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Tag: AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq

  • Governor hails Kwara’s 34-year-old SAN

    KWARA State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Sunday held a telephone conversation with the 34-year-old Muyiwa Tola Atoyebi, who was recently conferred with the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    Atoyebi, who hails from Igosun community of Kwara State, was among the lawyers recently inducted into the exclusive club of eminent legal practitioners.

    Read Also: An appeal to the president and governors

    The 34-year-old is the youngest Nigerian to be admitted into the inner bar established in 1975.

    “The governor congratulated the learned silk for making Kwara proud. He prayed that God will continue to guide him,” according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary Rafiu Ajakaye.

    “The governor believes Atoyebi is a good example of what young people should aspire to. He urges the youth to emulate him and be the best at whatever they do,” the statement said.

  • AbdulRazaq okays N350m for colleges, FADAMA

    THE ongoing industrial action across Kwara State Colleges of Education may end in the coming days, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approving the immediate payment of N250m to pay at least two months of their outstanding salary.

    AbdulRazaq also assured the schools of subsequent prompt payment of their salary along with gradual offset of the arrears inherited from the previous administration under which the schools embarked on the strike.

    The affected colleges are Kwara State College of Education, Oro; Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin; Kwara State College of Education (Technical), Lafiagi; Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), Ilorin; Kwara State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilorin and Kwara State College of Nursing, Oke Ode.

    Read Also: AbdulRazaq reinstates salary of Kwara ‘sunset workers’

    ”The total amount the governor released for salary payment is 250,774, 328.34. This covers salary for the months of May and June,” Rafiu Ajakaye, spokesman for the governor, said in a statement yesterday.

    ”Concerned about the status of the schools, the governor also approved additional N25m for the College of Education (Technical), Lafiagi, for immediate re-accreditation and N24.8m for CAILS for re-accreditation.”

     

  • Again, PDP fails to open case against Kwara governor

    Kwara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Friday adjourned till July 9 and 10 for further hearings in the People’s Democratic Party’s  (PDP) petition challenging the declaration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as winner  of the last Kwara State governorship election, on the allegation that the governor had presented a forged certificate.

    The petition had been filed by the candidate of the PDP in the March governorship election, Razaq Atunwa.

    The adjournment followed the failure of the petitioner to present a witness from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) with the sub poena and other supporting documents.

    The tribunal had on Thursday adjourned to yesterday for the examination body to present the subpoena, following the commencement of full hearings in the petition of the PDP.

    Counsel to the petitioner, Abdulwahab Bamidele, told the court that he was reliably informed that the officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Lagos which the tribunal mandated to produce the subpoena missed their flight to Ilorin Friday morning.

    Read Also: AbdulRazaq releases N20m to fix Kwara township roads

    Bamidele prayed the tribunal to stand down the case till three o’clock in the afternoon for WAEC officials to present evidence of the subpoena when they must have arrived Ilorin by road.

    Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Rowland Otaru objected to the application, saying that there is no iota of sincerity in the application.

    Otaru said the petitioners had on Thursday told the court that the subpoena would be brought to Ilorin through courier service and wondered why the petitioner claimed that officials of WAEC missed their flight in Lagos on Friday.

    Otaru suggested that the petitioner ought to call another witness if it has a case to prove rather than seeking for the stand down till three o’clock in the afternoon.

    He alleged that the petitioner lacked the tools to prosecute the case and that tribunal should compel the petitioners to call other witnesses in the case.

    Counsel to AbdulRazaq, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), asked the tribunal to treat the application as frivolous.

    He said the request of the counsel to the petitioner was a manifestation of lack of seriousness and the court should not wait for the witnesses or counsel.

    Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Akin Olujimi (SAN) prayed the court to dismiss the petition, pointing out that there is procedural heresy in the application.

    He aligned himself with the first respondent that there is no sincerity in the application.

  • AbdulRazaq decries mass failure of Kwara students in UTME

    Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has decried the mass failure of students of the state in the just-released 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

    The governor attributed the development to poor knowledge of information communication technology (ICT).

    AbdulRazaq said this in Malete, Moro Local Government Area at the seventh convocation ceremony of the Kwara State University (KWASU).

    Read Also: AbdulRazaq gets Chief of Staff, SSG, CPS

    The governor who was represented by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, said: “Today, Kwara has regressed in many areas. We recently read about how several students from the state struggled with computer-based UTME, apparently resulting in mass failure among our children.

    “This must be tackled immediately, if Kwara must compete in the 21st century economy dominated by ICT. How do we get our children to understand the ‘liberating and exploitative” powers of information in the digital age when they don’t even have the most basic knowledge of computer?

    “Our administration is disturbed by the systemic problem in our education system, which manifested in the 2019 UTME. It is immaterial if there are other parts of Nigeria with a similar crisis. We, in Kwara, have a duty to roll back this abnormality in the most practical way.

    ‘We have a duty to ensure that the overwhelming majority of our children are given the opportunity to excel by having access to IT-enabled education.”

    He hailed KWASU for “helping to redraw the map of Nigeria by gradually and in the most ambitious ways, bringing our state to national and global reckoning”.

