•Says gov has taken Kwara from where he met it to next noble level

•To ensure party cohesion ahead 2027 election 

By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin

Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin, a media guru and Spokesperson of Kwara Consensus Group (KCG) is one of the chieftains of the ruling  All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State. He was one of the dogged fighters during the “Otoge” era which enthroned the  current administration of Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to office in 2019. Alh Raheem Adedoyin was the Commissioner for Information during the administration of Dr Bukola Saraki and was also a Special Adviser on Communications during the immediate past administration of Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed. Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin, in his late sixties had seen it all, in terms of the dynamics of Kwara politics. In this interview, he speaks about urban renewal efforts of  AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration and other related issues. Excerpts:

What is your reaction to  complaints of some people about their property being taken away?

Let me be clear from the beginning that I’m not speaking for the government. I’m speaking as someone close to the government. who is observant and who tries to find out what’s going on around me. It is to that extent that I’ll be able to give an informed view on what is going on. Urban renewal is a process of improving, upgrading the physical infrastructures in a manner that promotes social and economic aspects of the cities or the urban areas. It also restores law and order. You have had people who had flagrantly violated the land use laws, distorted the laid down plans and built structures that constituted absolute nuisance. They built structures in the setback, they built structures outside of the approval given by the Town Planning Authority. The government reasonably moved in to restore order. That’s the simple way to look at it. The government has to make people respect the laws for the benefit of all. The metropolis now wears a new glittering look, and order is being restored on what is required by all to do. When you drive through Taiwo road, through Unity, Challenge, Ahmadu Bello way route, you will know and appreciate that you’re in the capital city that competes with any well-developed capital city. Some people had taken it for granted that no one would challenge them on their wrongdoings. But there are town planning laws and these you know before you get an approval. Some people blatantly violated their approvals and the government decided that it must stop and we are all beneficiaries of that courageous action of the government. You must also know that every government has an action plan. The present government has a Master plan, an offshoot of which is called Smart City plan. It’s about looking at how a modern, sustainable city should be.

For instance, this administration is providing so much infrastructure, so we’re seeing the Challenge area through the Post Office to Government House area becoming a central business district. So, unconsciously, the government is creating a central business district and sooner than later, Government House has to be relocated as provided for under the master plan. It has to be in a place where it is not encumbered by booming social and business activities. But it is a process. So, under the new master plan, there is a plan for a new Government House but the present administration cannot do it. Succeeding administrations will do it. Government is a continuum.

Is the government going to compensate people whose structures have been pulled down?

I learnt that many people who were affected have been compensated, especially the SMEs that were involved. Again, we need to understand that everyone involved has either eaten into setbacks or misused the land allocation. These compensations are acts of magnanimity because the government hasn’t really done anything wrong under our law.

In the last local government election, the party came up with some candidates and this didn’t go down well with some members of the party who are still aggrieved. What is the government doing to assuage their feelings?

The first thing to know is that there have never been any party primaries that had gone down well with every one and there can’t be any. The feeling out there is that once you have the ticket of a ruling party, you are as good as being elected. So, the struggle for the party ticket is sometimes tougher than the general election itself. But I always love people to be circumspect. I want critics to tell me specifically where manipulations took place in the recent APC Local Government election primaries. In Irepodun Local Government where I come from, the elected Chairman today was popularly chosen at a keenly contested party primaries. In Offa, where the critics have particularly trained their guns, there was a stakeholders’ meeting where a shadow election was conducted for the contestants. Those who conducted the shadow elections included such critical stakeholders and community leaders like Hajia Farida Dankaka, Alh. Jani Ibrahim, Dr Ademola Lawal, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, Barr. Segun Olawoyin, Alh. Wahab Agbaje ( Femi Whyte) and other community heavy weights. Alhaji Olatunji Sulaiman (Omituntun) emerged victorious there. When the official primaries were conducted, he won hands down too. Where was the imposition by the governor? Some people approached the governor to change the candidate, he simply directed them to the stakeholders who, he said, were in the position to determine what Offa wanted. He refused to intervene in the internal affairs of Offa. And that’s what happened in other local governments. Everyone wanted the governor’s endorsement, but he left the choice of candidate to the party chieftains and members. The caucuses that lost naturally cried foul, but we have moved past that now. I have had the opportunity of interacting with some of the elected Chairmen especially those from Kwara South recently and I’m impressed about the level of their on- the- job seriousness, especially on security. In Kwara South, they have brought some halt to the menace of copycat kidnapping and the stepped up security architecture is showing in this festive period. About the aggrieved party chieftains and members, I’m aware that some of them have returned to the government jobs they left to contest the primaries; I’m aware that the governor and the party have plans to keep the party cohesive. Some of the candidates that lost in the primaries will also be compensated by the party and the government. Just wait for when the appointments at local levels are rolled out. The Governor understands clearly the need to have internal party cohesion ahead of the next general elections.

