KWARA News Update

11/10/2024

I am excited to tell you that I am the host of the 2024 Best of Nollywood Awards.

The event, which holds at the iconic Sugar Factory Film Studio constructed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq CON in Ilorin, Kwara State is billed for Sunday, November 24th.

It sure will be fun!

Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi
Host

11/10/2024

Owu Waterfalls: Footages emerge as the Kwara State Government under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq commenced the construction of the Owu Waterfalls Road (Phase I), the tallest waterfall in West Africa.

09/10/2024

2nd Quarterly Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing by the Kwara State Government

08/10/2024

Abdulrazaq governs with pragmatic empathy -- a response to Senator Bukola Saraki

Rafiu Ajakaye

No one versed in the history of Mr. Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, should be surprised at his recent outbursts on the courageous efforts of the administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to restore sanity to Ilorin, the capital city.

It is for his likes that history should never be erased from the national curriculum so that younger generations may know about how he and his cronies not only mindlessly converted many public properties and assets to their personal properties, such as he did with the choice Alimi Chalet and a few others, but they also left the capital city without any strategic plan for population growth, urban planning, and orderliness.

The elite he struggled so hard to incite against the reformist government knew him to be one individual who typifies impunity, greed, and vendetta, such as was seen in his razing of the Idi-Ape family home of his predecessor, his award of mindless pension to himself even after becoming a senator, and the appropriation for his family of a choice public land otherwise called Ile Arugbo. Saraki’s outburst, in fact, has sent Kwarans chuckling about how he bulldozed the General Abdulkareem Adisa’s house in Ilorin to the glory of God(?). Generations of journalists who cut their teeth at the iconic Herald newspapers will never forget how Saraki brought down the newly constructed multimillion naira building that the late Mohammed Lawal of blessed memory gave to the newspapers.

The urban renewal programme of the Abdulrazaq administration, which includes restoring or upgrading the original plan of the capital city as much as possible to fit the current realities, was long due. It is what a responsible government should have done many years ago when the first ilorin master plan expired in the early 2000.

The chaotic and unplanned slum that our great capital city had become until recently is a dirty relic of the Bukola Saraki years when just anyone in the corridors of powers or their cronies could patch on any available land to erect structures with scant regard for any urban planning code. The result is the environmental disaster seen in many parts of Ilorin and environs and its consequences for lives and properties.

The Governor has no history of cornering public properties for himself or his family. What he has done so far within the law is to courageously reclaim for Kwarans what rightly belongs to them, but were taken away or dubiously converted for private use during the reigns of Saraki and his cronies. From the dubious sales of lands at the judges quarters to the Amusement Park, Galadimawa Estate, Kwara Liaison Offices in Kaduna and Lagos, Flower Garden, and Ile Arugbo, which they sold to themselves or mismanaged, the list of the heist is endless and mind-boggling.

The next time Mr. Saraki is in the state, he should have the courage to see what the government has made of the Flower Garden and the Ile Arugbo land that was stolen from the people. Sprouting right there is a multi-storey building that will house a one-of-its-kind hospital to improve the quality of healthcare delivery for the people and strengthen economic prosperity.

It is not surprising to see Mr. Saraki foaming at the mouth because the reform has once again recovered for the people a land whose approval was for a car park, per the signature of his own successor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, but was wrongly converted to another thing entirely. Reckless behaviours such as this were the features of the Saraki years, and we expected nothing less from him.

Restoring sanity in a growing capital city like Ilorin requires courageous leadership that will not be stonewalled by the blackmail of the likes of Saraki. The urban renewal of Governor Abdulrazaq is being done with full regard for the law, pragmatic empathy, and our context as a people -- just as we saw in the years of the late Major General George Innih who took Ilorin to the next level in urban renewal and physical development.

Yes, Governor Abdulrazaq will serve out his term in 2027, God willing. He hardly needs a lecture from a Bukola Saraki who, enthralled by the trappings of office, occupied the Presidential Lodge even after leaving office.

But, unlike the Saraki reign which left the capital city and the state on autopilot in physical planning, the Governor will bequeath a 20-year master plan whose fruits now include a well-articulated plan that guides the physical growth of the state capital as it is done elsewhere in the world, thereby making Kwara viable for 21st century living with positive impacts on socioeconomic growth.

