LET'S GET IT DONE!



On October 1st, 2010, our country will turn 50.  Whilst we thank those who have contributed positively to the development of our fatherland, Nigerians are unanimous on one verdict: our great nation has not fulfilled its potential and our realities are far from our ideals.  It is time for a new generation to build a modern Nigeria.

Fifty years after independence, we have failed to realise the dreams and aspirations of our founding fathers. We are the sixth largest oil producer in the world, yet we import fuel and have no electricity. We have some of the most intelligent and resourceful people on earth, yet we cannot make Nigeria work for you.

If truth be told, you are not asking for much from your government. You just want the custodians of our common wealth to give you good roads, good hospitals, good schools and a constant supply of electricity.  You want potable water, food to eat and a roof over your head. You want sensible policies that create opportunities; to profit from your labour, to use your God-given abilities to improve your lot and to take care of your aged and loved ones. You want to give back to your community and you want a political system that encourages people to contribute to the development of our fatherland. You want to be safe, to take a stroll in the night without fear. These are the yearnings in our hearts.

We can only attain these with effective, capable, caring, courageous and visionary leadership. We require fresh ideas and new thinking. This is the kind of leadership I have offered as Governor of Kwara State.   

As Governor, I have transformed Kwara State. In seven years, I have given Kwarans reasons to be proud of their State. Under my leadership, Kwara State became a reference point for new ideas, determination, dynamism and possibilities. An agro-allied economy was developed, jobs were created and power generation became a reality.  I can do the same for Nigeria. Nigeria is a bigger undertaking, but the challenge of leadership is the same.

Today, I, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, humbly offer myself to serve as the President of our great nation. I ask for your mandate and support. My commitment is to you, the people of Nigeria. You are the reason I am running for President.  This election is all about you and the outcome will shape our future. 

If you give me the opportunity to serve as President of Nigeria, I promise to dedicate my life and energy to the cause of our country and our people.
I promise to build bridges of understanding across the nation; I will be fair and equitable.  I promise to listen, remain humble and work with you as we put our heads together to realize our potential.

I promise to work tirelessly to get our economy moving; to provide security, housing and boost our agricultural production. We will educate our children, improve infrastructure & power supply, revamp our healthcare delivery system, empower our women, give opportunities to the young and enable the enterprising. In particular, I will work to ensure that our teeming population of vibrant, intelligent youths who roam the streets find gainful employment and outlets for their dreams.

As your leader, I will display the courage to enforce the laws of the land. Crime will not go unpunished.  I also commit to strengthening our electoral processes because without free and fair elections, the will of the people cannot be enthroned.

The ways of old will not accomplish our vision of tomorrow.  We must move in a new direction.

If there is anyone out there who is tired of how our country has been blessed with so much, but has achieved so little in the last 50 years; I call on you to join me because this is about you. This race is not about me. It is about you and our collective destiny and you have a responsibility. 

There is an abiding spirit in the Nigerian. It is the spirit of courage; the spirit of tolerance; the spirit of fortitude; the spirit of enterprise. My offer to serve seeks to do justice to that abiding spirit and energy of a new generation of Nigerians.

We must get to work immediately, and let the world know that Nigeria is ready to take its rightful place in the comity of nations.  This is our generational challenge.

I have the ability, courage, energy and the vision.  I believe it can be done; and I indeed call upon you, Let’s get it done.

May God in his infinite mercies preserve our nation. May he fulfill our dreams and inspire our hopes.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The silence which has pervaded the political scene in Kwara State has been broken, as posters of various gubernatorial aspirants have now begun to flood Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

For some time only posters of Senator Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki could be prominently seen within the Ilorin metropolis, leaving many observers to wonder where the other gubernatorial candidates were. However, at least three gubernatorial aspirants of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have now begun putting up their posters in strategic locations within the state capital. These are Barrister Dele Mohammed Belgore (SAN), Architect Lola Ashiru and Reverend Bunmi Olusona.

With this development, it has become apparent that the battle has been joined, and the race to determine the successor of Dr. Bukola Saraki, the incumbent governor is clearly on.



