Former administration abandoned pensioners, civil servants to empower cultists

• AdulRazaq has flipped Kwara’s odious pages, says young parliamentarian

Kwara Central Representative in the Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP) Ibraheem Abdullateef on Saturday commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his commitment to youths engagement and development, noting that it is germane to social and economic development of the state.

“It takes someone with an understanding of O’to ge struggle to assess it. O’to ge means many things to many people. One’s understanding and assessment of it may be determined by one’s age and social status, but the inalienable truth of it is it was a struggle for freedom. Social, economic, and political freedom from the overwhelming shackles of oligarchy. As far as this freedom is respected by the government as is in place today, half of O’to ge is justified.

“O’to ge is liberty, democracy, and humanity. The other half is governance. If one is not a Kwaran or never lived with us, he may not understand why and what O’to ge represents to all of us. They may not know what it means for a people to lack a voice; for a leadership to lack empathy; for a society to lose sense of dignity; so that they could not outgrow the mediocre leadership. But it was our reality.

“It is clear that AbdulRazaq has flipped the odious pages. He operates a system open to feedback; he governs with empathy and respect the dignity of the citizens and traditional rulers; and encourages in words and actions the values of hard work and entreprise. It was all Kwarans needed.

“For the elders and traditional rulers who do not have to put up with insults and disrespect from an acclaimed leader today, O’to ge is justified. For the women and old people whose pride and dignity is restored and protected, O’to ge is justified. For the elite who no longer need to go cap in hand for the permission of an emperor to bag appointments or facilitate projects to their community and state, O’to ge is justified. For the Kwara youths who are being supported and encouraged to pursue their talent and ideas, as against the system that empowered thugs and incentivised cultism, O’to ge is justified,” Abdullateef said in a trending interview granted the Vanguard Newspapers published on Saturday.

Speaking further, “When O’to ge’s fire was raging in 2019, Kwarans set an agenda for the government. Health. Education. Water. Infrastructure. Youths Engagement. Social Welfare and Development. By now, it is clear the government headed the right direction. From health to education, water, sports and youth development and workers’ welfare, this administration has improved the accessibility and quality of service. This is a fair assessment of the Kwara journey.

“Everyone may not understand the change. But not the Kwara civil servants whose salaries are being paid as and when due and their promotion is being ratified as we speak after years of neglect. Not the pensioners whose blood and sweat no longer need to dot the streets of Ilorin before they get their gratuities. Not the Kwara child who now has better teachers and school to study. These people can tell the story of a change in government in Kwara.

“It is hard for anyone to claim this administration has not done well and it is rash of anyone to tar it with a perfect brush. Kwara people understand the enormity of the challenges he inherited and how courageous AbdulRazaq has been in solving the issues. The whole Kwara society can feel the fresh air — after a rather hazy period — and appreciates the change he has made. Only Saraki and his followers would feel otherwise.”