Building a decent and sustainable city will require mindset re-engineering about building codes, making sacrifices where necessary, and stepping on some toes, including those who felt the world revolves around them and they could do anything without anyone questioning them.

And urban renewal is better done early to save the future. Capital cities like Lagos and Rio De Janeiro, for instance, which didn't do urban renewal early enough had their statuses taken elsewhere. Ilorin should not become a total slum before the right thing is done. That's what separates Governor Abdulrazaq from Mr. Saraki.

Finally, governance is about foresight. It is beyond chest-thumping, grandstanding, and crass opportunism, key personality traits we have seen in Mr. Saraki. We urge him to keep his sanctimony. Kwarans have long seen through him. He is, as we had stated before, a bald hairdresser recommending his unfailing hair restorer.

▪︎ Rafiu Ajakaye is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kwara State

06/10/2024

Land allocated for car park can’t be corner shops, KWGIS explains action on Crystal shops
• Says building a gross act of impunity, encroachment into public land, and setbacks

Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) has said it is removing the Crystal corner shops because new findings show clearly that they grossly violate government’s land use approval issued to the owner on March 22, 2013.

The approval was for the purpose of a commercial "car park only,” KW-GIS said in a statement on Sunday.

KWGIS also said the illegal building conspicuously creates obstacles for urban planning, road expansion and environmental protection, key features of the urban renewal programme of the government.

“It is trite to say that a land allotted for the purpose of a car park cannot and should not become corner shops which it became overnight," it said.

"Importantly, the land was originally designed as a green area (a garden) where civil servants, pensioners, and members of the public relaxed at the new state secretariat complex."

The agency said tenants occupying the shops have been asked to remove their goods, adding that the ongoing urban renewal programme is in the best interest of the public.

The programme is neutral to affiliations as many defaulting properties had earlier been removed for similar reasons, and it will be unfair to give preferential treatment to any structures above the larger interest of the public, it added.

ESV. SULYMAN ABDULKAREEM, ANIVS, RSV
CHAIRMAN, KWAGIS

06/10/2024

OFFA ROBBERY: Are Saraki, Ahmed and other people indicted untouchable?

By Abubakar Mustapha

_Poor man wey thief Maggi_
_Omo dem go show him face for crime fighter_ _(Crimefighter)_
_Rich man wey thief money_
_Omo we no dey see their face for crime fighter_
_Tell me something I don′t know_

As a human rights activist and Kwaran, I'm compelled to lend my voice to the recent Kwara State High Court judgment sentencing the five gang leaders of the April 5, 2018, Offa robbery to death by hanging while their sponsors still walk freely on our streets.

African China's song, "MR. PRESIDENT," from which the above lines were culled, resonates with the message that our system favours wealthy criminals while punishing their poor counterparts. This injustice has been here for decades and it is one of the reasons the country hasn't moved forward.

The Offa robbery, which claimed 33 innocent lives, exposed disturbing connections between the convicted robbers and Dr Bukola Saraki, ex-Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed and others. Despite confessional statements and evidence, Saraki and others implicated haven't been held accountable.

The convicted robbers revealed they were the former senate president's political thugs and that one of the vehicles used for the operation was a gift from him and ex-governor Ahmed. One of the robbers even attended Saraki's daughter's wedding. Yet, despite this evidence, they remain untouched.

If those linked to the robbery were from poor backgrounds, they would likely face severe penalties. The disparity in justice raises concerns. While I commend the Kwara State High Court for sentencing the five gang leaders to death, I believe more can be done to ensure the victims' families receive full justice.

Saraki and others linked to the Offa robbery pose significant threats to Kwara and the country at large. Records show Saraki used thugs to intimidate dissenting voices when he held sway. In 2017, mainstream media reported Saraki instructing thugs to harass court observers.

I join the Offa Descendants' Union and fellow Kwarans in calling for a thorough investigation into all individuals mentioned by the convicted robbers. Until Saraki and his associates are held accountable for arming the Offa robbery gangs, justice remains incomplete.

Abubakar Mustapha is a human rights activist and public commentator. He writes from Offa, Kwara State.