While Senator Gbemisola Saraki has yet to formally declare her intent to run for office, several groups and political parties within the state have already come out to state that she is their preferred candidate. These include the Waziri Elders Forum and the Action Alliance.

Architect Lola Ashiru from Offa (Kwara South) has already made public his intention to vie for the office, and has expressed confidence that he will be chosen as the flagbearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

The appearance of posters of Barrister Dele Belgore  (Kwara Central) is a clear indication that he has also joined the gubernatorial race in Kwara State. The mammoth crowd of ACN leaders and supporters who thronged his family residence last Friday to grace the fidau prayer of his late father, Justice Babatunde Belgore left no one in doubt about his intention to vie for the governorship seat.

On her part, Princess Bilikis Gambari has brought General Muhammadu Buhari's sponsored Congress for Progress Change (CPC) to the state. Gambari, who was the ACN’s senatorial candidate for Kwara Central in the 2007 general elections, has in the last three weeks, engaged in the massive recruitment and campaign for CPC in the state.

The Internet Campaign
In a new twist, the political contest has also been taken to the Internet, with Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Arch. Lola Ashiru, and Barrister Dele Belgore establishing Facebook Pages for the purpose of reaching out to the electorate. Rev. Bunmi Olusona is present on Facebook, but is yet to create a Facebook Page.

Of the 4 aspirants, Senator Gbemisola Saraki has the largest following, having established a Facebook Page long before the other aspirants.

The Legacy of Bukola Saraki
The foremost discussion among political circles in Kwara State now is the question of who succeeds Dr. Bukola Saraki as governor. This has taken on added significance as many people have begun to wonder if the reforms and development projects spearheaded by Dr. Bukola Saraki will be sustained once he has left office.

Speaking at a public function in July, Dr. Bukola Saraki himself addressed this issue. He said:

"One of the questions that I get asked quite often these day is ‘so, what happens to all that we have done and all that we are still doing if they are not sustained by the next administration?’ My simple answer is this: we should ask the people of Kwara State if the progress we have made in the last in the last seven years is worth protecting.

"If the answer is yes, then they must all join me in ensuring that whoever becomes the next Governor is someone who would not set us back to square one; someone who would be primarily loyal to the people of Kwara State and the progress we have made together in the recent past. This, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, is probably going to be the most difficult battle we have ever fought for our State. I pray to God to guide us aright.

It is undeniable that Dr. Bukola Saraki has brought great dynamism and glamour to governance in Kwara State. Under his administration, Kwara State has moved away form its image as a civil service state and has been repositioned as a state that is open to private investment and business. His administration has imbued many Kwarans with confidence and a can-do spirit, that was hitherto lacking. In essence, his administration has effectively rebranded the state.

Anyone who eventually succeeds him will not only inherit a significant profile of economic assets put together by his administration, but also the positive image and perception he has been able to create for Kwara State over the period of his administration.

Kwara stands poised at a pivotal moment in its history. It hovers tantalizingly between the possibility of moving forward into the future, by building on the foundation, which has been laid by Dr. Bukola Saraki, or regressing to its earlier status as a conservative civil service dominated state. Much will depend on the eventual choice of Dr. Bukola Saraki's successor.

In July this year (2010), Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki was in Seattle (United States) to attend the 5th National Convention of the Kwara State Association of Nigeria. It was a unique opportunity for him to review the achievements of his administration publicly. Speaking to the audience at the convention he admitted that not all the problems in his state (Kwara) had been solved, but what had been accomplished so far had shown that these problems were not insurmountable.

He went on to recount some of the accomplishments of his administration in the area of road construction and maintenance, aviation, power, aviation, water, health, education and human resource development, as well as governance. He was able to give some insight into how his administration had been able to execute so many capital projects despite the poor economic profile of Kwara State. In a forthright and candid address, he admitted to the gathered audience that the last 7 years have been the most challenging of his life. Following are excerpts from his address:


"In a State such as we inherited in 2003, my job could not have been more clearly defined. And my inaugural address reflected a keen awareness of the challenges that we faced. As I took office on that fateful Thursday morning I made clear of my intentions to tackle the most important challenges that we faced in education, in health, in agriculture and industry, in water and sanitation, in rural development, women empowerment, youth development, unpaid salaries and pensions and many more.

