the event, drawing applause from the gallery at the end.

He gave details for his exuberance:  "The 2012 budget was predicated on the policy thrust of 500 metres accessibility radius to potable water supply for every resident in the State. Towards this end, a total sum of N33.3 million was approved for the secondary and tertiary reticulation of Ilorin, the State Capital.

The project is a follow-up to the on-going pipe network reticulation of Ilorin metropolis which is expected to be completed in 2013
"This reticulation network will enable residents to connect to the Asa Dam water scheme when completed. Also, a total sum of N519.6 million was approved for the on-going rehabilitation of 14 waterworks. In the rural water sector, a total of 220 boreholes were drilled in different locations of the State during the 2012 fiscal year thus taking us to 800 metres accessibility.

"Recognising the importance of quality health care delivery to the people, Government commenced a comprehensive rehabilitation of five General Hospitals at Ilorin, Offa, Omu-Aran, Share and Kaiama with a total sum of One Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira in the outgoing fiscal year. Government intends to complete these hospitals in the first quarter of next year and commence the overhaul of another set of five general hospitals.


"Similarly, Government released a total sum of N61 million as counterpart fund to the Health System Development Project (HSDP II) for the rehabilitation of 16 health facilities in the State. The effort is aimed at achieving improved access to quality health care services. In addition to the provision of drugs, dental and x-ray materials, 21b blood banks were procured and distributed with a total sum of N20.9 million.

"In the year 2012, we continued to make steady progress in ensuring that our education system produces self-reliant students whose skill sets match international standards.

Towards this laudable goal, I laid the foundation of International Vocational Centre (IVC), Ajasse-Ipo during the outgoing fiscal year. When completed, the centre will be able to provide our youths as well as graduates from our technical colleges with world-class training moderated by the United Kingdom's City and Guilds.

"We also made significant progress in improving the infrastructure facilities in our schools. A total of 200 classrooms in 58 schools were renovated in our post-primary schools at a cost of N290 million. At the primary level, 100 blocks of were constructed across the Sixteen LGAs while 166 classrooms were renovated.

"In the same vein, 720 sets of furniture were distributed to students in pre-primary, primary and junior secondary schools to ease the problem of inadequate furniture.

Additionally, science equipment worth Four Hundred and Eleven Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand, Five Hundred Naira were procured and distributed to primary and secondary schools across the state. During the outgoing fiscal year, we made education free at primary and post-primary schools in the State to increase access to education for every child in the state and to relieve parents of the burden of school fees."

A senior aide of the governor said there were reasons for the administration to feel satisfied so far when the identifiable timelines and expected performance levels are compared. She said: "The key to this achievement is in the strict Performance Contract implementation of the MTSS through optimal utilisation of the state's modest financial resources. For example, despite an average monthly federation account allocation of N2.6 billion, the bulk of which goes towards payment of salaries and overheads and internally-generated revenue of N622million per month, the Ahmed administration has made significant progress in infrastructural development since inception in 2011.

"These include 800 kilometres of urban and rural roads, 190 water supply projects, rehabilitation/modernisation of five general hospitals, and rehabilitation of 200 blocks of secondary school classrooms as well as Phase One of the Kwara State School For Special Needs rehabilitation project. Youth empowerment has been boosted with 2000 youth jobs, with more than 1000 of these absorbed into the civil service in line with the targets set under the performance contracts."

In terms of school rehabilitation, each council area has felt the impact of the administration in the outgoing year. For example, the following schools spread across the 16 council areas, according to documents obtained from the ministry of education and human capital development have felt the touch of revival from the centre of administration in Ilorin: GDSS Otte  (four classrooms), ALGSS Ba /GSS Afon, (four classrooms), GDSS Gaa-Akanbi(4) GDSS Oke-Aluko (4)GSS Omode (4) Opolo Sen. Sec. School (4)GDSS Oke-Suna (4) GHS Ilorin (4) MCC Ilorin (4) GDSS Alore (4) CAIS Ilorin (3) GDSS Adewole (4)GDSS Adeta(2) Banni CSS(3) Barakat CSS(3) IGS Ilorin (4) GGDSS Pakata (3) Al-Hadabiya School Ilorin (4)

Others include GDSS. Karuma (6). St. Anthony (4) CSS Agbeyangi (3) GDSS Amule(3) GSS Bacita (4) GDSS Gbugbu 3) CSS Lade (3) Islamiyyah Patigi (3)GAC Jebba (3) CSS Ore Asomu (2) GDSS Shao (4) GSS Lanwa (4) GUSS  Kaima (4) GDSS Kugiji (4) GSS Gwanara (4) GSS Ilesha Baruba (4) CHS Ajase-Ipo (4)  AISS Samora (3) Oro Gram. Sch. Oro (3) AISS Igbonla(3) ECWA Girls College Omu-Aran (3) Ira Gram. Sch (3) GSS Ipee (3)Ojoku Gram. Sch.(3) GSS Offa(3) CSS Offa (3)Babalola Memorial CAC (4)Iloffa Gram. Sch (3) ECWA Sec. Sch. Igbaja (3) Idofian Gram. Sch(3) GDSS Share (3) Olla Sec. Com (3) Iwo Comp. High Sch(3) Isanlu Isin CSS (3) Agbeku CSS (4)KGS Koro (3) Eruku Comm. Sec. CSS Eruku (3) Osi Central Sch.Osi (3) Isolo-Opin SSC (3).