04/10/2024

Too much thinking makes you more stressed, but too much prayer makes you more blessed.❤🙏

04/10/2024

STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT

PRESIDENT TINUBU CONFERS GCON ON HOUSE SPEAKER, TAJUDEEN ABBAS

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the nation’s second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

In his 64th Independence Anniversary Speech on 1 October, President Tinubu conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic( CFR) on the speaker and the deputy senate president.

This development led to a debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, calling on the President to confer a higher honour on the Speaker.

President Tinubu was persuaded by the House of Representatives position and has decided to remedy the historical error and oversight.

Thus, he has decided to upgrade the Speaker to GCON from CFR, in accordance with the National Order of Precedence.

The speaker, the Senate President, other principal officers of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice of Nigeria will be formally decorated with their new honours later.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
October 4, 2024

04/10/2024

Boat mishap: Kwara Speaker leads Govt's delegation to Gbajigbo village, assures victims, residents of supports

The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu has led a powerful government delegation to condole the people of Gbajigbo village over the unfortunate boat mishap that claimed many lives.

Conveying the heartfelt sympathies of the government at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama, his first port of call before proceeding to Gbajigbo, Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu explained that the incident has left Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq saddened.

"We are here on behalf of the Governor to register his heartfelt sadness over the unfortunate incident. As a compassionate leader, the Governor decided to send this powerful delegation to Kaiama to commiserate with the Emir, the victims, and the people of Gbajigbo as well as to obtain first-hand information about the boat mishap", the Speaker stated.

"It is important to remind our people, especially the sea travelers that wearing life jackets and adherence to other safety protocols are essential in preventing this kind of sad incident, I, therefore implore the sea travelers in Gbajigbo and across the state in general to be making use of life jackets already provided by the government"

"On behalf of the Governor and government of Kwara State, our hearts go out to the Emir of Kaiama, victims and families of the deceased as well as the entire community, we pray to Almighty Allah to forgive the departed, grant them Aljanat Fridaos and give us all the strength needed in this trying time and beyond"

The Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar Bagidi Kiyaru IV Emir of Kaiama while responding to the message of the state delegation acknowledged the proactiveness of Governor AbdulRazaq moment he heard of the incident and also appreciated the delegation praying for their safe travels in and out of Kaiama.

Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu later departed to Gbajigbo where he visited the survivors of the mishap and the port of departure of the capsized boat in the company of Alhaji Muhammad Tukur Umar; the Ciroma of Kaiama Emirate and other community leaders.

The Speaker, earlier in Gbajigbo paid homage to the village head; Alhaji Ibrahim Usman, and Interacted with the stakeholders in the community where they commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his prompt response to the mishap and his fatherly disposition to the people of the community. They prayed for the Governor and the government of Kwara State.

At the interactive session with the stakeholders, the Speaker announced the cash donation of a sum of Two Million Naira for the medical bills of the survivors of the mishap and the family of the deceased, assuring that the government through the State Emergency Management Agency would also come to their aid. He also promised that the basic health center and primary school in the community would soon be refurbished to enhance their effectiveness.

On the state delegation's condolence visit to Gbajigbo were Hon. Saidu Baba; Bani/Adena/Gwanabe /Gweria, Hon. Abdullah Halidu Danbaba; Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe, Hon. Muhamma Baba Salihu; Òkúta/Yashikira, Hon. Abdullah Bata; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullah Danladi; the Executive Chairman, Kaiama Local Government, Hon. Isa Jibril; the Executive Chairman, Baruten Local Government, Alhaji Umar Danladi Shero; Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Sadiq Buhari; Adviser to the Governor on Social Investment among others.

Sheu Abdulkadir Yusuf, mnipr
CPS to the Rt. Hon. Speaker, KWHA
03.10.2024

03/10/2024

Offa Descendants' Union Calls for Prosecution of All Individuals Mentioned in Offa Robbery OFFA COMMUNITY CALLS FOR PROSECUTION OF ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS IN 2018 BANK ROBBERY CASE. The union urged the state police command to conduct thorough investigations into other suspects mentioned during the trial, citing concerns that some influential figures may be evading justice. The Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU) has called on the Kwara State Government to expedite the implementation of a recent judgment by the Kwara State High Court regarding the notorious Offa bank robbery....