"I also declared however that I would not pretend to have quick fix to all the problems or intend to work on them alone. I asked you not to expect miracles of me. I asked you not to expect answers to all problems from me; even though you expect me to lead the way. I only asked you to join hands with me to be the best we can be, and together lay the foundation for a future that is more secure and certain for our children and generations to come.

" almost eight years after we started this journey together, not all the problems have been solved. And they will probably not be all solved in our life time. It is however important for us not to forget where we were coming from so that we can appreciate how far we have come.

"This is necessary, not because we want to indulge in the vainglory of self-celebration, but so we can all realise that real changes are possible; so we can understand that the challenges we face may be difficult, but they are not insurmountable. Because it is with this realisation; with this understanding, that we can stay determined on the same path on the path that has brought us brought us so far, even when we find that the road ahead is still long and still difficult.

"No matter what we have achieved; successive generations of leadership in our State will continue to have important problems to solve. What is important however is that the batons that we pass on should be more glorious, and the torch that we hand over should shine ever brighter from generation to generation

" the last seven years has been the most challenging of my life, but I must also say the most exciting. I doubt if there can be a greater honour conferred on a man than an opportunity to serve his people and improve their lot. I feel particularly honoured that I am the first Executive Governor in the history of our State that would serve for two terms. I must say that even though we were determined from the very first day of our administration to do the best we could for our State, I believe the opportunity we have had for sustainability and continuity is a crucial factor in most of the successes we have recorded.

 
The full text of this address is available at: http://www.facebook.com/bukola.saraki

Source: Vanguard
By: Demola Akinyemi

Walking down  the major streets of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital,  particularly at night,  in recent time quickly reminds one of Broad Street and Allen Avenue in Lagos, the renowned commercial capital city of Nigeria.

You simply cannot beat the glittering street lights and the cleanliness of the roads even at night! On the major streets the roads are not only clean but well constructed.

The most recent addition to these welcome spectacles is the bright street lights that overlay the first flyover bridge in Kwara constructed by the present administration at the post office area, the commercial nerve-centre of the state capital.

This emerging new look has been enhanced by  flowers planted directly under the bridge within the round about, making the place a beauty to behold. And at the same time, there is no hiding place for undesirable elements as there are bright mercury lights to scare away night marauders who might want to lurk around to perpetrate crime.

The bridge, though not yet officially commissioned, has been completed and ordered to be opened for use by Governor Bukola Saraki  to ease the usually protracted traffic congestion which the closure of the area has caused the motorists during the almost two years it was under construction.

The newly constructed flyover bridge is expected to ease the chaotic traffic  brought about by the increase in commercial activities since the inception of the present administration.


Dr. Bukola Saraki declaring bridge open for use


Ground level view of the bridge


Vehicles passing by the bridge


A view from the bridge at dusk


Before now, there had been so much talk about the sustainability of these edifices and institutions by Governor Bukola Saraki at various functions, particularly after his exit from office.

But recent developments  seem to confirm that the government is determined to ensure that these structures are well kept but maintained. But government is also telling those who care to listen that  there are prices the residents have to pay for enjoying these facilities.

For instance, recently this reporter was settling down in the office, having returned from an assignment quite recently when my office assistant, Ibrahim Sanusi delivered a letter to me addressed to: “The Manager, Vanguard Newspaper, Ilorin office”.

The letter which was entitled, “Demand Notice for Business Premises Registration /Renewal’’ was signed by one Tajudeen Adigun on behalf of the Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives.

The content reads in part: “The Kwara State government has directed us to notify  you of the  business premises registration/renewal (BPR) for relevant years in accordance with PITA Act.No.21 of 1998.

You are expected to effect full payment of the amount due within 30 days from the date of receipt of this demand notice to the Kwara State government revenue account in any of the designated banks nearest to your office.

Payment made after the due date shall attract a penalty of 10 per cent monthly plus interest at prevailing bank interest rate’’.

…When a new ad regulator comes on stream
RECENTLY  the state government at a press conference announced the establishment of Kwara State Signage and Advertisements Agency.

