THE KWARA OF OUR DREAMS
My fellow Kwarans, A critical analysis of the current state of affairs has provided me with a deep-seated understanding of the immense challenges facing our dear State, Kwara and the expectations of various stakeholders. This has consequently, fueled my resolve to serve our great State as the Governor, come 2019.
In the course of these consultations and campaign, my team and I have visited all the Local Government Councils, held consultative gatherings with all Electoral Wards and met with people from all walks of life at close quarters. We listened to the views expressed by our people, and we talked to all stakeholders: business people, private and public sector practitioners, farmers, traders, the physically challenged, teachers, artisans, students, politicians, technocrats and so on. We attended numerous other activities, and met with all cadres of the society in our state. Following from these conversations, we have come to understand the challenges of our people.
I believe in elections and in the power of the people not just to choose their leaders, but also to define the manner in which they are led. I believe in the synergy that comes from unifying different sectors of the community and the many different trades and businesses, which in their totality make up our society.
Kwara State has a large divide between the poor and the rich in terms of quality of life. There is hardly an upper middle class in Kwara State. Most residents are either stupendously rich or unbelievably poor. Poverty is rife in the state and the present and past administrations have done nothing to improve the quality of life. Kwara State is mostly composed of civil servants, drivers, bike/tricycle riders and small business owners while a few are company/firm workers (very few), lecturers, religious workers, health workers and business men. The political elites constitute the upper class alone.
The youths constitute 70 per cent of the population in Kwara State. The high rate of unemployment among youths in the 4th quarter of 2015 rose from 9.9 percent to 10.4 percent by the National Bureau of Statistics. Salaries are owed most times and even when things are normal, salaries are low compared to that of other states. The average civil servant requires a mortgage of at least 10 years in order to own a house whereas the elites are building mansions everywhere and some elites even have the guts to share peanuts to indigent youths in the name of charity. Elites invest their wealth mainly in Cities outside our state and build nothing but a cottage in their hometowns.
Kwara State has relatively bad road networks in Nigeria. Apart from the Ilorin area, most of the roads in the state are an eyesore. A critical example of one of the most terrible roads in the state is the Ilorin-Kosubosu road which is an impasse. Travellers usually go through Oyo or Niger State to arrive at Kosubosu in Baruten LGA. Intra-city/town roads in Omu-Aran, Oro, Ajasse, Iloffa, Osi, Oke-Onigbin, Baruten, Patigi, Kaiama, etc are relatively inefficient and more are needed.
My ambition to run for the office of the Governor of Kwara State, come February, 2019 is premised on my desire to bring succor and hope to the people of Kwara State, and to take us all to the Kwara of our dreams.
Upon my election, asides some key areas already highlighted in previous fora, we intend to concentrate on the following key areas to the benefit of the people of Kwara State:
ECONOMY & JOB CREATION
The business and financial sectors are the driving forces behind some of our contemporary economic development. Therefore to promote sustainable and robust economic development, we will assist investors, small and medium enterprises, to take advantage of the opportunities presented by our national and global economic growth potentials. We will boost internally generated revenue (IGR) by improving the collection mechanism through e-governance. Undeniably, entrepreneurship is the key avenue of creating jobs at the time of rising unemployment level in State. We shall set up measures to ensure youths in the state are economically empowered so that they can become employers of labour rather than job seekers. We will protect the growth of our small and medium scale enterprises by providing tax incentives. We will implement government policies that will encourage the private sector to employ more citizens and foster economic development.
RULE OF LAW
I firmly subscribe to integrity, accountability, transparency, equality, rule of law, a responsive government and democracy as core values and the foundation for prosperity and stability. To this end, I shall do my utmost to safeguard the rights and security of every Kwara citizen and ensure that those rights are fully respected. We will ensure that all our ministries, agencies and parastatals uphold the rule of law, by rendering services in accordance with laid down rules and procedures, to guarantee the protection of the rights of all citizens. We will also give governance back to the people, to enable probity, accountability and transparency.
SECURITY
We will ensure the safety of lives and properties through the prudent utilization of security votes. We will embark on the acquisition of the latest advanced security communications technology that will track and monitor the daily activities of the State.
EDUCATION
We will provide free education up to senior secondary school level to ensure that no child is denied their right to education and guarantee a healthy learning environment. We will introduce bursary and scholarship initiatives for tertiary institutions and encourage the private sector to partner with government in this regard as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. We will also deepen skills acquisition by setting up a platform for technical and vocational training to create capacity for our informal sector.
HOUSING
We will encourage even development across the various local government areas in the state. This will allow for easy access and reduce congestion at the city centers. We will introduce affordable housing schemes by collaborating through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to increase the available housing stock.
MEDICAL CARE
We will introduce free medical care for our children from birth to age five. Healthcare will also be free for pregnant women while our senior citizens will also enjoy free healthcare from sixty-five years onwards. We will improve on the quality of Primary Healthcare system and make it more accessible, thereby reducing the overdependence on our general hospitals. We will activate emergency services in all our hospitals.
AGRICULTURE
We will provide incentives for agricultural processing companies, thereby providing employment for our bulging youth population. We shall also come up with an agricultural programmes to provide soft loans and other agricultural needs to farmers. The construction and repairs of dilapidated roads will also enhance transportation of farm produce form hinterlands to the markets.
TOURISM, CULTURE & SPORTS
We will increase the avenues to showcase our distinct and diverse culture and traditions through the establishment of museums and heritage centers. In order to make our State a tourism destination in Africa, we will also provide recreational facilities and encourage investors to invest more in tourism infrastructure. Our unique cultural heritage will be promoted and enhanced to attract tourists globally. This will also create a secondary market for job creation. We will create community sport centers to encourage our youth development.
All of these key areas will be founded on the sacrosanct principles of equality, justice, and good governance. The people of Kwara are ready for a change in the status quo. They crave genuine people-centered governance driven progressive minds who will walk the talk and bring meaningful development to the people asides from tokenism.
The upcoming governorship election is pivotal to the future development of Kwara State. Upon election, I solemnly promise that I shall enhance the standard of governance, ensure the security of lives and properties of our people, raise the quality of leadership, promote the principles of democracy and uphold the rule of law. I shall take steps to expand our economy to enable businesses to thrive so that people’s livelihood will improve. I shall also protect our environment and conserve our heritage to make Kwara the pride of place for us all. Together we shall build a more prosperous, just and progressive Kwara State that we can proudly call home, the Kwara of our dreams. An inclusive growth strategy is the foundation of prosperity, on which the livelihood of our citizens depend.
Notwithstanding the current challenges we face, we need to be united in our stance and face up to those difficulties with fortitude and determination, and respond to differences with an inclusive attitude.
To deliver, we need to listen, be inclusive and patient in seeking a consensus, so that we may move forward with one spirit and one vision. I urge you through this medium to join other distinguished sons and daughters of Kwara by working with us to make this aspiration possible. It is for these laudable reasons that I humbly seek your collective support.
Thank you.
Sincerely Yours,
Ahmed Mustapha Akanbi
Idera 2019
Agbajowo lafin soya
