Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has assured journalists in the state that his administration will continue to work with them to move the state ahead.
The governor made the pledge at the grand finale of the 2024 Press Week of the Correspondents Chapel of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, which was held at Diamond Arena, New Yidi Road, Ilorin.
Represented by the Senior Special Adviser/Counselor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, Governor AbdulRazaq recounted the many interventions of his administration that eventually returned the three state-owned media enterprises to sound footing
While acknowledging the support that his administration has gotten from journalists in the state, AbdulRazaq stated, “my administration will continue to partner with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), correspondents, and every other journalist in the state.”
The governor stated that the situation was similar in the basic education sector, where the previous administration failed to satisfy its commitment to pay UBEC counterpart money, resulting in the state being blacklisted by UBEC.
He said the government has also and still executing infrastructural projects across the three senatorial districts of the state, expressing delight about the turning around of Ilorin, the state capital into a model city.
Governor Abdulrazaq said that his footprints are visible in all the 193 wards and the 16 local government areas of the state.
He cited the renovation of over 600 schools, urban renewal projects, massive road construction, payment of N750 million salary areas to staff of the state-owned three colleges of education, recruitment of new teachers, payment of over N14 billion UBEC counterpart funds, and eradication of polio within six months in office as some of the administration’s major impacts, which he said cut across all 16 LGAs and 193 wards in the state.
The guest lecturer at the event, Senator Sadiq Umar representing Kwara North senatorial district, in his paper, tilted, “Democracy, Good Governance and Roles of Citizens”, called for active participation of 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 for 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 Communications and Information Sciences, university of Ilorin, Professor Lukman Azeez 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.
Mrs Bola Ojukoju, the State Commissioner for Communication, advised media practitioners in the state to always maintain the ethics of their profession while carrying out their jobs.
In his speech, Alhaji Abdulhakeem Garba, chairman of the correspondents chapel, condemned recent attacks and arrests of journalists during the #Endbadgovernance demonstration.
He urged the National Assembly to pass legislation making attacks on journalists while they were carrying out their constitutional duties illegal.