    “It is heart-warming to note that the institution is indeed punching above its weight in the way it has quickly established itself as a centre of academic innovation and excellence within 10 years of its founding,” he said.

     

  • AbdulRazaq condoles with ThisDay MD over wife’s death

    Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has condoled with ThisDay Managing Director Eniola Bello over the death of his wife, Helen.

    “I pray the Almighty God to give the family the fortitude to bear this sad loss. We stand by your family in this trying hour and we pray the Almighty God to continue to comfort you,” AbdulRazaq said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

    Read Also: Kwara: Not yet time to celebrate

    The statement described Helen’s death as very painful, adding that the governor “joins the entire nation and the media community to mourn her”.

    The governor urged the top journalist and his family to take solace in the fact that Mrs Eniola-Bello left a legacy of being a supportive wife and mother who was committed to good family values.

     

  • Abdulrazaq to rehabilitate ‘good boys’

    Kwara State Governor-Elect, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq at the weekend said he would use his first 100 days in office to rehabilitate and empower street urchins otherwise known as ‘good boys’ in the state.

    He promised to help continue their education and give them vocational training if they voluntarily renounce their antisocial behaviour.

    The governor-elect also revealed his plan to give amnesty to youths engaging in illicit activities popularly known as ‘good boys’.

    Abdulrazaq said this in Ilorin, the state capital at dinner Organized by Liberation Movement O2 (Otoge! Otope) to celebrate the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the polls.

    Dignitaries at the Dinner include Barr Kunle Sulyman, Alhaji LAK Jimoh, Senator Makanjuola Ajadi, Barr Iyiola Oyedepo, Comrade Musbau Esinrogunjo, among others.

    He noted that his administration would not tolerate youth restiveness, cultism and other social vices, saying ‘it’s no longer business as usual. You must work to earning a living’.

    Abdulrazaq stated that bad governance, poverty, poor education system, nepotism and lack of political will for genuine Youth development led to youth restiveness.

    Read Also: I’ll run people-centred govt, says AbdulRazaq

    He however promised to introduce sustainable youth empowerment and development programmes after his swearing-in.

    Abdulrazaq reiterated his commitment to run all inclusive government where youths, women and every stratum of the society will play key role.

    Earlier, the Coordinator of Liberation Movement, Alhaji Hassan Owoyale said the Dinner was organized to appreciate stakeholders for their contributions to APC victory during 2019 general elections in Kwara State.

    Alhaji Hassan Owoyale urged the incoming administration to prioritize youth development and give them significant role in government.

    Earlier, leader of Kwara North Elders, Senator Ahmed Mohammed implored Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to involve youths in his administration because they contributed immensely to the liberation of the state from old political order.

     

  • I’ll run people-centred govt, says AbdulRazaq

    Kwara state Governor-elect AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said yesterday his administration will be a complete departure from the old order.

    He added that he would run a government that serves the best interest of the people.

    He said this at the inauguration of the 80-member transition committee in Ilorin, the state capital.

    The frontline businessman turned politician said: “For the past 16 years, they have been running government in their own style.

    “We have put this committee in place to engage the outgoing government to know how much we are owing and know the state of our infrastructure. We cannot walk blindly into office and succeed.

    “The huge margin of our victory at the polls suggests that our people are fed up with the status quo and want a new approach to governance. We, therefore, have a historic duty to serve their best.

    Read also: Kwara election panel to lawyers, parties: be wary of fraudulent agents

    “To do that, we must understand the current governance structure in the state; we must know how the current system works to be able to know where to begin, what current policy would be retained and what policy must go. We also need to know what is in the books in terms of financial receipts, obligations, contracts and other things.

    “This is why we have taken our time to nominate some of the best hands around – in terms of competence, credibility and maturity – as members of this committee, with proper accommodation of the various political tendencies in our political party. In essence, the most crucial work of this committee is to ensure we hit the ground running on May 29th.”

    Hailing their credibility and commitment to serve the state, AbdulRazaq urged the committee to discharge their duties in a way that would help the new government to serve the people.

    Chairman of the committee Aminu Adisa Logun said their job is to bridge the gap between the outgoing and the incoming governments.

    “The Transition Committee is not a scouting committee to suggest or recruit personnel for the governor. Ours is to highlight what needs to be done in line with the change mantra of the government. Our duty is mostly technical such as gathering and interpreting data for the new government in its bid to serve the people of the state,” Togun said.

     

  • AbdulRazaq sets up 80-member transition committee

    Kwara State Governor-elect AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has set up 80-man transition committee.

    AbdulRazaq, in a statement by his media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the committee members will be inaugurated today in Ilorin, the state capital.

    The chairman of the 80-member transition committee is  Aminu Adisa Logun, an alumnus of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru.

    Chief James Bamisaiye Ayeni is deputy chairman and a one-time permanent secretary and former clerk, Kwara State House of Assembly, Muhammad Razaq Umar, will serve as secretary.

    Other members of the committee include the state APC Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa; the three senatorial district party chairmen; former governorship aspirants or representatives; party chieftains and elders.

