Abdulrazaq

ABDUL GANIYU FOLORUNSO ABDUL-RAZAQ: A Fulfilled Patriarch And Statesman

By

Seye Adetunmbi

For a nonagenarian statesman who served as the first Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State in 1967 when the state was created, served as a federal minister in Nigeria and as an Ambassador to witness the inauguration of his son as the elected governor of Kwara State, coupled with having a daughter who had been elected as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this rare grace of God calls for jubilation. The patriarch should be celebrated for the great thing God has done in the family and put his profile in perspective for posterity and the delight of those who appreciate good pedigree and lasting family legacies. Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Florunsho Abdulrazaq SAN, OFR, GOON (Ivory Coast) worked from inception with others to give Kwara State a direction on the path of prosperity and deep rooted development such that it will be a model state and justify the purpose of its creation.

Consequent to realising the reality that government cannot do it alone especially with the challenge of the need to educate the young people of the state who will serve the critical manpower need of the state, A.G.F. Abdulrazaq, the first lawyer from northern part of Nigeria invested his personal resources to set up Ilorin College, as a private school to provide quality secondary school education in 1967. He invited Dr Tai Solarin to work with him to set a template for a school that will produce students that will be worthy in learning and character.

The heart of gold with an uncommon spirit of giving runs in the family. Apparently his children that I have dealings with took their giving spirit from their exemplary patriarch to the glory of God. Ilorin College is now Government High School, Ilorin after its takeover by the Kwara State Government. The College was the first private secondary school in the state and the North Central.

AGF as he is popularly called is endowed with an uncommon brilliance and an amiable personality, wrapped up in magnetic mannerism. These virtues manifested in his children too. A man of lion heart and an unbridled determination to succeed under daunting challenges, which characterized his early life in school and at work as documented in his published biography. An extract from an adaption of Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq: A Blessed Patriot written by L.A.K. Jimoh and published in 2018 is quoted here which underscores the footprints of Abdulrazaq dynasty, a testimony of record o excellence, and his place in history as the father of Kwara State.

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He is humility personified. Humble almost to a fault. A.G.F seems to be uniquely destined to always be a “first”- the first child of his parents; first indigene of Ilorin Emirate, in fact, of Northern Nigeria, to school in Eastern Nigeria (Onitsha and Buguma) at both primary and secondary school levels; the first indigene of the emirate to gain admission into a university in both Nigeria and Great Britain, and the first Northern Nigerian to qualify as a lawyer and barrister-at law. He is also the first indigene of IIorin to be honored with a traditional title: Tafidan Zazzau outside Ilorin Emirate, in addition to being the first to be conferred with the traditional title of Mutawalli of Ilorin by the then Emir of Ilorin. Similarly, he is also the first Ilorin indigene to be appointed Nigeria's ambassador to a foreign land and the first to be a Federal Minister. He served as pioneer Commissioner for Finance and later as Commissioner for Health in Kwara State from 1967-1972. He was one time president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, a position that birthed stock exchange activities in Kwara State.

AGF characteristically is more interested in excellence, providing service to his people. That was what he did when the first opportunity for him to show-case his endowment occurred in 1957 during the London Constitutional Conference. He was the Legal Adviser to the Northern People's Congress, NPC, which had the dominant representation from Northern Nigeria at the Conference. The Conference decided arrangement for the governance of postcolonial Nigeria and drew up a constitution for the country. For this exercise, the Northern Region was gravely handicapped in terms of availability of indigenous Legal experts to cope with the array of reputable legal luminaries which accompanied the Eastern and Western Regional delegations to the conference. The only indigenous Lawyer which the entire Northern Region had then was the young AGF, who was only about two years old at the Bar at that time. But his strikingly impressive performance at the Conference bridged the gap and salvaged the fortune of the NPC delegation to the Conference. So impressive was his performance that Northern Nigerians in the delegations of the other political parties at the Conference unofficially solicited his expert legal advice to guide their own individual contributions at the Conference. His brilliancy at the Conference bolstered his fame throughout Northern Nigeria, particularly in Zaria where he practiced as a lawyer. It was in appreciation of the value which his practice in Zaria added to the historical fame of the Emirate, and numerous selfless legal services which he rendered to the people in the Emirate, that the Emir of Zaria conferred on AGF the prestigious traditional title of Tafidan Zazzau. Soon afterwards, the Emir of Ilorin conferred on him the equally reputable traditional title of Mutawalli of Ilorin.

There was a volcanic political agitation that Ilorin and the other Yoruba speaking people of both Ilorin and Kabba Provinces in Northern Nigeria be merged with the Yoruba-dominated Western Region. The agitation was initially championed by Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ife, in the 1940s. It was later adopted by the Action Group and canvassed as an issue at the 1957 London Conference as part of the fears of minority groups in the ethno culturally lopsided composition of the then three regions of Nigeria. The agitation shook Ilorin Emirate to its very foundation. It was a political hurricane that almost blew off the emirate even before the London Conference. Its promoter, the Action Group, had deployed to Ilorin the best of its propaganda machinery using the populist Ilorin Talaka Parapo Movement as a podium after the failure of an earlier attempt to use the League of Northern Yorubas, founded in 1952, for a similar purpose. But for the agility and brilliance displayed by AGF, which checkmated the superlative propaganda of the Action Group, the agitators would probably have won the day at the Conference. What they got, instead, was a “consolation prize” by way of the decision by the Conference to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the agitation and similar ones by other minority groups in the Eastern and Western Regions. The Willink Commission later sat in all the affected areas across the country. The sittings in Ilorin were dramatic and tense wherein the Action Group/Talaka Parapo displayed, as usual, the best of intimidating scholarship and political showmanship which was seemingly intended to cow the educationally disadvantaged opponents of the agitation. Again, AGF emerged as the Emirate's saviour — his erudition and professional acumen; his captivating oratory and genteel disposition mesmerized both the audience and members of the Commission of Inquiry. His bravado paid off immensely and at the end of the day the best that the agitators got was a mere recommendation by the Commission that a plebiscite be conducted to determine the preponderant wish of the people of the Emirate about the agitation. The plebiscite never held. Another opportunity to render patriotic service to his fatherland came to AGF in 1966/67 when Nigeria faced the threat of an imminent disintegration. The threat necessitated the summoning of a meeting of Leaders of Thought in each of the then three regions of the country.

The meeting of the Northern Nigerian Leaders of Thought was held in Kaduna, in late 1966. Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq and Chief J.S. Olawoyin represented Ilorin Division at the meeting and both of them jointly made history by respectively moving and seconding the motion that kick started the abolition of regions and restructuring of Nigeria into a federation of twelve states in 1967. Chief J.S. Olawoyin, in his book: My Political Reminiscences 1948-1983 (1993) succinctly recalled the episode thus: “I was one of the five people appointed to the Northern Nigeria Leaders of Thought forum from the former Ilorin Province and it was at one of the meetings that I moved a motion that in order to forestall Colonel Ojukwu's attempt to secede and weaken his position among the various and diverse ethnic groups in the Eastern Region, states must be created to liberate Calabar-Ogoja, Rivers State… “I added that in the interest of credibility for the Gowon Administration, he should also create states in the North in view of the long-standing demand for a Middle Belt State…Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq, also from Ilorin Division like me, seconded the motion with powerful argument and the whole house accepted the motion in principle. A committee of seven was immediately setup to look into the matter. The Committee recommended the breakup of the North into six separate autonomous states, including the Central-West State which was later re-named, Kwara State some six months after it was created. Aihaji Sule Katagum, former Chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission, presided over the meeting at which I moved the motion. On the 27th July, 1967, twelve states, including six from the North, were created to the joy of all.” One noticeable feature of AGF's life is that, to him the adage that “opportunity knocks but once” is not applicable. Instead, an opportunity occurred to him repeatedly like a recurring decimal. He had yet an opportunity to play the redeemer’s role for Ilorin Emirate in 1968 when he was the sole Ilorin indigene in the cabinet of Colonel David L. Bamigboye, the pioneer Military Governor of Kwara State. In that year, the Bamigboye administration proposed a Local Government Reform, which abolished Native Authorities and established Local Government Authorities to take charge of the newly-created divisions - 12 in all. Under the proposal, the erstwhile Ilorin Division, which was administered by a Native Authority, was split into three autonomous divisions namely, Ilorin, Igbomina/Ekiti and Oyun Divisions with headquarters at Ilorin, OmuAran and Offa respectively.