Hard times now await defaulters comprising business men and residents who might refuse to pay the coming prescribed fees for advertisement and sign boards, posters, flyers, among others, erected and pasted on the streets across  the state.

The Kwara State government has threatened that  a two-year jail term or a penalty of N50,000 will be imposed.
Commissioner for information and communications, Ben Duntoye, speaking at the press conference, said that government has appointed MOJAT Consult Nig. Ltd as the consultant to handle the project.

The agency, he said, is saddled with the responsibility of controlling, designing, streamlining and placement of all types of written, printed and pictorial advertisements, billboards, signboards, posters, streets advertisements, portrait boards and other outdoor advertisement structures.

Duntoye explained that signage and advertisement agencies are modern methods of coordinating, regulating and harmonizing all types of outdoor advertisement structures for streets beautifications, aesthetic landscaping and general serene environment.

The Commissioner noted that the activities of the agency will go a long way in complementing the clean and green urban sanitization programme of the state government in town and cities, stressing that it will also add to the beauty of some unique and strategic edifices like round abouts, bridges and fly overs.

“It is these activities and programmes of such agencies that make modern towns and cities look very attractive to visitors from far and near,’’added the Commissioner.

Duntoye also noted that the project will generate employment opportunities, increase in personal and company incomes as well as raise government revenue generation.

Explaining the term of reference of the agency, he said that the agency through its consultant is authorised to issue certificates and permits for the construction and placement of all such displayed advertisement structures.

He added that the agency is in charge and collect appropriate fees from all such displayed pictorial and advertisement structures on behalf of the state government.

He called on the private sector and general public to cooperate with the agency and its consultant in carrying out their functions to achieve the laudable aims and objectives of the state government.

The commissioner explained that the payment of the rates became imperatives to enable government perform its obligation of maintaining and sustaining the structures and edifices put in place among others.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of KWASSAA, Mr. AdewaIe Olatunji explained that the agency is set out to deliver an efficient system for controlling and regulating advertisement display and adding aesthetic value to the environment and attracting investors to the state.

In his goodwill message, the State Head of Service, Alhaji Dabarako Muhammad said the project will go a long way in providing employment opportunities to the people in the state.

Attorney general and commissioner for justice shedding more light on the development in an interview with journalists yesterday said the new bill is to check the indiscriminate ways and manner people deface the state capital, and in the process generate funds for the state.

According to him,’’This whole idea that a business man or whoever comes to kwara and think that this is a beautiful place to take advantage of and be pasting posters and errecting bill boards all over freely  is over.

The governor will inaugurate the committee next week.It surely cost the present administration so much to take kwara to where it is today, and we will not sit by and watch it defaced.We are not saying people should not paste posters, but it should be properly regulated, in such a way that it would not disfigure the state.

There is no better time than now, if any politician paste poster without permission from the appropriate body, it is N50,000 fine or two years jail term’’he stressed.

It is hope that the residents and other stakeholders will not see this new trend as strange and odd but understand the feelings and appreciate the facts being explained by the state government and cooperate with the regulatory body.

By: Kodilinye Obiagwu
Source: The Guardian



QUITE often, Kwara State governor, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, 48, is described as “the governor born with a silver spoon in his mouth.” He is, after all, the privileged first son of Chief Olusola Saraki, the, wealthy Godfather of Kwara politics. But not even his worst enemies would deny that Bukola Saraki might have been favoured by pedigree, he has earned respect and honours by rising above his favoured background and applying himself to any assignment by dint of hard work. Today in Abuja, he will receive the national honour of Commander of the Order of the (CON), the fourth highest of such honours and Saraki will be the first incumbent governor to be so honoured.

On the way to this honour, Saraki has been the high achieving governor of Kwara State and chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, a position he has held since 2007, after he won a second term as governor. In the last three years, the Forum has become more coordinated and united in articulating positions, a powerful lobby that often gets criticised but cannot be denied its plaudits as an instrument that has helped solve some national problems. Many thanks, it is said, to Saraki’s leadership abilities. Back in Kwara, where in 2003 Saraki became the fifth governor of the state, the citizenry till today praise his leadership and vision that have placed the state in the list of the most developed states even when it is the 34th in revenue collection from the federation purse.