And while inaugurating a new private sector driven Group of Schools, the Adrin Schools, last week in the state capital, Ahmed reiterated that his administration not just to the numbers but quality, promising that government would not hesitate to close down any school found to be violating the statutory standards for the education sector in the State.

The governor, who commended the initiator of the Schools for embracing the state government's policy of a virile basic education culture, explained that government's policy on education was informed by the realisation that "a child's basic educational development is directly correlated to the foundation laid at the basic level".

He said:  "we intend to strengthen the capacity of our Quality Assurance Unit to ensure that all public and private schools adhere to the teaching standards and benchmarks outline in educational policy, in pursuit of ensuring highest standards of teaching and learning in the State's school system." He promised to complete the second phase of the rehabilitation of the State School for Special Needs while the International Vocational Centre, Ajasse-Ipo would be completed and first set of students would be admitted during the coming year.

Earlier in her welcome address, the proprietor of the school, Mrs Bose Oladele, appreciated the efforts of the government in education especially the "every child counts" policy that gives every child an opportunity to be educated and well taken care of. She added that he passion for the development of children made her delve into establishment of a school which her husband, Oladele Adedeji, sponsored and financed solely.

Another area officials are also excited about in terms of performance is the commissioning of the ultra-modern Advanced Diagnostic Centre along Asa Dam Road, in the state capital. The project, which started in the previous administration has now become a reality as Vice President Namadi Sambo came down to the state to commission the edifice and urged other states of the federation to emulate the vision behind such projects which he noted would save the country huge foreign exchange currently being spent on foreign treatment by influential people and also draw some medical tourism to the nation.

"The most valuable gift in the world is good health", Sambo said at the commissioning, adding that the centre has capacity to solve a multi-faceted healthcare challenge. He said further: "This project is as a result of the conscious efforts, a laudable initiation of the state government towards facilitating the access of citizenry to a diagnostic centre of note for proper diagnostic test in Africa.

"In essence the centre is fortified with the state-of-the-art facilities that can compare and compete favourably with its type across the world. In the same vein, the engagement of experts to manage the centre is also a great joy to us for it will further enhance the status of the centre, build people's confidence in it and attract expected patronage.

"In addition, the location of the facility in the home of peace and gateway to the north and south will attract patronage to the centre. I congratulate the state government for the bold initiative in the conception, initiation and eventual completion of the laudable project to its logical conclusion.  Having put this centre in place, I am confident that the outflow of Nigerians and national resources frittered to seek such services from other countries of the world will become a thing of the past. It is hoped that this will save Nigeria the load of billions of hard currencies to other countries and capital under health tourism to address medical challenges abroad.

"Besides, this centre will promote health tourism in Kwara state and also attract patients and patronage from abroad particularly neighbouring West African countries and beyond. I call on Nigerian to patronize the centre for it to its mission in the healthcare delivery system of this great nation. I must also seize this singular opportunity to invite other state governments to emulate this good gesture. I call the managers of the centre to imbibe good maintenance culture and protect the installed facilities from filtering and vandalism that will easily turn it to a shadow of itself."

Before the commission Ahmed had taken time to explain to the Vice President and his team the reason detre for the project saying the event represented  part of the fulfilment of his administration's commitment to providing qualitative health care to the people of the State in particular and the nation in general.

The centre, he recounted, represents the manifestation of a long and persistent quest for excellence in all aspects of medical diagnosis by the state based on the understanding that proper diagnosis is a necessary precondition for effective medical treatment.  He described the centre as critical to the policy thrust of government on health with its twin focus on quality and access. 

He said further: "With the imminent completion of the major rehabilitation of Ilorin, Offa, Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Share and Kaiama Hospitals, this center will further establish our health care delivery system as one of the most modern in the country. Additionally, it is our hope that this opening of this center will help reverse the current trend whereby Nigerians spend millions of dollars on health tourism to countries such as India, Egypt and South Africa.

"In the process, we hope to generate considerable internal revenue by providing advanced medical diagnosis at competitive rates here in Kwara State. Furthermore, this center will be run through a Public-Private-Partnership with a highly reputable firm, "MedEquip Company Nigeria Limited" which has handled similar projects in many parts of the country and based on our deliberate policy to locate its management outside the civil service."