While none of the proposed Local Government Areas had its boundary stretching right from the city centre of the headquarters of another LGA, that of the proposed Oyun Division began right from the centre of Ilorin city. AGF argued powerfully in favour of boundary re-adjustment. The facts which he tendered were so incontrovertible that the State Government shifted the boundary away from the city centre but still included Ojoku and Ikotun areas from Afon District. During this socio-political evolution, Baba AGF Abdulrazaq workedclosely with other fellow compatriots in both old and present Kwara State to pioneer the foundation and the development of the present Kwara State. His fellow compatriots include the late Galadima Patigi, the late Ahman Patigi who served as the minister of agriculture in the NPC Government in the First Republic. Others are Chief J.T. Obaoye from the present Ekiti Local Government who was a cabinet commissioner during the Bamboye’s Administration and Chief Peter Olorunsola from Igbaja in Ifelodun LGA who was the then attorney general and commissioner for justice.

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Considering the turn of events in Kwara State party politics over the past years, it is natural for the situation of things to have given him some sort of concern and his joy would be full with a sense of fulfillment now that his second born had been elected as the governor of his beloved state. His generosity and community service provided great opportunity for many people in the state to have access to quality post-primary education which was not easy to come by then with the establishment of Ilorin College in 1967. His selflessness made him a pathfinder, a motivator and an enabler for the success many of the beneficiaries of his vision have accomplished. He had lot of students that he was paying their school fees despite the fact that he established the school. He went further to approach some of his friends and corporate bodies to give out scholarships.

One other unique thing about the distinguished Nigerian is that his early exposure to education placed him at an advantage for distinct opportunities when there were very few qualified people around. His appointment as an Ambassador in the early 1960s for instance provided an advantage for him to put some historical and political issues in proper perspective in Kwara State. In the interview he granted in 2012 he is quoted thus:

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In 1962, I was appointed Ambassador of Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire and one of those who met me at the port as part of the Nigerian community in Abidjan turned out to be the father of Olusola Saraki, Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki..... I observed that the crowd that came to meet me at the port was divided into two and members of each group had flags of different colours, saying: “Welcome, our ambassador.” One group had white and the other, green. And they were supposed to be a Nigerian community welcoming their ambassador. Then my secretary took me to my official residence, he was more like a permanent secretary to me. Later, I asked him why members of the Nigerian community that came to meet me were waving different banners and were standing apart, not mixing. He said I was very perceptive. I asked if they were divided and he said they were. He explained that the division was caused by a fighting over who would lead the Nigerian community. When I asked who the contenders were, he said one was called Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki, while the other was Emmanuel Alabi. I told him that one of my first duties would be to see Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki and Emmanuel Alabi. And I said I would see only the two of them and not their supporters at 10a.m. the next day.

He brought in Muttahiru Saraki, who sat on my right, Alabi on the left. I thanked them for welcoming me on my arrival and told them that my secretary said that the two of them were fighting over the leadership of the community. I said I was not prepared to work with a divided community. I also told them that I had not invited them to the embassy to hear why they were fighting.  I said from their looks, Muttahiru Saraki would be the older person. And because of that, I said I was recognising him as the leader of the community. And against my expectation, Alabi stood up and prostrated before Saraki, holding his leg and saying: ‘I accept you as my leader.’ And I told him he would be Saraki’s deputy.  Alabi then asked for permission to say something and I asked him to go on. He said nobody ever called the two of them together and it was only their followers who were treating the matter that way. And Alhaji Saraki also said he accepted him as his deputy.  I later thanked them and they went away together. Throughout my stay there as ambassador, I went to the mosque to say my Friday prayers with Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki. I’d go out of my way to take Alhaji Saraki from his house and we’d drive to the mosque together. After prayers, I also brought him back. Naturally, the relationship between the two of us blossomed. Then one Sunday, my guard came and said there was an old man who wanted to see me and his name was Saraki.

He then brought in Muttahiru Saraki and we started to talk. Then he asked me where I come from. I told him I am from Ilorin. Alhaji Saraki said he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. By this time, I did not even know the existence of Olusola Saraki. So, the man told me he was from Abeokuta, but he went to a Quranic school in Ilorin at Agbaji, an area of reputed for Islamic scholarship. The man, with his own mouth, told me he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. And as of that time, I knew of no existence of any member of his family. This was in early 1963. So, we carried on like that. The fact that I resolved the problem between him and Alabi helped us a great deal for our consular cases. As the leader of the Nigerian community and being older than me, Saraki, at my request, always sat by my side wherever I went in my capacity as Nigeria’s representative. At a point, members of the Nigerian community were calling him deputy ambassador and he enjoyed that. Anywhere I went officially, I took him along. When I was going to present my letters of credence to the head of state (Houphouet-Boigny) I took him along, too.

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That was vintage the Mutawalin of Ilorin and Tafidan Zauzau of Zaria for us, his leadership quality is amazing. He went further with his encounter with the father of Dr Olusola Saraki to say:

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One Sunday, he came again and after entertainment with drinks, he told me he had come to thank me. He said he had never met any human being, not even his own children, who had honoured him as I had done and that he did not even know how to show his appreciation. I said there was no need for all that. That was in 1963. He then said that he had a son who was studying to be a doctor in London and whenever he came home on holidays, he’d like us to meet. One Sunday during the summer holidays, Alhaji Saraki brought Sola to introduce him to me. And after they took their seats, Alhaji Saraki started talking by saying ‘sir’. I told him to cut that out because he was as old as my father. He then reminded me about his son he said was in London. I stood up to greet Sola and he stretched out his hand for a handshake. The father got up and slapped his face, saying: That’s my god you want to shake hands with. You should prostrate. But I said we were both young men, within the same age group. I made light of it, saying we knew how to greet each other. That was how I met Sola Saraki. So, the father now said he was putting him in my care. ‘Take care of him for me,’ he said. I told him that it was good that as a young man, he is a professional. I advised him to return home to participate in politics.

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He threw light on the party politics in the early 1960s in Kwara State and how he became a minister which is highlighted thus:

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I remained in Abidjan till 1964, when my party, the Northern People’s Congress, through my leader, the Sardauna of Sokoto, sent for me. He said I had to resign because they wanted to appoint me a minister in the cabinet of Tafawa Balewa. So, the Sardauna sent for me and said I was going to be a minister in the next government. He said he would tell Ilorin people that I’d be returned to the parliament unopposed. I was appointed minister in charge of Nigerian Railways and I performed other functions, like being a confidant to the Prime Minister. When I went back to campaign in 1964 to go to parliament, with a view to be appointed a minister, Sola surfaced. That was two weeks to the election. He told me that he had decided to heed the advice I gave him in Abidjan to go into politics. I asked where he wanted to contest and he said Asa. Asa is a local government that shares a boundary with Ilorin Central. When I replied Sola, I admitted that I advised him to come into politics, but he had come too late. In Asa, there was a member of parliament, Mr. Babatunde, whom the party had decided to return unopposed. However, he said he would contest.