At a meeting in Abuja with Bill Gates and members of the NGF

A former Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and a member of the Kwara State Elders Forum, Yissa Benjaim Ezekiel, said “only a blind man will visit Kwara today and fail to see the monumental development in the state. I never knew that the man was as good as we are seeing him now.”

After his swearing in, Saraki’s first task was to clean up Ilorin, the state capital. And long before Babatunde Fashola (SAN) made impressions with the greening of Lagos State, Saraki had done same in Kwara. The Ministry of Environment employed citizens to sweep the ancient town daily.  It is the practice in all the councils in Kwara and this has earned the state the status ‘one of the cleanest capitals.’
He has developed strategies to enhance the socio political and economic developments in the state, encapsulated in the Kwara State Economic Empowerment Strategy (KWASEED). In education, strategies were worked out to improve the performance of Kwara pupils in national exams like NECO, WAEC and University Matriculation Exams (UME).


Ilorin at dusk


New overpass constructed at the centre of Ilorin

There is a remarkable development of infrastructure in health sector, roads, provision of potable water, rural electrification, sports, etc. In sports, he established a Football Academy, which affords talented Nigerians the opportunity of a formal education and development of the skills of football.

All the states in Nigeria cannot boast of uninterrupted power supply, but Kwara has done better than most with its Independent Power Project leading to a supply of 17 hours of electricity in many councils.

He constructed 350 housing units in a record time of two years, rehabilitated major dams to boost the waterworks. Computerisation of the civil service also had a pride of place in the Saraki government scheme of things.

One big project on road construction is the Baruteen/Kosubosu road, a federal road being constructed by the state at a cost of N30 billion. The road links the state with the neighbouring Benin Republic.


Ganmo power substation (exterior)

But it is perhaps in agriculture that Saraki has shamed his earlier critics, who had described his dream for the sector as unattainable. When Zimbawean president, Robert Gabriel Mugabe started nationalising white-owned farms, there was an exodus of whites out of the country. Saraki invited the white farmers to start commercial agriculture in Kwara and as a result, the first farm in Nigeria with 2000 hectares of cultivated land was established.

Talking about his forage in the sector, he had stated in a speech then: “As the largest employer of our people, agriculture remains the life-blood of our nation and the best guarantee of achieving sustainable economic development.

“I have a firm belief that improving the capacity of Nigerians to achieve development must be driven through a well-articulated strategy of developing Nigeria’s capacity in agriculture. Our dream of the new Nigerian farmer must be driven by a vision of a new Nigerian agriculture.

“When I became the governor in 2003, my first major concern was how to arrest the widespread poverty that I saw all around me. The first thing for me was to explore existing opportunities and how these opportunities could be employed to achieve quick results. I did not hesitate in accepting that the best entry-point we have for tackling poverty is through agriculture…”

He noted that there is need for a “radical approach and policy for agriculture if we must use agriculture to drive our poverty reduction efforts and create wealth.”


Harvest time at Shonga farms


Jersey cattle at the Shonga dairy farm


Inspecting poultry processing plant at Shonga

He had big dreams in the agricultural sector and he pursued them. He had said: “I have a dream of the new Nigerian farmer. And I believe that with all the initiatives and interventions I have outlined, that dream will someday soon become a reality.

“I dream of a day when farming would no longer be regarded as mere means of survival but as a business in its own right with all the potentials and possibilities that come with any other business.

“I dream of a day when graduates of accounting or banking and finance would prefer to own and run their own farms rather than seek banking jobs…

“I dream of a day when bankers would be milling around farms seeking business and competing for farmers’ bank accounts.

“I dream of a Nigerian tomato farmer who would not be satisfied with his job until he is able to process and package tomato puree and deliver it directly to the supermarkets.

“I dream of a day when the children of the rich will take to farming and the children of the poor will not seek to escape from the farm.” In Kwara today that dream appears to be taking on a full life.


Presenting certificate to a graduant of the Malete Youth Farm


A cross-section of graduants from the Malete Youth Farm

Born on December 19, 1962, he attended King’s College, Lagos (1973-1978) and Cheltenham College, Cheltenham, London (1979-1981) for his High School Certificate. He studied medicine at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London (1982 - 1987), and obtained his M.B.B.S. He worked as a Medical Officer at Rush Green Hospital, Essex (1988-1989).