There are observations that big projects are located mainly in Ilorin and people are asking, why are other areas neglected?

Ilorin is the capital city and these structures are benefitting all Kwarans. KWIRS Revenue House is a commercial venture that can only be sited where it makes the most economic sense, and that is Ilorin. Same for other mega investments. You invest in where you will get the best returns. It is so simple. But beyond economic considerations, these projects are for the benefit of all Kwarans, not Ilorin people alone. These mega projects are in Ilorin for economic sense and for the benefit of all, including non- Kwarans. But there are many projects spread across the state. I can count about 7 projects in my Oro district alone; from road infrastructure, to education, to healthcare. The Governor has done very well but unfortunately, the ordinary people who know and applaud his performance in office don’t have access to the media. Bad news is good news. When a few people criticize the government, it makes news, but when people say they like what the government is doing, the critics will shout and defame you. But I like to talk a lot about the governor’s performance because it is real and I’m happy about it. We will keep talking about it, let the critics just fact-check and not try to intimidate me on what claims I make on specific government projects. Some illiterates are shouting about how many projects have been commissioned. You are already enjoying and accessing the good amenities his government has provided but want him to wait to do merrymaking ( that’s what commissioning means to the uninformed). A project is commissioned the moment it is put to use.

During the first term of the governor, only a few projects were completed. People are now worried if all these projects will be completed in time.

I’ll first rebuke the fallacy that he didn’t complete projects in his first term. He completed most of the projects in my federal constituency, and certainly all the projects in Oro and Esie districts in his first term. People expect merry making to be done for commissioning. These projects have been commissioned and are in use. As regards completion, there is a provision in the 2025 budget for completion of many of the ongoing projects. He still has 2025, 2026 and 2027. All these projects will be completed before he leaves. Of course, there will be some, like the smart city plan which will be carried through by succeeding governments.

Can you highlight a few of the core projects one can describe as the legacies of the current administration?

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had taken Kwara state from where he met it to the next noble level in terms of the larger than life projects many of which he has finished. To mention just a few, we have Kwara Sugar Film Factory along Ajase Ipo road Ilorin. It’s one of the administration’s iconic projects which has been completed. The project seeks to refocus the state’s economy for job creation, youth empowerment, and improved standard of living. Designed to make Kwara a major hub in the movie production and creative industry in west Africa, the facility earned its name from the nostalgic Tate and Lyle Sugar Factory which collapsed in the 1990s, in what underscored the Governor’s rich sense of history. We also have Ilorin Innovation Hub, along Ahmadu Bello way which has also been completed. It’s more than just a workspace, it’s a place for young people to immerse themselves in technology, collaborate, and grow with all its features. There’s also a Shea Butter Factory at Wozibe in Kaima Local Government Area of the state. The project is a tripartite arrangement between the World Trade Organisation, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and Kwara State. The project is intended at shifting shea butter processing from the local way, which is cumbersome in nature, unhygienic and time-consuming, to international standard. The state, on its part, is willing at all times to assist the existing and other interested investors to promote shea-value-chain development towards the actualisation of the lofty goals of optimising the benefits derivable from the shea sector.

There’s also the Ilorin Visual Arts Centre. It was conceived for the arts as a standalone architectural and urban expression, housing an Institute for African Art and Film. And to do this in Ilorin, outside of Lagos, is therefore a bold and adventurous move, signaling, perhaps the beginning of a new and long-awaited era in which public space can be captured and activated for the arts in a civic way.

What is your advice to people who have misconceptions about this government ?

My message is first to people in government and the party to speak more loudly on what the government is doing. People going home for Christmas and the new year should look for every opportunity to speak about what the government is doing in their locality. This is information, not propaganda. These things need to get through to the grassroots. Everyone is a spokesperson for the government. I had a billboard in Oro that captured the governor’s completed projects in Oro district. I want people to know what he has done in my community. We should have the party and government people propagating the AA administration ‘s good work at all levels. On the people having misconceptions, I am worried about opposition within. Some of the problems are from people who are not happy with the governor’s simple style. They’re the ones pushing the narrative that he’s not performing, even when their people are directly benefiting from the governor’s projects. We, the party faithfuls, just need to propagate the government’s good works. He’s doing well and will even do more if we support the administration and engage the Governor in a productive way.