            He went to Lagos and brought some packets of medicine and he put up a mat and a hut in Asa and started giving people injections. These were for people who lacked medical attention. The whole of Asa local government had no hospital at all. If anybody fell sick, they had to take the person to Ilorin. He started giving them cheap medicine, thinking that it would win him their votes. He did not take into consideration that one; there was a member of parliament on ground. Second, the same man was being presented by my party. Also, he was going to be an independent candidate. Naturally, he was defeated. That was his entry into Ilorin politics. Then, he started visiting Ilorin, sharing money to people; money that he had made from medical practice through the retainership he had with the Nigerian Ports Authority and Ministry of Defence. At that time, the army did not have a hospital or a medical department. The Air Force also did not have any. So, whatever bills he sent to them, they paid him. So, he was making constant visits, and building himself up.

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No doubt, the memoirs of someone like AGF would be very rich with facts of history. On November 13, 2017 Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Abdulrazaq marked 90^th birthday anniversary in a quintessential manner. The first lawyer from the northern part of Nigeria was called to the Inner Temple, London in 1955. He was also the first northerner to be gazetted, a substantive appointment as a High Court Judge in 1968, an appointment which he politely declined. The Ilorin born legal luminary was a graduate of Trinity College, University of Dublin, he holds a B.A. Hons, LLB, MA and H.Dip-Educ. He is a product of the Kalabari National College, Buguma, and the Africa College, Onitsha. The eminent jurist has been a Life Bencher since 1971, and was the Chairman of the Body of Benchers in 1984. A nationalist who served as the Legal Adviser to the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and participated in all the Constitutional Conferences leading up to Nigeria’s Independence in 1960. He was a member of the House of Representatives in 1964 to 1966; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire in 1962 to 1964, Federal Minister of State for Railways in 1965 to 1966; the first Kwara State Commissioner for Finance and later, Health & Social Welfare Commissioner in 1967 to 1972 and had served as a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the NBA since 1995.

 He holds the titles, Tafida of Zaria and Mutawali of Ilorin, as well as Grande Officer De La Ordre National De Cote D’Ivoire and Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). Alhaji Abdulrazaq was the President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2000 to 2003.

Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq formally joined active politics in 1952. He was a member of Northern House of Assembly between 1957 and 1960. General Murtala Mohammed appointed him as a member of the 50-man Constitutional Drafting Committee in 1975. He seconded the bill on the Presidential system of Government in the Constituent Assembly. He also served as the Chairman of the sub-committee of the executive and the legislature. He is one of the living legends of legal profession in Nigeria. His call to bar was on February 8, 1955 and was enrolled to practice on April 1^st, 1955. On the 29^th of March 2019, the body of benchers honoured him along with other one hundred and thirty one outstanding lawyers in Nigeria. The Body of Benchers is a statutory body established by the Legal Practitioner Act of 1962 responsible for the call to bar of persons seeking to be legal practitioners as well as discipline of the erring lawyers. He is number 460 in the Nigerian legal practitioners list and the first lawyer from northern Nigeria. 

He is married to Alhaja Ralia Amope Abdulrazaq. Mama, the matriarch of the family, is a beacon for women empowerment and a mother who spreads her wings to shade all and sundry. She broke societal barriers to girl-child education, being the first Kwara woman to go to college in the UK in the 1950s when it was rare for women in the UK to go to college. In fact, she is one of the pioneering women in Nigeria to go to college/university. Like her husband, Alhaji AGF Abdulrazaq, Mama also championed ground breaking movements, being the first person that organized the market people in Ilorin into trade groups, like eleran, alata and sewing associations in the 1960s. She remains a voice for the masses and a forerunner in humanitarian activities struggling through all the odds to stand tall among her peers to excel as a gender rights advocate. She was indeed the first woman councillor in Kwara State, first female sports promoter and the first woman to drive a car in Northern Nigeria. Hajia Raliah is also a foremost community leader, mobiliser and sponsor of several community-based associations known today as non-governmental organizations. She helped to educate many people who have turned out to be leaders in their respective callings. One of the very eligible lucky northern women to have received quality education in her time. Mama grew up in Aba, Abia State, under religious and parents who welcomed all itinerant Yoruba traders into their home. She carried on with these traits, always ready to accommodate young people, related or unrelated to her. Her children also manifested the distinct attributes of the woman of substance. 

The marriage Baba and Mama is blessed with successful children: Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq, a legal luminary and Chairman of Bridge School House, Lagos; Rahman Abdulrazaq, the elected Governor of Kwara State in 2019, Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe, a notable politician; Mallam Isiaka Abdulrazaq, a distinguished technocrat; Mrs Ayi Lawal, a stockbroker and a business woman and Alhaji Baba Abdulrazaq, onetime local government chairman in Kwara State.

       Apart from being the father of my friends, some of his children, I had a brief remarkable encounter with him as a stockbroker some years ago when someone asked me to go and see him in respect of a stockbroking firm in which he had some interest. He scheduled an appointment for me to meet him at his residence in Maryland, Lagos. It was refreshing for me meeting the father of my friends, a statesman I admire so much and spent brief quality time with him. Baba AGF is gentle, suave, cosmopolitan, decent and an uncommon pleasant personality. I am happy for the Abdulrazaq dynasty for the grace of having such a distinguished Nigerian as a patriarch. He is a complete gentleman and interestingly, virtually all his children have that aura of humility and gentle disposition that endear them to their friends. What else can one say about a highly favoured man, than to wish him good health and peace of mind in his old age while also praying that things of joy he will continue to see for the rest of his life insha Allah.

Kwarapanupo

KWARA: NEW DAWN ENDS A LONG TORTUOUS WALK

By

Wale Adeoye

For the people of Kwara, this season is unique. First, it is the holy month of Ramadan. For a state blessed with a huge population of Muslims, this is an auspicious moment. Most significantly, at the month’s tail end, the Ramadan will usher in a new government different from what the state has experienced for over half a decade in terms of form and content. A visit last week indicated a mix of enthusiasm and a fresh balm of some sort. In cafes, street corners and homesteads, the trend of whispers is the same: A dynasty once thought to be invincible had finally been vanquished. Young, old, men and women, even children discuss the political change in muffled tones. “We have never seen a thing like this before. We have been ruled by the same group of people for most of the past 50 years. Many people in their 50s have never seen a different political dynasty in power. Emi ni a o ni yo si-why wouldn’t the drums beat to our excitement?” a University lecturer and indigene of Ilorin said last week in Lagos, shortly before the Ramadan moon was sighted. No doubt, this May 29, a new momentum will swirl Kwara, a conservative state largely known for her allegiance to one political lineage. In the past, the names of the elected governors had always been different, but the kingmaker remained the same. However, on May 29, Kwara will welcome a completely new order, a fresh class of leadership and a new name without the old mask lurking behind, like an incubus beast. If there is a mask behind, this time, it will not be the ancient one that generations of Kwara people had known and on whose knee they duck in awe. Saraki also held the population spell bound with a veiled ritual of fear, threat and intimidation.

