The Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq weekend said his administration’s upcoming social investment programme has been designed to fund small businesses, artisans, and lift many people out of the poverty bracket.
“This journey has begun with the passage of the Kwara state Social Investment Programme Bill by the State Assembly. We will make sure to redistribute wealth to our people, lift many people out of the poverty line, and support small and medium scale businesses to grow,” the governor said at the Omu Aran Day celebration on Saturday.
“Kwara south, like the northern senatorial district, has huge potentials in tourism and agriculture, especially agroprocessing. The great traditional displays here today attest to this. We are seeking partnerships to attract investments to these sectors. On our part, we are going to commit a lot of money into opening up our state with rural roads and basic amenities like decent schools, sanitation facilities, and functional primary healthcare system. We have recently paid RAAMP counterpart funding.”
AbdulRazaq also said efforts are ongoing to strengthen security across the state and put in place modest infrastructure to facilitate development in the hinterland
He added that the best strategy to build a viable state was to help small businesses to grow through funding and infrastructure.
“Our administration is also working on putting in place the necessary security architecture to protect lives and properties. We are seriously working to ensure that normal banking operations resume in our major towns like Offa, Omu Aran, Patigi and so on. The current situation where full time banking operations are restricted to the state capital is not acceptable,” he added.
AbdulRazaq also promised to look into the requests of Omu Aran community in the area of infrastructure and water.
ODA President Bisi Adeyemi, for his part, called on the state government to look into the infrastructure deficit in the town, including the lack of any public tertiary institution there and the abandonment of the Omu Aran township road by the last administration.
“We are hopeful that the present government of the people in Kwara, led by our indefatigable Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, will not hesitate to carry Omu Aran along in its water revolution in Kwara State,” Adeyemi said.
The event, which included the launching of a N500m development fund for the town, was attended by many dignitaries from within and outside the state, including Kwara State Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Senator Sulaiman Ajadi; House of Representatives member Raheem Tunji Ajuloopin; founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide Dr David Oyedepo; Olupo of Ajasse Ipo Oba Sikiru Woleola II; Elese of Igbaja Oba Ahmed Babalola Awuni Arepo III; and Olomu of Omu Aran Oba AbdulRaheem Oladele Adeoti (Olomu Efon II).
By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab,
Blueprint