He was an Executive Director of Societe Generale Bank (Nig) Ltd from 1990-2000. He was later Special Assistant to the President on Budget in 2000.

His plans to venture into Business and Politics started in 1992 when he attended the London D. G. Gardner Advance Credit Analysis course; in 1993, he was at the London American Express Executive Management Programme and in 1997, he was at the Washington Course on Private & Public Sector Working Together. In 1998, he was in Malaysia for the Value & Vision: Socio-cultural Values and Implement for Economic Development Course. He crowned it later in the same year with a course on “Nigeria in the Global situation” at the Lagos Business School.

His impact on governance is testimony to his exposure.

Saraki’s leadership traits are not unnoticed even among his colleagues, where he is regarded as first among equals. When the debate over the successor to the late President Musa Yar’Adua reigned, it was not by coincidence that Saraki’s name featured among the names from the North. A former presidential aspirant during the aborted transition programme of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and a pioneer member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ibrahim Dan Musa once told an interviewer that: “We are rooting for a complete civilian president in the person of Dr. Bukola Saraki. He is a young boy; he has the political network. He has the political base, he has been the Chairman of Governor's Forum for the past three years and he has been tested, meeting with them. He has been able to co-ordinate them effectively and efficiently. He has all qualifications.  He is coming from a private sector background, and you can see how he has transformed Ilorin metropolis because he set a target for himself and he is working towards it. Then, combining it with experience of being a governor of a state.”

Despite the insinuations that Saraki is not regarded as a core northerner, being half South Westerner and half northerner, he held the Governor’s Forum together to sort out the difficulties that arose from the long absence of Yar’Adua and the emergence of the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as President. An attribute, which even his critics recognise as his humility endeared him to some of his fellow governors, who felt that he was not taking undue advantage of his position as chairman of the Forum to chase an ambition.

And for the North to finish Yar’Adua’s term, Saraki, who is regarded as not carrying any baggage is seen as a marketable commodity from the North Central. Indeed a powerful lobby has since begun for the North to put its best forward whenever the Presidency is to back to the North and Saraki is believed to be the candidate a united front may back.

Even as the debate rages on who would be President in 2011, not a few people believe more will be heard of Saraki.

The Governor Bukola Saraki led administration in Kwara State recently celebrated its seventh year in office, and took the opportunity to review its achievements. Apart from the high profile projects, which the administration has undertaken, there has also been sustained and substantial investment in all sectors.

On agriculture, the administration of Dr. Bukola Saraki has clearly succeeded in diversifying Kwara state’s economy through agriculture. Presently, the state now produces three hundred and forty thousand metric tones of paddy rice per annum. The state government also recently made available one billion naira as agriculture loan to genuine farmers in the state.

In the health sector, a personal Health Record Book was recently launched by the Dr. Bukola Saraki to provide total data storage and retrieval system in order to ensure effective health-care delivery. This is typical of Dr. Bukola Saraki's effort and determination to bring Kwara State into the modern age. The Health Record Book is also intended to ensure evaluation and monitoring of sustainable and effective public health strategies in maternal, new born and child health.

In addition to the upgrading of General Hospitals across,  medical doctors and other health personnel have also been recruited.

On education, the government is currently implementing a comprehensive education reform with the aim of transforming the education system and raise the standard of education in the state. As part of the reform, the state government in addition to the distribution of free text books to school pupils also recently awarded contract for the construction of prefabricated blocks of classrooms across the state in order to further enhance effective teaching and learning.

On road projects, the state government has spent over 30 billions naira on road construction and rehabilitation across the state within the last seven years with over one thousand kilometers road constructed.

On rural transformation, the state governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, recently approved the release of funds totaling fourteen point four million naira for the provision of boreholes to seventeen communities in Asa and Moro Local government areas. According to Dr. Bukola Saraki, this is to alleviate the sufferings of the rural dwellers in the provision of water.

The Governor also earmarked one hundred and five communities for energizing in the first phase of the state government electrification projects and one hundred and twelve in the second phase to cost one point five billion naira.