On May 29, modestly known Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq 59, will be sworn in as the new elected Governor of Kwara State following his victory at the March 9^th 2019 poll. Abdulrahman, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate scored 331,546 votes to defeat Abdulrazaq Atunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 114, 754 votes. Abdulrahman’s father was the first lawyer from Northern Nigeria who was known in the field of politics in the 1950s and 1960s, while his children rekindled it this year. Prior his emergence, analysts had contemplated a tough battle with the formidable Saraki dynasty which had held Kwara with a mix of cultural and political charm. The APC also enjoys a comfortable lead in the State House of Assembly which before now was an appendage of the dominant political force in the ancient colony. Ilorin, the Kwara State capital had erupted in a whirlwind of joy soon after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC announced the results that many felt had brought an end to what was akin to one man’s province. Since Kwara’s creation in 1967, the political culture had been dominated largely by the Saraki dynasty. It did not just emerge as destiny but as a consequence of a cleverly plotted manoeuvre orchestrated by the late Dr. Olusola Saraki who was a conservative.

Governor Abdulrazaq formerly took over on May 29, 2019

   A century before Saraki’s emergence, Ilorin had thrived in politics and economy characterized by intrigues and bitter horse-trading. The Islamic city, Ilorin is Nigeria’s 7^th largest city and the capital of Kwara state, created in 1967. The city has a rich history of peace and war which has been extended to recent political formations in the ancient state. Founded by a Yoruba war General, Are-Ona-Kakanfo Afonja in the 18^th century following a rebellion led by Afonja against the Oyo Empire of which Ilorin was a vassal state, Kwara had sustained a bizarre tradition of political hegemony held in the palms of an individual until the March 9^th 2019 elections.

Going Back to History

The 18^th century politics in Ilorin was filled with conspiracies backstabbing in the quest for power. Afonja who founded the city witnessed a rebellion aided by Alimi, a Fulani who was extending the Jihad initiated in 1804 by Uthman Dan Fodio. Alimi’s son, Abd as –Salam became the first Emir of Ilorin after Afonja himself had been ambushed and killed by Alimi. As a new power on the fringe of the Niger River, Ilorin’s combination of Afonja remnant soldiers and Alimi’s forces in 1837 destroyed Oyo Ile, (40 miles from the new Oyo),  the former capital of Oyo Empire. The Alimi group advanced towards the South West but was shamed by Ibadan victory in 1840. Ilorin thus became the bridge between two ethnicity and cultures. The people instead of their divisions along ethnic and religious lines sought a common solution to their afflictions but they were denied. Successive political interests rather exploited the crack. Instead, base sentiments were explored to further polarize and trample the people.

The emergence of Dr Olusola Saraki in the 60s saw the pre-eminence of a political trend that sought to consolidate a rent-seeking and parasitic political tradition without a conscious attempt to find a melting pot in a plural society that shared common history, fears and aspirations. The Saraki group rather played on the suspicion, allow to thrive and portrayed itself as the only alternative to the people’s travails. The strategy was perfected with ethos of distributing perks and crumbs that keep the people perpetually underground but with a messianic false sense of hope. Over the years, the Saraki dynasty dominated the region. It began with the resistance against the attempt in 1967 to name the area West Central State. Saraki played on the division for parochial political gains. He pitched his tent with one side of the divide, using religion and ethnicity as a trump card, depending on which would enhance his command. There were tales of how Saraki procured water for locals and established a bakery mainly to meet the needs of the poor, but not without expected political patronage in return. This had prompted the emergence of various resistance political tendencies, beginning from the formation of Ilorin Talaka Parapo, a political party that looked towards South West brethren for its freedom, but all of which had failed to wrest power from Saraki.

An Era of Grace

In spite of her tribulations, Kwara once flourished, ironically under the military. Her major market of millet, sugar cane, Sorghum, yams, cassava, rice peanuts had a glorious outing prompting the establishment of various factories like the Jebba Paper Mill, The Bacita Sugar Company, the Tate and Lyle Industry, soap manufacturing and iron firms. At a time, the environ looked up to the Fougerole project in Jebba as a major source of electricity. There was indeed a Life Camp built in Jebba as an industrial estate. In the 70s, Kwara emerged as a budding industrial hub. Later the state returned into representative government. The re-emergence of the same parasitic political powers in the state unfortunately saw the decline of Kwara’s growing industrial base complimented by a vain national ruling class committed to draining the economy following the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme, (SAP) in 1989.

The return to democratic rule has not raised Kwara from her stupor. The Saraki dynasty seized almost every space and time, imposing and deposing elected officials at will. It reached a complex crescendo in 2003 when, following the disagreement between Dr Saraki and governor Mohammed Lawal that he enthroned, the idea was mooted that his son, Bukola Saraki should throw his hat into the ring. His victory was predictable. However, a disagreement soon broke out between Dr Saraki and his son, Bukola, on who should succeed him after eight years. While Dr Saraki favoured his daughter, Gbemisola, his son favoured another rookie, Abdulfatar Ahmed. Dr Saraki was defeated by his own son. Analysts contend that the disagreement between the two was not on how best to protect the interest of the poor, but how best to keep them in chains. “The disagreement was on tactics of keeping the slave in the same plantation”, a top civil servant lamented. However, some two years ago, various forces began to realign with the sole aim of putting an end to a long standing impunity. The slogan was Otoge, the Yoruba phrase for enough of tyrany. The carefully crafted strategy involved a coalition of interests that brought down the Saraki domination.

Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi taking Oath of Office

New Dawn; New Tasks

The tasks before the new Governor-elect are as numerous as sand upon the ocean shore. He inherits a debt burden of N30,203,632,608.29. With monthly allocation that swings between N3.8 to N4 billion, the new governor has a herculean task meeting the needs of 3million residents. The 2006 population puts Kwara at 2,365,353 people. First, he needs to reunite a fractured people and give them a common sense of belonging. He needs to work with all interests, including those he may have humbled, seeking their view where such will lead to Kwara renaissance. There are suggestions that the new Governor needs to rally indigenes of the state for an economic summit to develop and nurture a new roadmap that will lift the state from her crestfallen position. Many observers think the new governor needs to prove that Kwara people have not come to remove a master only to replace with another master without eliminating the slave-master relationship that characterized the political-economy of Kwara State since the mid 1960’s. For one thing, humans have a way of reverting to an old order, no matter how excruciating, if their new found savior fails to offer immediate renaissance that show clearly to the people that the past had indeed been a nightmare. Doing things the old way is one step that can quickly cast a cloud of illusion, fueling public fear that the new regime lacks the capacity to salvage them.

      The tasks ahead are daunting. Abdulrahman will need to set up several technical working groups on the economy, political relationships, culture, education and above all industrialization which should quickly lead to job creation and elimination of long standing despair. Plagued by a rich but floating elite, Kwara has for long been denied of exploration of her potentials which had led to the state’s stunted growth. Abdulrahman needs to create a new thinking about fresh possibilities. He needs to explore the tourist potentials of the state, needs to safe Kwara from being seen as the axis of evil by taking steps to eliminate banditry on politics. He must go after the hatchet men, the cultists and men in dark goggles who were used to create an atmosphere of siege and a mentality of conquest. He must unite the people, tap their hidden potentials and ensure they own the process of governance. Above all, the interest of the people must be his optimum priority. He is fortunate, but unfortunately, he has less than two years to prove himself as another election will knock the door so soon.

THE MAN OF DESTINY: ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAQ

By

Seye Adetunmbi 

Over the years, Kwara State has produced so many dignitaries and various kinds of people that have distinguished themselves in their respective areas of callings through dint of hard work, persistence and commitment to honourable ways.