    Also included in the committee are representatives of youth, women, labour, experts and professionals in different fields of human endeavour, including retired military and security officers.

    Read also: AbdulRazaq promises to place premium on youth empowerment

    He expressed great optimism on the capacity of the committee members to deliver on their assignment, given their pedigree, track record, competence and evident public testimonials on their integrity, patriotism, and passion to serve the state.

    AbdulRazaq urged the committee members to be sensitive to the high expectation of the electorate and the public to experience the desired positive change in leadership.

    He also appealed to the masses to support the committee with relevant information and memoranda where necessary.

  • AbdulRazaq promises to place premium on youth empowerment

    Kwara State Governor-elect AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said that on assumption of office, his administration will pay optimal attention to youths’ empowerment and well-being.

    He said the youth question is one of the challenges that his administration would face.

    Abdulrazaq spoke at the weekend in Ilorin, the state capital, during a youth summit.

    His political associate Kale Belgore read his speech at the summit.

    The governor-elect said : “As we assume office in the coming months, we have no doubt that one of the greatest challenges ahead of us in Kwara is how to address the youth question in order to engender growth and development as well as restore the dignity of not just the human person, but the sanity of our communities.

    “Building infrastructure across sectors will be key to attracting investments and employment generation. This explains our fixation on building infrastructure, given the huge deficit of same across the state, especially in parts of Kwara where investment in agro-processing factories would help jump-start the local economy and create jobs.

    “Proper attention will especially be paid to critical infrastructure for primary and post-primary education, moral teachings and counselling as a way to (re)build a new generation of young people who can hold their own anywhere in the world.

    “We will run an administration with inclination towards moral rectitude and reorientation while also discouraging drug abuse, thuggery and a culture of unhealthy dependency, which stifles socio-economic growth.”

    Read also: Immortalize my son, Sam Okwaraji’s mum tells FG

    The businessman turned politician said: “Incidentally, Nigeria is a country blessed with huge population of youth. The United Nations estimated that Nigeria currently has a population of 199 million as at March 26, 2019.

    “This is neither a good news nor a bad one. A country’s youth population is often a double-edged sword. Higher youth population is an asset and a great element of power, where the bulk of those young people are highly skilled, are engaged in very productive endeavours, and are duly mobilised for national development. But it could also be a burden – or call it a timed bomb – where the young population is not so skilled not properly engaged in anything meaningful.

    “The danger in the latter condition is that any country or society with predominantly ignorant or idle young population is a natural habitat for restiveness, drug abuse, and all sorts of crimes.

    “The National Bureau of Statistics put youth unemployment in Nigeria at 36.50 per cent as at the third quarters of 2018, down from 38% in the previous quarter of the same year. This figure doesn’t cover the underemployment tally in the country.

    “We will make sure that young people are at all time given ample opportunities to prove their mettle in a deliberate bid to make our youth agents of statecraft and catalysts for socio-economic development in Kwara and Nigeria as a whole.”

    Chairman of the summit’s local organising committee (LOC) Kayode Oyin-Subir said the objective of the summit was to set agenda for the incoming government.

  • AbdulRasaq promises not to discriminate against opposition

    Kwara state Governor-elect Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Wednesday promised not to label anybody opposition in the state.

    He said his administration would be an all-inclusive government that would embrace everybody in the state.

    Abdulrazaq said this in Ilorin, the state capital after receiving his certificate of return from the state Resident Election Electoral Commissioner of INEC.

    “This state belongs to all. We don’t see anybody as opposition. It is Kwara for all. All hands must be on deck (to rebuild the state).

    ‘’This is a poor state and a lot of work has to be done. We will embrace everybody,” AbdulRazaq stressed.

    He said the new administration has a lot of work to do to get the state back on its feet, calling on all Kwarans to support his government once he is inaugurated in the coming months.

    “When you record a winning margin of 75 percent as we did, it means that even those on the side of PDP voted for us.

    “So we are going to ensure that we all work together. We are not going to label anybody. There are good people on the other side too.”

    He went on: “Our members will also be taken care of and our priority will be to rebuild our state. We need to get everyone together for the task ahead and move our state forward.

    “We have a big task ahead of us but we will surmount the challenges ahead by the grace of God. Once again, we thank everyone who took part in the elections — either as officials or as voters.”

    READ ALSO: Saraki congratulates Kwara governor-elect, Abdulrasaq

    AbdulRazaq also hailed the electoral body, the security agencies and the voters for their patriotic roles while the exercise lasted.

    He rated the elections in Kwara as the most peaceful and orderly, commending the security agencies for checkmating thuggery and potential violence in the state.

    National Electoral Commissioner of INEC Dr Mohammed Haruna described the elections in the state as remarkable.

    Dr Haruna added: “The change in the state was not only remarkable but peaceful.

    “It is remarkable because those who lost at the polls accepted their defeat.

    “Senate President Bukola Saraki in his congratulatory speech said those who won the elections are not his enemies.

    “Therefore, I urge you not to treat those you have defeated as your enemies.”