Saraki's war plans, Kwara and the ghost of 2003 By AbdulFatah AbdulRahman

Saraki's war plans, Kwara and the ghost of 2003

By AbdulFatah AbdulRahman

Now I put it to you, dear reader, that Kwara could be in for a repeat of the famous '03 when Saraki's mischief makers and falsehood peddlers employed untruth, scare mongering and sabotage to malign and assassinate the character and enviable personality of Rear Admiral Alabi Lawal in the run-up to the 2003 elections.

As events after his death have proven, we were led to reject a hero and embrace the villain. The historical administrative rots and endemic corruption are sharp reminders of our woes. Despite how bad they messed up the state, as is being revealed daily, Saraki has started grooming a team of vuvuzelas to trumpet his name back to reckoning albeit with wicked antics, to divert attention from their crimes against the people by planning a coordinated campaign of calumny against the state government, the governor, and his top appointees.

They have been talking about 2020 and intelligence report showed that there is a grand design for coordinated lies and subterfuge to derail the people's government. And their anger is clear: how can the people of Kwara dare to cut off their free access to the treasury! They can't forgive Kwarans for that derring-do!

In order to cover up their unforgettable crime against our people, they will raise bogus allegations of imaginary fraud or mismanagement or other things against top government officials. By extension, they will seek to belittle the remarkable achievements of the new helmsman who is currently trying to clear their mess and put in place the most basic facilities they failed to put in place in 16 years.

Because of Saraki's old system of faulty social system, it is not hard grooming a team of jobless, unproductive young people to be used as weapons of destruction against the government. The basic directives given to them is to concoct lies, spread falsehood, and media incitement against the AbdulRahman-led government in order to turn the people against them. Saraki and his followers seem hellbent on taking Kwarans for fools. One would expect their rejection by the people in 2019 to teach them morality and decency; alas, that humiliating defeat was no lesson for the enemies of the state who want the government to fail by all means in a bid to reclaim undeserving power in 2023.

However, the public should be aware of the efforts of AbdulRazaq to put primary education in good shape, despite the  criminal diversion of UBEC fund by Saraki's godson Magida, by refunding the money early in his tenure. The new government has committed a whopping N2bn to renovate/rehabilitate 31 schools across Kwara in the new year. And that's the first stage.

The transformation of the NYSC camp in Yikpata -- a facility whose horrible status explained why most corpers rejected Kwara as their place of service -- and the new transparent, cost-effective and safer method of paying students' bursary and scholarships (Law Students) are some of this government's cheered intervention.

Renovation of the baseball park, a facility long abandoned to decay, the reconstruction of the Centre Igboro court, the building of modern toilets to stop open defecation, ongoing renovation of state library that is certain to launch Kwara to 21st century e-learning, and prompt payment of workers salaries have no doubt endeared this government to her people. To the men of yesterday, Kwarans don't merit such developmental interventions.

The Bukola Saraki team of shameless liars and their closet supporters are shocked that local contractors are suddenly becoming kings in a state where non-indigenes promoted by the Leader held big cabinet positions and held the state to ransom on many fronts. Or have we forgot how a man from Ogun was the all-in-all in our key parastatal? These characters cannot come to terms with a government conducting open bids for award of road contracts as the Abdulrazaq has recently done in respect of some 26 roads to be constructed in the months to come.

The new regime has commendably shown seriousness in health with heavy spending on primary healthcare, upcoming renovation of hospitals, especially the Primary Health Centres (PHCs), recruitment of doctors/specialists, and several other initiatives to improve the state's healthcare services. These charlatans can't cope with AbdulRazaq appointing a medical Doctor of national acclaim to drive the health sector, something that hardly happened under Saraki and his lackey.

Furthermore, another truth the merchants of falsehood won't tell you is great improvement in water supply in Ilorin metropolis. We should remember that  N6.bn, yes, N6bn, was spent by the Maigida administration with no water to show for it. While there is definitely more to be done, this is a clear departure from the loathed past of water scarcity.

AbdulRahman public- private efforts with BUA Group, MTN Nigeria, Dangote and other multinational and international investors are billed to provide employment for the teeming Kwara youths. This government is aware and prioritises youth engagement a great deal. The change promised to Kwarans has manifested in sports with Kwara United back to the league. This was a team left in the shell by the past government.

Perhaps because the government is not making noise about it, the state social investment programme KWASSIP that will soon begin is billed to ease hardship amongst the people and promote social and economic development. It is a people-oriented programme designed to tackle poverty entrenched by Saraki and his people in our society. It is just a matter of time before both the young and old savour the sweet taste of change in all ramifications, and without having to queue, cap in hand, at Ile Arugbo where dozens of our compatriots once died in mysterious circumstances. They are shocked that the annual desecration of our people has become a thing of the past and blood-sucking demons are angry at their patrons. Our people are no sacrificial animals. Not anymore!

One now wonders why Saraki want people to throw away these blessings for their accursed style of governance. How did Saraki and his hired writers think people would forget the mind-boggling looting of the treasury as we are now getting to know, and the impunity of their reign, just because of their deliberate efforts to kill the truth through propaganda and  orchestrated falsehood?

Over 90 public properties belonging to the state were sold to themselves at ridiculous prices. Some didn't even pay! This was when education, health, water, good road network were scarce commodities in the state! They loaded the civil service with cronies so much that the state is unable to fix anything beyond paying salary. A clear pointer to why Maigida approved appointment of thousands of workers in die minutes to further frustrate the new government's developmental strides. For his selfish agenda to keep the state underdeveloped, the Bukola Saraki hegemony murdered institutional independence which is a recipe for social development because of greed and incompetence.

Kwara's new lease of life apparently unsettles the men of yesterday. While they must have thought the government would disappoint the people, the spate of  model accomplishment in just 7months have smoked them out of hiding. They have now resolved to falling back on their old strategy: misinformation, blackmail, and falsehood.

Consequently, the people of Kwara state are enjoined to be mindful of these nine-live enemies of our state. The good people of Kwara state should be conscious of the plots by Saraki and his hired writers to assassinate Governor AbdulRazaq with words just like they killed their hero, Rear- Admiral Lawal, sixteen years ago. It is for our people a case of once bitten, twice shy! Therefore, we should retain trust in this administration to drive Kwara growth and development with passion, commitment and honesty. Things have gone terribly bad but a brighter Kwara lies ahead if we don't allow the Leviathans (Sarakites) to re-enact their 2003 book. We are no fools!

Kwara, e fura!