Likewise some dynasties continue to standout for the legacies of their forebears and the sired children who responded favourably to the privileged education, impeccable upbringing, lasting family values wrought in every member of the clan and have all turned out to manifest their individual distinctions. It is also not every person that chooses a path based on personal convictions, natural inclinations and inner strength that eventually turnout excellently well to the delight of all. This is why it is very much in order to give it to anyone who exemplifies himself in this rare area of accomplishments. 

His Excellency, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has an impeccable pedigree and through the special grace of God, he worked hard to record the successes attributed to him. He has justified his choices with his enviable achievements to the glory of almighty Allah. He went into business very early in life and excelled.

He later ventured into politics towards giving his kinsmen purposeful leadership in order to entrench lasting good governance at all tiers of government. He first ran for the office of governor as the CPC candidate in Kwara State but lost to PDP’s Abdulfattah Ahmed in 2011. In the 2015 general elections, he ran on the PDP ticket for the Kwara Central senatorial seat. He won the keenly contested APC gubernatorial primary election in October 2018. His prayer to serve his people was answered with his election on March 9th 2019 as the twentieth governor of Kwara-State in Nigeria. Apparently he is a man of destiny. After several attempts in the progressive camp, he was elected to govern Kwara State and has recorded a first in his family and among the core Ilorin people.

     On the 5th of February 1959, Abdurahman was born in Zaria to the respectable family of Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Folorunso Abdulrazaq and Alhaja Ralia Amope Abdulrazaq of Ilorin West Local Government in Kwara State of Nigeria. Recording first runs in the family. It was started by his father who became the first person to be called to bar as a lawyer from the old northern region of Nigeria. Statesman, Alhaji A. G. F. Abdulrazaq SAN was a federal minister in Nigeria in the first republic in 1965 and a holder of prominent traditional titles: The Mutawalin of Ilorin and Tafida of Zazzau, Zaria. Inclination to public service also runs in the Abdulrazaq family. His elder brother, Dr Alimi Abdulrazaq contested for governorship in Kwara State at some points and he remains an active politician. His younger sister, Senator Khairat Razaq-Gwadabe was elected as the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory from 1999 to 2003, his immediate younger brother, Mallam Isiaka Abdulrazaq is a distinguished technocrat and tested top public servant in Nigeria, while his youngest brother, Alhaji Baba Abdulrazaq once served as a local government chairman in Ilorin.

     Rahman Abdulrazaq is a product of the famous Government College, Kaduna and has made mark in oil business as a successful magnate. He established First Fuels Limited and was the Chief Executive Officer. His oil business activities brought him fame after venturing into the importation of petroleum products at a relatively young age. Also when ExxonMobil wanted to export its first batch of condensate out of Nigeria he got the best international prices and buyers for the product. While his exploits in the oil sector lasted, he made positive impacts on the lives of many younger businessmen who are doing well in the oil business today in Nigeria. At some point he floated a football club known as FC Abuja, which recorded some modest success. He is now set to make an enduring impact under the progressive political party structure, APC. His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is happily married with beautiful children who are flying the impressive family flag high to the delight of all.

     When he was asked for the reason why he took special interest in governing Kwara State he said: 

“To end the current political status quo in our state. The facts about Kwara State speak for themselves. As somebody from the private sector, I see the running of Kwara as being done as an anomaly. You can never have development that way. We have a government and functionaries that are only interested in being in charge of public funds and privileges of public office without any commensurate delivery of services to the public.”

“Between January 2011 and August 2018, Kwara State government has received roughly N300bn in federal allocations. In the same period, the 16 local governments have received more than N500bn. This means that the state has received an average of 40 billion naira annually from the federal accounts while the local councils have taken over 27bn naira annually between 2011 and 2017. Yet Kwara is poor in social infrastructure even as it is one of the front-line states. Teachers and pensioners are owed, local government teachers are not paid, and civil servants at the state level are not properly remunerated and often have their pay slashed for dubious reasons without being able to protest same.” 

“In Kwara, public funds are invested in projects which are converted to private estates. There is no other state in Nigeria where this impunity happens. There are several anomalies going on in our state to the extent that people outside Kwara often regard our people as second-class people. Among the six states created in 1967, Kwara has the second lowest internally generated revenue and this speaks to lack of creativity and economic activities in the state.”

“Despite the obsolete state of infrastructure, low development and non-payment of workers and pensioners of their dues, this state is indebted to the tune of N56bn as at December 2017, 30 per cent of it being external debt and 70 owed to local financial institutions. By this figure, and in spite of absence of commensurate development to justify it, per capital debt of the state stands   at N18,000 per indigene of the state who are already impoverished.”

He is set to do things differently as put in his own words thus: “We will do everything differently from the current system. We will end a culture of converting public funds to private wealth by dispensing a considerable percentage of the same funds through a very dehumanizing political patronage. We will use public funds to serve the public in manners that will restore the dignity of our people in the area of infrastructure, including road and other basic amenities. For instance, you will find that Kwara has repeatedly prioritized recurrent expenditure at the expense of capital spending and the result is clear in its infrastructure deficit. Worst still, there is hardly any diligent implementation of the capital expenditure over the years. In 2016, out of N67.4b capital expenditure, only N24bn was disbursed, representing just 35.6% of capital budget for that year. Similarly, capital budget performance for the education was just 19%! This has to change. Most parts of Kwara are ungoverned, as the only time our people feel any semblance of governance is during election period. Many schools and hospitals have been taken over by the respective communities to ensure the rest of the world doesn’t live them behind. But there is little these communities can do. There are communities where just one teacher takes all the subjects in a primary school. Most hospitals don’t have doctors. When we assume office, by the Grace of God and the cooperation of the good people of Kwara, we will spread development to all parts of the state. We will ensure that our mothers have access to qualitative maternal care. At the moment, Kwara has one of the highest cases of maternal death in the country. The state is poor in terms of industrialization and infrastructural facilities especially in education and health”. 

         His strategic approach on how to tackle the challenge ahead he reiterated as follows: 

“Industries or businesses cannot thrive where you don’t have basic infrastructure. Kwara has a comparative advantage in agriculture. But our farming communities don’t have facilities that will encourage investment. So we will concentrate, basically, on building infrastructures such as roads, health facilities, schools and opening up our communities to the world through stable electricity and internet connectivity. If you have basic infrastructures and amenities, investors will naturally come in because businesses succeed where the cost of running them is friendly and they have easy access to markets.”

He reassured Kwarans of protecting their long standing cherished interests as he is quoted here: 

“They said we want to take Kwara to the south west if elected. It was a wild and yet funny allegation. But it shows they lack any sense of history. Everybody knows the roles my father played to keep Ilorin in the Northern region. The facts are there.....Our priority programmes will revolve around providing basic infrastructure, reorienting our people on lost values and lifting up Kwara far away from poverty...”

“Things we will do first, will be determined by what resources are available. We will also be guided by available records on the state of things we meet on the ground. However, we will mobilize resources at our disposal, including from private investors to fulfill our campaign promises to our people across all the senatorial zones; in all corners of the state. And we promise to ensure fair, just and equitable development, having the fear of God at the back of our mind at all times....We will look into the welfare of teachers, health care givers, and boost small scale businesses.” 

“Kwara used to be a powerful center of commerce because it is the melting pot between the North and the South.. We will restore this glory by ensuring that our industries are revived in line with modern realities.”

“Basically, Kwara requires urgent dismantling of political mercantilism which stifles development, encourages laziness and thuggery and dehumanizes our people. This will free up resources to serve the people.”