Offa Descendants’ Union Calls for Prosecution of All Individuals Mentioned in Offa Robbery OFFA COMMUNITY CALLS FOR PROSECUTION OF ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS IN 2018 BANK ROBBERY CASE. The union urg…

01/10/2024

Fellow Nigerians, as I address you today, I am deeply aware of the struggles many of you face in these challenging times.

Our administration knows that many of you struggle with rising living costs and the search for meaningful employment. I want to assure you that your voices are heard. As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens....

Fellow Nigerians, as I address you today, I am deeply aware of the struggles many of you face in these challenging times. Our administration knows that many of you struggle with rising living costs…

30/09/2024

The Youth for Democracy and Change (YDC) in Kwara State has lauded the state government under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for ensuring the families of the victims of the unfortunate 2018 Offa robbery, which claimed over 30 lives get justice on Thursday, September 26, 2024. The group recalled that during the cause of the investigation of the calamitous robbery, the suspects now convicts, multiple evidence revealed that the five gang leaders had direct connections with Dr Bukola Saraki, who was then the senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of Kwara PDP....

The Youth for Democracy and Change (YDC) in Kwara State has lauded the state government under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for ensuring the families of the victims of the unfortunate 2018 Offa r…

30/09/2024

On The Gang-up Against Bello Mattawale By Gov. Dauda Lawal And His Cohorts From the time that Bello Matawalle was nominated as Minister OF the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, Dauda Lawal the Governor of Zamfara State has been ill at ease. The circumstances of his victory at the gubernatorial election as well as subsequent victory at the Election petition Tribunal did not give room for sound sleep....

On The Gang-up Against Bello Mattawale By Gov. Dauda Lawal And His Cohorts From the time that Bello Matawalle was nominated as Minister OF the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, Dauda Lawal the G…

30/09/2024

Group Lauds Gov Abdulrazaq for Ensuring Families of Offa Robbery Victims Get Justice, Calls for Saraki, Others trial

The Youth for Democracy and Change (YDC) in Kwara State has lauded the state government under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for ensuring the families of the victims of the unfortunate 2018 Offa robbery, which claimed over 30 lives get justice on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

The group recalled that during the cause of the investigation of the calamitous robbery, the suspects now convicts, multiple evidence revealed that the five gang leaders had direct connections with Dr Bukola Saraki, who was then the senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of Kwara PDP.

For instance, YDC said the robbers who were sentenced to death by hanging yesterday were seen in Mr Saraki's daughter's wedding ceremony and wearing 'Aso-Ebi' like other Sarakites as the former governor's ardent followers are called. One of the vehicles also used for the operations was also linked to the former senate president.

The group also condemned Mr Saraki and his followers' reactions to the judgment. In the press statement made available to journalists in Ilorin on Friday, YDC's Director of Media and Publicity, Abdulbaki Kure said Saraki has not made any comments since the verdict, giving credence to the convicts' connections confessions.

YDC also blasted Saraki's followers for expressing their dissatisfaction over the court judgement and showing solidarity with the convicted robbers. The group said this is a clear indication that the former senate president and his followers were party to the unfortunate incident that claimed 33 lives in Offa.

"First of all, we want to appreciate the Kwara State government under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq CON for ensuring the families of the victims of the 2018 Offa robbery get justice. Even though it was after six years, we appreciate the Governor Abdulrazaq-led government for choosing to be the voice of the oppressed.

"In the wake of Thursday's verdict, we want the state government to try former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed, his Personal Assistant Political, Alabi Olalekan and Yusuf Abdulwahab, his former Chief-of-Staff who were indicted by numerous evidence in the course of the investigation into the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of 33 innocent residents of Offa and destroyed up to five banks and police stations.

"Bringing someone like Mr Saraki to book will not only serve as a lesson to the people in his class who use their positions to afflict others but also prevent them from continuously walking the path knowing that one of them has been convicted. This is the only way Kwarans and Nigerians at large will believe justice is well served in the case of the unfortunate Offa robbery.

