Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has stated that the footprints of his administration are visible across the 16 local government areas as well as the 193 wards of the state.
Speaking at the grand finale of the 2024 press week celebration of the Correspondents’ chapel of the Kwara state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), through his Special Adviser and Counselor, Alhaji Saadu Salaudeen, the Governor disclosed that the last five years of his administration have brought about significant developments in all sectors.
He listed the renovation of more than 600 schools, urban renewal projects, massive road construction, payment of N750million salary areas to staff of the state-owned three Colleges of Education, recruitment of new teachers, payment of over N14bn UBEC counterpart funds and eradication of polio within six months in office as some of the major impacts of the administration across the nooks and crannies of the state.
While assuring that his administration would continue to partner the correspondents to promote development in the state, the Governor said “the current administration has created a more conducive environment for journalists to operate and practice their profession since we came on board”.
The Guest Lecturer at the event, Senator Sadiq Umar, representing Kwara North senatorial district, called for active participation of the citizens in political processes for good governance to be entrenched at all levels.
Represented by Dr. AbdulRasheed Sadudeen, the Senator said: “For democracy to flourish, citizens must actively participate in the political process, hold their leaders accountable, and advocate transparency and fairness.
“Fostering a culture of civic engagement can strengthen the foundation of democracy and ensure that good governance prevails. As global challenges continue to arise, the role of citizens remains more critical than ever in shaping a just and equitable society.”
Also in his keynote address, Dean Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, Professor Lukman Azeez, who was represented by a lecturer in the university, Mrs Oluwakemi Akerele, urged journalists to do more in the area of investigative journalism to hold government accountable to the people.
State Commissioner for Communication, Mrs Bola Ojukoju, urged media practitioners in the state to always uphold the tenets of their profession in the discharge of their duties.
“Let’s stand for the truth, if your are in doubt about your stories, we have a channel of communication in Kwara state. Always reach out to us to verify your stories,” she said.
In his speech, Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Alhaji Abdulhakeem Garba, decried recent attacks and arrest of journalists during the #Endbangovernace protest and other lines of duties, urging the National Assembly to enact a law that would criminalise attacks on journalists in the cause of discharging their conditional duties.