     His campaign tours of the state exposed him to the huge infrastructure deficits in the state, especially in the northern district of Kwara in terms of development. All other things being equal, his administration will definitely lookout for every opportunity to have measurable impact in the senatorial area without ignoring development needs of other areas. His administration is set to justify people’s confidence in him and APC. Abdulrazaq is not unmindful of the huge expectations from the people, albeit his team would do their best to serve the possible best interest of the

majority, God being his helper.

     Congratulations to the highly favored Abdulrazaq family in Ilorin for the long awaited opportunity for lead the revolution that will turn things around in their beloved Kwara and do their patriarch and kinsmen proud to the glory of God and benefit of mankind.

Kwarapanupo Becomes Imperative

KAYODE ALABI: The Reputable Deputy Governor Elected for Kwara-State

By

Seye Adetunmbi

By their fruits you shall know them, says the holy writ in the good book. Whoever has good reputation has everything. When someone who has fear of God, consistently exhibits virtues of a caring heart, concern for the plight of the masses, looking out for the welfare of others, and has reputation for being trustworthy and reliable, inclination to hard work, performance and diligence in delivering measurable result, steps out to run for a public office, such a person is bound to get the support of well meaning people. All other things being equal, his constituents are going to rejoice if such a character is ultimately given chance and elected into public office. Over the years, Kayode Alabi has always manifested the virtues of a man of repute and it won’t surprise most people who know him well that he got the deputy governor ticket of APC in Kwara State and the mandate of the people at the general election.

God has a way of reminding all mortals that He is in charge of our affairs with the capacity to do anything and place anyone in position of authority, influence and power. Kayode Alabi set out to run for the senatorial seat in Kwara South. He didn’t get the party ticket in the primary election and remained a loyal party man by accepting the outcome of the result while looking forward to a victorious opportunity in future. By sheer providence, he was the chosen one because of his reputation, to emerge as the running mate of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

Kayode was born on August 1 1963 into the family of Mr Yahaya Samuel Alabi (1925-2007) of oro-Ago in Kwara State and 93 years old Mama, Mrs Ena Alabi. He is the third son and child of his parents with two elder brothers, Femi and Dele and a younger sister, Modupe. He attended St. Banabas’ Primary School, Ilorin and Offa Grammar School. He went to United Kingdom for further studies in Marketing.

He did his National Youth Service Corpsmen programme in Lagos in 1985 and later worked as a part-time Lecturer in the Marketing Department of Kaduna Polythenic between 1988 and 1989. From 1987 to 1989 he worked with Beba Consult (Marketing Consultants) in Kaduna. He was a sales representative for Bastone and Firminger, a British trading company in chemicals from 1991 to 1996. He later embarked on integrated marketing consulting services for various organisations and business concerns with his company, The Marketing Concept Limited. KA went into private business from 1996 to date. He established a flourishing water bottling company in Lagos. He is the Chairman of Vantage Heights Nursery and Primary School and Chairman of Little Tots School, both in Lagos. Alabi at various times worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Bayview Oil and Gas Limited and the Chief Executive Officer of Hotwings Foods and Investment Limited. He is a member of different professional associations of repute, one of them is the London Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Kayode Alabi is happily married to Mrs Abieyuwa Tokunbo Alabi and the marriage is blessed with two wonderful children that continue to do the family proud.

      He is noted for expressing his disdain for the way political affairs of Kwara State have degenerated and had been at the forefront of the fight for the liberation of Kwara from those who had turned the state into a family business. He is a passionate grass root politician who enjoys massive support from his people. He is an entrepreneur of repute who is now in the league of professionals in politics while he remains a faithful Christian and a servant of God.

AN OVERVIEW OF KWARA STATE

The Story So Far

At independence of Nigeria in 1960, Kwara State was part of the Northern Region, which existed as one of the three regions of Nigeria up till 1963, and as one of the four regions of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. The regime of Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi was enthroned in 1966 and dissolved the regional structure to replace it with a provincial system. The four regions became four provinces and Kwara State was in the Northern Province.
On the enthronement of the regime of General Yakubu Gowon, the military government dissolved the provincial system and replaced it with twelve states structure and Kwara State was one of the twelve states created on the 27th of May 1967. The state is now one of the 36 states that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria after part of the territory of the original state had gone to the neighbouring states. In essence, the size of the state has been reducing over the years, as new states were created within the federation.
On the 13th February 1976, the Idah/Dekina part of the state was carved out and merged with a part of the then Benue/Plateau State to form Benue State. On the 27th August 1991, five local government areas, namely Oyi, Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogi were also excised to form part of the new Kogi State, while the sixth, Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with Niger State.
Kwara State is located 454.9 km west of Abuja. It is bounded to the north by Niger State, to the east by Kogi State, to the south by Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States, and to the west by the Republic of Benin. The capital city Ilorin is situated 306km inland from the coastal city of Lagos and 500km from the federal capital, Abuja.
Originally the state was known as West Central State but the name was changed to Kwara, a local name for the Niger River. The state falls within the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria with Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States. Kwara State consists of sixteen local government areas: Asa, Baruten, Edu, Ekiti, Ifelodun, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Ilorin West, Irepodun, Isin, Kaiama, Moro, Offa, Oke Ero, Oyun and Pategi. The major towns include Ilorin, Offa, and Jebba, located on the Niger River. Other towns include Patigi, Erin-IIe, IIoffa, Adeleke Igbewere, Ejidongari, Osi, Lafiagi, Gure, Afon, Kaiama, Isanlu-Isin, Omu-Aran, Egbejila, IIota, Iponrin and Igbaja.
The total landmass of Kwara State is now 36,825 square kilometres. The state is known as ‘State of Harmony’ as a result of the peaceful relations that exist among its multicultural and diverse population of 2.5 million people. Devotees of the three main religious faiths in Nigeria, Islam, Christianity and traditional coexist in the state.
Agriculture is a major economic activity in the state and the principal cash crops include cotton, cocoa, coffee, kolanut, tobacco, beniseed and palm produce. Mineral resources in the state include gold, tamaline, tantalite, limestone, marble, feldspar, clay, kaolin, quartz and granite rocks. Industrial activities in the state include Dangote Flour Mill, Lubcon Lubricant Company, Kam Industries Nigeria Limited, Tuyil Pharmacy Nigeria Limited, Padson Industries Nigeria Limited, Kwara Breweries, Ijagbo Global Soap and Detergent Industry, United Match Company, Resinoplast Plastic Industry, Phamatech Nigeria Limited, Kwara Textile and Kwara Furniture Company all in Ilorin. Others are Paper Manufacturing Industry, Jebba, Okin Foam and Okin Biscuits, Offa, Kay Plastic, Ganmo and Kwara Paper Converters Limited, Erin-ile. Others are Sugar Producing Company, Bacita, Kwara animal Feed Mall, Ilorin and the Agricultural Products Company.
Important tourist attractions in Kwara State include Esie Museum, Owu waterfalls, Imoleboja Rock Shelter, Ogunjokoro, Kainji Lake National Parks and Agbonna Hill Awon Mass Wedding in Shao. There is also Sobi Hill amongst others which is the largest landform in Ilorin, the state capital

Kwara has a federal university, the University of Ilorin, a state university, Kwara State University, two polytechnics, Kwara State Polytechnic and Federal Polytechnic Offa, three colleges: the college of education, Ilorin, school of Health technology, Offa and college of Nursing, Ilorin. It is also home to three Private universities; Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Crown Hill University, Eiye N'korin, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin and Summit University, Offa. There is also a navy school and aviation college.

