OPINION: Saving The Integrity Group From Chronic Blindness

By Mustapha Lukman

Self-proclaimed Integrity Group in the Kwara State chapter of APC released a few days ago a jaundiced statement on Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq mid-term performance, rating him below average. 

Exposing his acute ignorance of governance and development, the group publicity secretary Comrade Abdul-Rahoof Bello (aka Làbẹ́làbẹ́), said there is no difference between the past and the present. 

Only the one without sight or hindsight would say he has not seen Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq done anything in the past two years. 

From civil service welfare to sports; education; infrastructure; health; youths empowerment and engagement; and social investment, there are no any indices of governance this government has not done better than the previous administration within 24 months. 

No Kwara workers make below 30k today. Kwara sports festival was brought back after 15 year's of inactivity; the state is currently winning laurels across all spectres of sports today. Over 120 roads were either rehabilitated or constructed. Some schools are being fixed in addition to no less than 300 to be done soonest, especially by the indigenous contractors. The same as basic healthcare facilities that were abandoned to rot. More than 24 have been brought to life for improved access to health care in various communities. Water, which was unavailable, runs in almost every home today in many parts of Kwara after AbdulRazaq fixed some 13 waterworks across the state. 

There are many more of course. Only that Comrade Rahoof and his team of bitter- enders just feel that the government deserved no kudos for all it has done. The Governor can only become a performer the day he starts sharing funds meant for the public or slots for many of the programmes he floated. Their measurement of performance is rooted in what goes to their clique. Pity them. They live in the past.

Or who else will need a microscope to see that the Governor was celebrating his two years in office with the official groundbreaking of the Ilorin Innovation Hub and Visual Arts Centre if not a willfully blind and embittered soul? 

KWASSIP is another signature project of this administration. The four- layered programmes under the initiative have impacted more than 50, 000 people directly. These include youths, women, vulnerable old people, and young business owners. Kwapreneurs is a new project that was conceived by this administration and not many of its kind is seen across the country.

Bello could not see the priority for social and economic development and  level of transparency in government dealings. The prompt fair and open support for victims of #EndSARS protests in Kwara. The unprecedented recruitment exercise of close to 4,701 TESCOM and SUBEB teachers is a new high for Kwara. 

Apart from paying workers' salaries, fixing roads; schools; purchasing the first set of tractors for farmers; providing clean and accessible water; Governor AbdulRazaq has also done exceedingly better in Open Government. He initiated Open Budgeting and Social Audit as part of his efforts to engender transparency and accountability. Perhaps Bello should be reminded that it is because of this system he could know about the mistakes and inconsistencies in the execution of some projects, including that of Government High School, Adeta that he mentioned. That is a first in this country. No level of effort to paint him with ugly brush will work. Bello and his horde of pained wolves should rather converge to confer on themselves some award in sheer hypocrisy and bad belle syndrome. 

It is even more deserving as they are obviously getting abandoned. During the two year anniversary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed sent greetings to the Governor commending his landmark achievements. This was one of the people they were using their names to stoke embers of discord within Kwara APC.  This speaks to the dawn of reality of wide acceptance the Governor's performance is gathering. I am afraid the Integrity Group is getting stuck in a visionless fight for irrelevance. 

In order to save them from themselves, I had to remind them of these facts. I hope they do better research next time before they come to the open to open their 'yansh' for ridicule. Governor AbdulRazaq is doing well by the people and Kwarans will need no one to tell them to clap for him to appreciate the success he brings to them.