Politics
Amazing Footprints of AbdulRahman! Kwara women Root for Gov. Abdulrazaq’s Re-election
Amazing Footprints of AbdulRahman! Kwara women Root for Gov. Abdulrazaq’s Re-election
*Female groups hold rally to support his second term ambition
*Why we are seeking an encore – Women
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s devotion to his job is an unusual form of virtue. He is the calm that succeeds the storm of Kwara’s season of anomie. He is a humane leader, serving with spunk and panache. The one, on whose watch, Kwara attains redemption and undiminished greening.
Since he assumed leadership of the state, Abdulrazaq has committed himself actively to the task of salvaging what’s left of Kwara through nurturant governance. The best form of statesmanship, thought Abdulrahman, was for him to show gratitude through his work.
In person, in interviews, and on the screen, inhabiting the role by which he’s become Kwara’s most celebrated governor, Abdulrazaq espouses an uncanny politic. The power and grace of his performance seem to emanate from something he’s made contact with, deep within, intensely private and specific to his experience, but also mysteriously universal to the best of mankind.
There’s something in the innermost human heart that his people connect to. Little wonder he is being rewarded as at when due. Just recently, scores of Kwara women held a rally to drum support for his second term ambition, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Abdulrazaq bears his talents and achievements modestly, charmingly, and generously. As the executive governor of Kwara State, he conducts himself like a humble servant, who’s unexpectedly approachable and thoroughly delightful company.
He’s a concerned and active world citizen, a spectacular husband and father.
Abdulrazaq is kind and charming, a good listener, and a great leader. He’s the kind of governor who puts together the perfect cabinet of the right people, always with the intent to ensure equity and justice in governance – particularly in the areas of gender politics.
Little wonder he has been widely celebrated by women groups for his inclusion of women in his government. More significant was his assent to an executive bill mandating the state to have at least 35% women appointees in the state executive council and other classes of political appointments.
The law, cited as political offices (Gender composition) Bill 2021, places a ceiling below which the government cannot go in the appointment of either gender for public offices. Speaking in Ilorin at a state government-inspired conference themed ‘Cracking the glass ceiling: the story of Kwara women’, the governor said it is only fair that women be given a fair space in the decision-making process whose outcomes have far-reaching consequences for them and their families.
So passionate are Kwara women’s groups about his second term ambition that they have united to support him every step of the way. At the recent rally for his re-election, women, drawn from various groups and even students held a press conference at the NUJ Press Centre before they proceeded to government house, Ilorin in a long motorcade through the popular Ahmadu Bello way.
At the Government House, they assured Governor Abdulrazaq of their support in appreciation of how much his administration has given due recognition to women in the state.
Speaking at a mega rally organised to show their appreciation and support for the Governor, the spokesperson of the group, Funmi Adefila Osiegbu, said over the last two years in Kwara State, “we have seen a deliberate effort by the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to mainstream gender inclusion in governance. It is on record that no administration in the modern history of Nigeria has done so much for women like this before.
She added, “Gathered before you are women of Kwara State, drawn from different backgrounds. Many of us here are not card-carrying members of any political party.
“However, we make no pretense about our strong interest in governance and all issues that may affect (us as) women and our children. For this reason, we are interested in the policy choice of any government, national or local.
“Over the last two years in Kwara State, we have seen a deliberate effort by the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to mainstream gender inclusion in governance. It is on record that no administration in the modern history of Nigeria has one so well to bring women to the decision-making table.
“We saw this in cabinet composition where he gave 56.25% cabinet positions to women as well as in headship of government agencies and parastatals. This is a fact that has been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. A few weeks ago, the United Nations Development Agency nominated the Governor for an award to recognise his bold steps in gender inclusion. This has far-reaching consequences on public policies and programmes,” she noted.
She enthused further, that, “He topped these with the introduction of a law that commits Kwara to gender inclusion through the Gender Composition Law 2021 and fair treatment of women through the recent domestication of the Violence Against Person Law. The administration has also recently committed to the 2nd National Action Plan which seeks to involve women in conflict resolution frameworks and protect them from all kinds of discrimination.
“These pro-women achievements are monumental and should never go unrewarded by women of this state, wherever we may be and whatever ideology we espouse. We, therefore, have a historic duty to speak up for the Governor and his administration.
“Against this background, we the women of Kwara State stand ready to declare our unflinching support for Governor AbdulRahmanAbdulRazaq. If he declares a bid to run again, we have a burden of history to rally around him. This is beyond partisan sentiments. It is about telling the whole world that Kwara women do not take the support of the Governor for granted.
“We owe this duty to ourselves and to our girl child who has had a dignifying space created for her in the room where her destiny and that of her family is being determined,” she said.
Breaking: Speaker Obasa Debunks Allegation Of Spending N17b On Assembly Gate
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday described the allegation that the House spent N17 billion on the fixing of a gate as spurious and funny.
A self-proclaimed group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, had accused the Assembly of spending the amount to construct a gate. The group also sought investigation of the claim.
Speaking at plenary, Dr. Obasa said the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over 2027 which is still more than two years away.
Obasa further debunked the claim that the House spent N200 million on its recently organised 22nd thanksgiving service for staff.
“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended 200 million on thanksgiving that did not hold.
“We are aware that at a period like this when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared and I don’t know why.
“This House did not and has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday and dignitaries from various parts of the State attended it,” the Speaker said.
Addressing further claims by the group about the alleged relationship between him and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, the Speaker denied attending the latter’s screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.
“They said that I was at the National Assembly when they were confirming the EFCC chairman. I want to believe that there are CCTV cameras at the National Assembly to identify those who attended the event. The press must have written about it too. So the group should do more to confirm if I was there.
“This is just to deny the allegations in the interest of the public and not the writers because the writers are not those we should be joining words with,” the Speaker said.
Earlier, the House, through its spokesperson, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, had addressed the allegations noting that the Assembly bases its activities on integrity, transparency and accountability.
“It is ludicrous the claim about constituency intervention funds and constituency project funds and their handling by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko as claimed by the group.
“One would have expected a self-acclaimed anti-corruption crusading group to do its groundwork before jumping across the fence with conviction that it hit a jackpot to malign an institution of repute in the name of politics.
“Simply put, the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state where constituents have the opportunity to tell the lawmakers their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.
“These requests and expectations are compiled and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration as inputs in subsequent budgets. If this is what the group takes as constituency intervention or project funds, we are sure this explanation has given the required education, moreover, it is common knowledge that it is the responsibility of the Executive arm to execute such projects,” the earlier statement by Ogundipe read.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
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