The Kwara State Government, like every other state government in Nigeria is made up of three arms: the executive arm, the legislative arm and the judicial arm. The executive arm of the Kwara State government is headed by an elected governor assisted by commissioners who the governor appoints to head the various ministries of the state government.
The legislative arm of the state government which convenes at the Kwara State House of Assembly is made up of 24 members elected by the people of the 24 state constituencies of Kwara State. The Kwara State House of Assembly is headed by a speaker who is the legislative head of the state government. The judicial arm of the Kwara State Government is headed by the Kwara State Chief Judge.
The 16 local government areas are grouped into three zones known as senatorial districts: Kwara North, Kwara Central and Kwara South. Kwara North senatorial district is constituted by these five local government areas: Baruten, Edu, Pategi, Kaiama and Moro. The five local government areas that constitute Kwara Central senatorial district are: Asa, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Ilorin West and Offa while Kwara South senatorial district has six local government areas: Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Isin and Oyun. The 2006 national population census put the population of Kwara State at 2,365,353, with 1,193,783 males and 1,171,570 females.
Administratively, nineteen governors have ruled over the political affairs and government of Kwara State from 1967 to date. The first one was an army officer, David Bamigboye, an indigene while the twentieth governor was sworn-in on May 29th 2019 in person of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, a native of Ilorin. Thirteen of the governors were military men while seven civilians have governed to date.
The cumulative revenue allocation to the 16 local government areas in Kwara State from May 1999 -June 2017 is N327, 722, 196, 324.01. Meanwhile in March 2019, the Kwara State Government through the Commissioner for Finance said the current debt profile stands at N30.2 billion with a monthly repayment of N496m. According to him, the debt was N31,481,082,712.95 in 2017 and N30,751,665,421.83 at the end of 2018, contrary to the speculation of N50.2b in the social media.
In his breakdown of the current indebtedness, the commissioner explained that the N30.2b includes N15,325,541,483.03 as the balance of the Federal Government restructured loan, N4,002,948,667.07 as salary bail out, excess crude account loan outstanding of N9,324,613,607.52 and vehicle loan balance of N128,916,612.87. Others are the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) and Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) Agriculture Scheme with respective balances of N646,213,285.03 and N679,233,857.13 as well as International Aviation College loan balance of N96,165,095.64. He said the repayment of N496,367,109.08 is deducted from the state’s monthly federal allocation and the figure includes a monthly deduction of N39,632,016.56 as repayment for foreign loans obtained by the government in the 1970s.

Nevertheless, it is a matter of time, the incoming administration will carry out due diligence and the true picture will be made public. What cannot be disputed is that a huge debt is hanging and this will surely pose a challenge for the new government to be inaugurated on May 29th 2019 in meeting campaign promises. This calls for all ranks of stakeholders in the state to brace up with readiness to adjust appropriately towards turning around the fortune of Kwara, the state of harmony.

OTOGEISM AND KWARAPANUPO INITIATIVE

The “State of Harmony” epithet given to Kwara-State is apt, unique and very instructive to the discerning ones and progressive minds. The principle behind the name is essentially founded on the fact that many tribes with distinct characteristics came together in one state within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In African tradition, it is often said that people conventionally look at circumstances around the family or household before giving a new born baby a name. The Yoruba people would say “ile la nwo ki a to so omo l’oruko”. In essence, “state of harmony” is spot on as a soubriquet for Kwara State and the people have been living up to the name in their actions from historical perspective to a reasonable extent. Politically, the people are predominantly loyal democratically to their beliefs; this is why it had been possible for a political sect to hold sway for many years in Kwara State.
This distinct characteristic of Kwarans has a positive inclination which was demonstrated in the 2019 general elections when they collective decided to opt for progressive politics and elect Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as their new governor. In harmony, the people resolved to put a stop to a system they have been used to for many years by giving a fresh perspective a chance in their governance. The people bought into the “o to ge” (Otoge) movement.
Otoge is a Yoruba word that can be translated to mean enough is enough. The outcome of otogeism is the inauguration of APC government in Kwara State on May 29th 2019 to the glory of God and to the credit of all progress minded indigenes of Kwara and their friends and associates across Nigeria who share in the passion for positive change in the state.
Otogeism is a philosophy and school of thought that evolves from the common resolve of a determined people that reserve the right and have the franchise to elect who they want into office and consummate such remarkable decision for posterity. Otogeism in essence means enough is enough to anything not desirable, unwanted policy, bad government and any unpalatable situation that has prevailed for too long.
Otogeism could apply to individuals, families, and corporate entities, groups of people, communities, professional bodies, a state or a nation. Kwara State experience has inspired other places to give the way they play politics a rethink by exploring more fulfilling alternatives.
It is a group of people that came together to champion the cause of enough is enough in Kwara State. They didn’t just say it; they backed it up with action, their time, energy and hard earned resources to see it through. The Abdulrazaq family of the first northern Nigeria lawyer fame will go down in the history of the north central state in Nigeria as contributing immensely to what is being celebrated today in Kwara State.
Kwarapanupo in principle complements Otoge Movement. The name is coined from the principle of harmonizing thoughts of the well meaning stakeholders of Kwara-State for the common good of all. It is pronounced Kwara-pa-inu (mind/thoughts)-po. As a matter of fact, it is a group of well meaning people that came together to harmonize their thoughts (pa-inu-po) and work hard to see to the election of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as the governor of Kwara-State and Kayode Alabi as the Deputy Governor.
All other things being equal, Kwarapanupo initiative is expected to continue progressive thoughts on behalf of Kwara, the state of harmony at the point where otoge movement stops. There is so much work to be done beyond otoge, Kwarapanupo Forum (KF) provides a roundtable for the Kwara State intellectuals to put on their thinking cap and rub minds together for the good of their beloved people and the state in general.

In comparative terms, conceived ideas that manifest to grow beyond the imagination of their progenitors are mostly driven by a vision inclined to serve larger than skewed interests. Also contemporarily, most nations that have developed to the delight of the world didn’t happen by accident, it is as a result of actualizing the consistent efforts of great thinkers in the advanced environments.
Consequently, any state government that is desirable of making life more abundant for the people must make optimal use of its intelligentsia. It is this well educated class who mean well for the masses that will engage in the complex mental labours, critique, guide and lead in shaping the culture and politics of their society. This is what Kwarapanupo vision is all about. It provides an independent, vibrant and veritable platform for the intellectual community in Kwara State to interrogate integrated issues of common concern to the people and all ranks of stakeholders for the benefit of all. The debut of the indigenous intellectual roundtable became a reality in 2019 to complement otogeism and continue where otoge movement stopped.
Kwarapanupo Forum is going to be a veritable interactive platform for indigenes of Kwara-State, non-natives residents making a legitimate living in the state who are inclined to progressive politics, those related to Kwara and friends of indigenes who are all in support of a purpose driven government for the benefit of the majority. Political development in Kwara State is spirit lifting.
Therefore, to provide a platform to ventilate ideas of the progressives in Kwara State, Kwarapanupo magazine idea was born. It is a private sector initiative that subscribes to the “o t’ope” (otope) philosophy that manifested from the otoge movement. The periodical is set to promote progressive politics in Kwara and avail the government quality advice and suggestions emanating for the Kwara intellectual community as a going concern. This maiden edition is specially packaged as a memorabilia for keeps; it is loaded with timeless information and the package is refreshingly pictorial.
It is a natural occurrence for the elite to support government of the day through various socio-economic and political groups, which means that Kwarapanupo think-tank would not be an exception. On this note Kwarapanupo initiative and everyone who subscribes to the forum congratulate the newly elected governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and his Deputy, Pastor Kayode Alabi. May your tenure be fruitful and remarkable in the history of Kwara-State. You are wished the very best.

