Six Months Partnership With Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq

*Six months partnership with Gov. AA.*
by Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu.

I got the inspiration to write this, during my workout this morning, thanks to the public holiday.
*Happy Democracy Day!*
*Personal*
It would be six (6) months tomorrow,13th of June, 2020, that I began this journey, with the consent of my husband first, and each of my children, to serve a much bigger family.
They agreed to temporarily donate me to our community, and they have been very supportive.

This phase is a unique life school, with so much to learn.
You sometimes have people who from across the distance want to determine what you say, how you think, what you write or even how you walk.
And you also have those who start praising you, for a job that you only just started, and are already helping you to think about some future elevations or other appointments; when you have neither completed the task at hand, nor are even sure of living till tomorrow.

I only just started social media. I started WhatsApp when I joined politics, and never had a twitter account or instagram page, till I was nominated as a Commissioner.
I did have a Facebook account for a few months many years ago, but I deleted it, soon as I left banking to start my private business.
I used to see it as a distraction; but really, it has been a wonderful experience, and very good comic relief too.
One gets some really witty engagements to learn from, and others that publicly display their ignorance, and you just wonder; I have come to the conclusion that it helps to solve their personal problems; maybe to massage their egos, or some are already depressed, and bringing others down may just be a good way to help them feel good. I hope it works.

*The Work;*
Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology has continued to take decisions that would enhance the development of our institutions, to ensure that our state becomes the model, for management and administration of Tertiary Education in Nigeria.
This week, we concluded our strategies geared towards efficient operation and quality enhancement in our tertiary institutions, and the action towards its realization would kick start soon. Another first, in the history of our state.
I am not going to bore you with the achievements of Gov. AA in MOTEST in the last one year; it was all over the place in words, and we also presented it in a creative infographic, to make it easy for those who hate to read long texts, we did that because it’s your right to know!

I will only add that for all Kwarans, justice was served. In the last 365 days every single state-owned tertiary institution had a feel of the government; that has never happened before in this state. Kudos!

At the beginning of the second year of this administration; this month of June, 2020. Gov. AbdulRazaq led government has already intervened in at least one institution, in each of the three districts.
He has approved a total N33,069,000 to IVTEC, Ajase Ipo, in Kwara South, to pay the salaries of its workers, Aviation College Ilorin, in Kwara Central, also enjoyed this same intervention; as well as the College of Education(Technical), Lafiagi, in the Kwara North Senatorial District, which got an intervention for the repair of leaking roofs, in the college.

He also approved purchase of a new transformer for about 32 villages, in Oke-Ode community, where our College of Nursing is located. I’m delighted that by the time schools are directed to resume, my students would return to the college, happy, having been in the dark, since the last administration.
After all, citizen happiness and satisfaction, is an indicator of development.

*My boss;*
Yes, he is human too.
We have forged a partnership; and I must confess, he encourages open line communication and gives room for us to demonstrate initiatives.

It’s laughable that people who know nothing about his leadership style, and have no work relationship with him, say he runs a ‘Yes Sir’ government. No, he doesn’t!
He listens, and he regularly asks for your input when decisions have to be made that affect your ministry, and most of the time, that input counts.

When I look at the huge demands of my own work, a tinier space compared to the Governor’s, I can only devise ways to make working with him easier, to reduce the pressure.
I have learnt to understand that we (either as elected officials, appointees, citizens, friends and even families) all have to relate with him; so I have had to adjust my style to his, and found out what method works for him, to getting our work done, in a more responsive manner. And it has been working. I must commend him!

*For our students and staff of Tertiary Institutions;*
As the parent and supervisory ministry, we are here to serve you; and you will continue to be our first, second and third priority.
So help us God!

*To others;*
The state is ours; be involved!
The stage is ours.

Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu
Honourable Commissioner,
Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology.
Kwara State.
Ilorin, 12th June , 2020