"We also condemn Mr Saraki's silence since the verdict. This shows that the criminals were his boys and confirmed the veracity of the evidence against him. Like Saraki, his followers also display their ignorance and heartlessness for expressing unfounded solidarity with the gang leaders who wasted innocent lives.

"We'll appreciate if necessary actions are taken as to Mr Bukola Saraki, who will be moving freely while multiple pieces of evidence have indicted him and how he had connections with the criminals."

May God bless Kwara
May God bless Nigeria

*Signed:*
Abdulbaki Kure,
YDC Director of Media and Publicity

29/09/2024

Kwara’s Film Studio begins production of world’s first ‘Dancinematic’ series October.

Kwara's Sugar Factory Film Studio will, in October, launch a 'Dancinematic Universe', a series that combines the creative energy of music videos with the cinematic grandeur of feature films through creative dance storytelling.

A first of its kind in the industry, the pilot project in the fictional universe is titled ‘The Big Bang’.

It will also introduce a unique and immersive world-building experience through a transmedia storytelling initiative to the Nigerian creative industry, according to a statement by the Film Studio's Creative Director Tunde Ayinla, professionally known as StylSlayer.

"This initiative is to establish Sugar Factory Film Studios as a pioneering haven for intellectual properties and brands that want to benefit from the unprecedented blend of product placement and branded content concept to enhance the world-building of their promotional storytelling," Ayinla said.

“The initiative is modelled after the most innovative version of it in the world at the moment as seen in The Boys and Deadpool franchises. What makes it a first in Nigeria is the level of the immersion with the specific kind of transmedia storytelling as a world-building tool.”

Ayinla commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his bold vision for Kwara and support for the creative industry.

The production comes a few weeks after Kwara won the hosting rights for the 2024 BON Awards, which brings to Ilorin close to 500 movie stars, producers, marketers, and enthusiasts. The event is slated to hold at the iconic Sugar Factory Film Studios, a major project of the Abdulrazaq administration.

“The Big Bang project serves as an inaugural project of the Dancinematic Universe. This creates an uncontested market space in the Nigerian
entertainment industry as a first of its kind with a massive pool of cross-pollinated target audience," he added.

"The Big Bang is a unique musical fantasy short film inspired by a true story of renewed hope, combining elements of dance, music, and cinematic storytelling as it follows the journey of a young creative who envisions a groundbreaking entertainment concept."

He said the Dancinematic Universe has initial revenue projections of N5.4bn in its early peak period as a blue ocean project, which sets the film studio apart in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Thousands of jobs are expected to be created for young people, especially Kwarans, in the creative sector, he added.

26/09/2024

Breaking: Court sentences Offa robbery suspects to death by hanging

26/09/2024

BREAKING NEWS : Court Finds All Five Suspects In The Offa Bank Robbery Guilty

Justice Haleema Salman of the Kwara state high court, Ilorin, says 'No evidence from the defendants that they are licensed to carry arms

All of the accused are found guilty of illegal possession of fi****ms

They were found guilty of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery.

They were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit culpable homicide and culpable homicide, punishable by death.

26/09/2024

LG Polls: KWSG calls out Saraki on Political Thuggery while in Government

LG Polls: Saraki lacks credibility to speak on people’s welfare, says KWSG ▪︎Says his record of compulsive, selfish acquisition of public properties is still fresh Kwara State Government has descri…

25/09/2024

LG Polls: Saraki lacks credibility to speak on people’s welfare, says KWSG

▪︎Says his record of compulsive, selfish acquisition of public properties is still fresh

Kwara State Government has described as laughable and self-flattery the comments of Senator Bukola Saraki on the outcome of the recent local government elections in the state, which the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) convincingly won across the state.

The government said Saraki’s PDP not only fruitlessly tried to frustrate the conduct of the election through the court, but it mobilised urchins and its local collaborators to disrupt the balloting with their shenanigans and hooliganism after seeing that they lacked the credibility or a record of convincing people to vote for them.

“It took the popular will of the people to cast their ballot. The government has done well enough to win the trust of the people, and that was what played out, regardless of the noise from Saraki's men. It is bewildering that Saraki’s party is confused between floating the narrative that no election took place and claiming a victory from an election it said was never held. That is the lot of a confused, desperate people that Senator Saraki leads,” according to a statement by the Honourable Commissioner for Communications Mrs Bola Olukoju.