LONG JOURNEY TO VICTORY: O T’OPE

The “o t’ope” (otope) being said by everyone in Kwara State today was preceded by the word “o to ge” (otoge). No doubt a lot of water has passed under the bridge before we get to where we are today. Considering the reality on ground in Nigeria party politics with the agitation among the progressive minds in Kwara-State, there was no better time to sack the long frustrating torturous political structure in the north central state than at the time it was done because the chief priest of the sole beneficiary of the status quo has lost face among the progressive camp.
In all humility, Alhaji Rahman Abdulrazaq with a distinct pedigree as a son of the soil had been well poised to make the long expected paradigm shift to happen in Kwara. However, it was neither no-tea-party nor walkover thing to end a regime that has been so entrenched in the politics of Kwara State for over two decades. It was tough because the custodians of the incumbent structure were not ready to let go, yet the tide was not in their favour.
Indeed power is not served “a la carte”, those who desired change had to go all out! PDP deployed blackmail and campaign of calumny strategy of various shades to stop the emergence of Rahman Abdulrazaq and his deputy, Kayode Alabi. The wish of the majority prevailed in the end.
The beginning of the signs of victory being imminent manifested with the fact that Dele Belgore SAN and other aspirants of repute within APC stepped down for Abdulrazaq. This sent a strong signal to the status quo people that change is inevitable in Kwara. Also, it was the first time the incumbent political power broker went into general elections without the support of the federal government. What it then required was a strategic effective planning ahead, hard work, sincerity of purpose, determination and resources to see the agreed plans through while leaving the rest to God to take charge. Consequently, the progressive camp within and outside Kwara State put on their thinking cap, rolled up their sleeves and with eyes on the ball, went all out on the project to effect change without taking anything for granted.
The approach included creating heavy media presence for the APC candidate, Rahman Abdulrazaq on radio, news print, social media and television as much as possible. This was to bring him to the consciousness of the people within and outside Kwara State such that every might at the disposal of APC can be deployed appropriately to enable him coast to victory without much fuss.
It was imperative to have a systemic approach to endear Abdulrahman into the hearts of the electorate, particularly in the Kwara central, the strongest hold of Saraki political structure. It was easier to campaign against the monopoly of political power in Kwara South and every other area apart from the core Ilorin people at the central senatorial district. Once APC can defeat PDP candidate in Ilorin metropolis, victory in the state was inevitable.
In the course of looking for the catchy slogan that will resonate with the people and speak to the revolution about to take place, otoge evolved. It occurred to everyone that “enough is enough” of the manipulative one man political structure in Kwara State. Otoge worked like a magic, it was like a wild fire that has a life of its own. Everyone caught the bug, young and old, artisans, peasants, all ranks of formal sector and informal sector workers, the illiterates and the educated were not left out. Drivers of vehicles invented a hoot pattern that brings out the sound of the pronouncement pattern of the word O-TO-GE, pim-pim-pim (m.m.m.) when they pressed the car horn.

Various pressure groups sprang up in Ilorin and its environs. At some point some groups led a protest rally to the palace of Emir of Ilorin with otoge placard. Members of the rally did township procession and were saying that with Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, they have made up their minds to end the age long hold of Saraki in Kwara politics come 2019 general elections for national and state political offices in the state.
Nevertheless, the governorship candidate and his deputy made direct contact with the people that actually vote and not middle men alone that could double deal or may not be sincere but may short-change those targeted for empowerment by not letting good tidings made available, get to them. The candidate and his strategic supporters hosted Drivers’ Union (state and national), the representatives of the unions, all ranks of oniseowo in Ilorin and other necessary communities. When they saw him and heard him talk one-on-one with them, it went a long way to secure their loyalty and commitment to the project. They in turn went all out to tell members of their respective groups that the candidate is good and accessible.
Social media was made used maximally. Various WhatsApp groups made up of supporters of Rahman Abdulrazaq were created. An Electioneering Strategy Group was created by the Deputy Governor-elect, populated by elites from every local government area and major communities in Kwara State to compare notes together and brainstorm up till when the election was concluded. The members of the forum were people who actually believe that enough is enough with the one-man political structure in Kwara. Alhaji Rahman Abdulrazaq, the governor-elect interfaced with the indigenous Ilorin people at strategic community meetings in the respective quarters to reassure them that he is one of them and that they can trust him to take care of them even better than whatever offer they have had in the past.

A vibrant strategic campaign team was constituted to include representatives and coordinators for the adugbos in Ilorin. The extended campaign group met with him periodically and the outcome of all the efforts put into the electioneering yielded the desired result.
Kwara-State which was created in May 1967 had nineteen governors to date out of which were thirteen military governors and six civilian governors. David Bamigboye was the first military governor from 28th May 1967 to July 1975. Ibrahim Taiwo was the second military governor from July 1975 to 13 Feb 1976. George Agbazika Innih was the third military governor from March 1976 to July 1978. Sunday Ifere was the fourth military governor from July 1978 to October 1979. Adamu Atta was the first civilian governor from October 1979 to October 1983 and elected under National Party of Nigeria as the firth governor of Kwara State.
Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo was elected under Unity Party of Nigeria as the second civilian governor and was in charge from October 1983 to December 1983 as the sixth person to govern the state. Relatively he was the first governor to emerge from the progressive camp of Nigerian politics. The fifth military governor was Salaudeen Latinwo, from January 1984 to August 1985 and the seventh person to govern the state.
Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru was the sixth military personnel to serve as the eighth governor from August 1985 to December 1987. Ahmed Abdullahi was the seventh soldier to serve as the ninth governor from December 1987 to July 1988. Ibrahim Alkali was the eighth military personnel who became the tenth Governor from July 1988 to December 1989. Alwali Kazir was the ninth military officer who served as the eleventh governor from December 1989 to January 1992.
Shaaba Lafiaji was elected under SDP as the third civilian and the twelfth governor from January 1992 to November 1993. Mustapha Ismail became the tenth officer deployed as the first military administrator to serve as the thirteenth governor from 9th December 1993 to 14th September 1994. The second military administrator and the eleventh soldier to serve as the fourteenth governor was Baba Adamu Iyam from September 14th 1994 to August 22nd 1996. Peter A.M. Ogar was the third military administrator and the twelfth soldier deployed to serve as the fifteenth governor from 22nd August 1996 to August 1998. Rasheed Shekoni was the fourth military administrator and the last soldier to be the sixteenth governor from August 1998 to 29th May 1999. Mohammed Lawal was elected the fourth civilian governor under ANPP as the seventeenth person to govern from 29th May 1999 to 29th May 2003. Bukola Saraki was the fifth civilian elected under PDP as the eighteenth governor from 29th May 2003 to 29th May 2011 while Abdulfatah Ahmed succeeded him as the sixth civilian elected under PDP as the nineteenth governor from May 29th 2011 to May 29th 2019.

Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq made history in Kwara politics as the seventh civilian to be elected as the twentieth governor of Kwara State and inaugurated into the office on May 29th 2019 with Kayode Alabi as his deputy. Abdulrazaq’s emergence is divine and a spectacular one in the sense that it manifested under a collective effort for a paradigm shift in the way Kwara State governors are elected to office. He is also the first person to be elected under APC and the second indigene of Kwara – State in the progressive camp as the governor since 1983. This indeed calls for celebration, o to ope.