“We also find it incredible that Senator Bukola Saraki was talking about people’s welfare. The record of his iron-fist imperialism, which featured non-payment of salary, use of thugs to intimidate people, and high rate of suicides and destitution and other menaces faced by workers is still fresh. In 2016 when things were so tough and various categories of workers were not being paid, Kwarans remembered how Senator Saraki was fighting to buy exotic cars while public funds were also being used to transport people to show solidarity for him in the dock. The same Senator Saraki is notorious for his conversion of public properties for personal use, even as the government he inspired was not paying workers while all their appointees were getting 100% salaries and other perks of office. The government that he struggles so hard to bad-mouth has cleared the years of salary arrears that his lackeys left unpaid.

“As far as people’s welfare is concerned, Saraki lacks the moral standing to talk. He is a bald hairdresser recommending his unfailing hair restorer. He is a snail claiming a championship in a community of horned animals. The world is facing serious economic challenges. Nigerians have not been immune to the same.

“In addition to the efforts of President Tinubu to ease things, not only is the Kwara State Government committed to public welfare, as is evident in its many programmes, it continues to execute different infrastructural projects and social protection programmes that strengthen the purchasing powers of the people. The government is also not denying people their wages while its appointees enjoy the perks of office as the Saraki-inspired government did. We urge Senator Saraki to reflect on his legacies of impoverishing people and organising questionable philanthropic feasts to throw morsels at the same people during which hundreds died."

Hon. Bola Olukoju
Commissioner for Communications.
Kwara state.
25 September 2024

25/09/2024

Whatever We Lay Our Hands On Shall Be Prosper This Morning 🙏

24/09/2024

Hamster Session 2 Mining begins

Fixed Date for Payment

24/09/2024

BREAKING NEWS

We are saddened to announce the passing of popular Nigerian Islamic singer, Rukayat Gawat Oyefeso. May her soul rest in peace.

Rukayat Gawat was a renowned singer and inspiration to many in the Islamic music industry. Her contributions to the genre will forever be remembered.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and fans during this difficult time. May Allah grant her Al-Jannah Firdaus.

Share your condolences and favorite memories of Rukayat Gawat in the comments below.

23/09/2024

Don’t indulge yourselves while people struggle, Gov Abdulrazaq tells new LGA chiefs

· _We’ll work for public good: new chairmen_

Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Monday sworn-in the newly elected chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the 16 local government areas of the state, urging them to ‘be prudent with power and work with the people’ in the interest of all.

Speaking shortly after the oath administration at the Government House Ilorin, the Governor congratulated the new council chiefs, their families, party leaders, community stakeholders, and everyone who played different roles in their emergence.

The inauguration was attended by the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu and other principal officers; Chief Judge Ayodele Adebara; Grand Kadi Abdullateef Kamaldeen; Secretary to the State Government Prof. Mamman Saba Jubril; Chief of Staff Prince Abdulkadir Mahe and other cabinet members; APC Chairman Prince Sunday Fagbemi; and many government officials and party elders.

“Set realistic goals for yourself. Be conscious of your legacies. Be fair to everyone and to yourself. Attend to the needs of the people, and be open to positive engagements across board,” he said.

“Our country is in a transitive phase as our economy undergoes reforms. This has brought some inconveniences for the people. Please be sensitive to the realities of the time. Don’t indulge yourselves while the people struggle to meet basic needs.

“As local government areas and first layer of government, be creative, explore areas of cooperation, and complement yourselves for bigger accomplishments. Importantly, please prove to the people that you truly deserve to occupy this esteemed office. I wish you all the best, ladies and gentlemen.”

Party chairman Prince Sunday Fagbemi commended the people of the state for their support and the Governor for his statesmanship and commitment to public good.

“This is a great moment. We have just cemented the foundation laid for the good of Kwara. We are thankful to Kwarans for their support. The agenda is to develop Kwara and take the state to the next level,” according to the party chairman.

Majeed Bolakale Podo, the Ilorin South chairman who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said they will work hard for the good of the people.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
September 23, 2024