What Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Is Indeed ISEYA – Princess Fajenyo
Princess Oyenike Oluwakemi Fajenyo is the Alternative Party of Nigeria (APN) Deputy Governorship Candidate during last general elections. She is an educationist and entrepreneur from Irepodun Local Government of Kwara State. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Skill Acquisition and Training Services. She pours her mind about O TO GE revolution, performance of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Youth development and COVID-19 pandemic in an exclusive interview with FactualTimes on #OTOGEaYearAfter.
One year after OTOGE revolution in Kwara State, is kwara better off?
OTOGE Revolution led to this administration and the governor came on board with the knowledge of what kwarans were facing, they know the state of the state and I want to believe that what the reason for the slogan- OTOGE. What Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is doing is not OTOGE but ISEYA! Immediately the governor assumed office you can see many things he is putting on ground and that’s why I described the slogan as ISEYA. If you look at what the governor did in the first 365days, you would know that the projects are impactful. I would give him a pass mark in areas like infrastructure development, health, education and environment. If you look at the infrastructure for instance, the road network in some parts of Kwara State; Edu, Kaiama, Patigi and even in Ilorin, especially in Ilorin South you can the quality of the roads amidst paucity funds. The governor have high taste for quality that’s why his administration projects are in good and high standard. Look at education, the reconstruction of schools and renovation of classrooms are ongoing in every part of the state. As an educationist, I know having good structures in school is very important to improve standard of education in the state. I think that is what the governor is doing! On environment, if you look at Ilorin, you will noticed the environment is not neat and clean prior to this administration. The government has cleared under bridge in Post Office, Oja-Oba and some areas to their is no buying and selling of goods at the roadside as well as banned illegal parking. All these would make our environment to be more safer, neat and clean. Another one is water supply, water is now running in many households in Ilorin, the state capital. Although, the work is not 100% but I will give the governor pass mark and it’s my believe that more households would feel this administration’s impact during second year in office.
Your party; Alternative Party of Nigeria (APN) anchored it campaign on the theme- Getting Kwara Working Again, do you think the governor has aligned with some of your thoughts/manifesto with his performance?
Our policy is that we want to look into the youth unemployment and when you talk about the youth employment, this will help the nation as a whole and not only Kwara State. We want to look at the education, human capital development, health and some other things like infrastructure development. If I’m to judge the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq with what he has done is inline with what was obtainable in the past and available resources, he has done well. The other thing the government should look into is youth development and empowerment. It is a necessary to move the state forward. How can we empower the youth? Not only by going to school, they can be empowered with vocational skills. Let them engage in vocational trainings. We have different kind of vocational skills that doesn’t need you to have higher certificate. Let then have vocational skills.
On the issue of vocational skill, I know you’re an educationist and entrepreneur; Is there any way you can partner with the state government in order to get the youths in the state trained?
To the glory of God, we have a training center which is called Royal Skill Education and Vocational Training Center. We can partner with the government in area of vocational training for youth and women. We have many training skills ranging from catering, beadmaking and other vocational skills about 16. We can partner with the government by offering the training at a very low price, because it would be an achievement for the state government. And after training, we can liaise with the World Bank and Bank of Industry to get start capital for them because we have business relationship with the two organizations.
How would you describe the performance of other elected officials in the state especially the lawmakers both federal and state?
I want to believe that they are all trying, although there is no way you will work that your neck will not be shaking. If I’m to give them a pass mark, they are trying.
The issue of Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the state of economy in terms of Federal Allocation, Internally Generated Revenue and others, and government is even spending more to manage the cases as well as curtail the spread of Covid-19 in the state. What is your advice for Kwara State Government and Kwarans at this critical moment?
As I have said earlier, you know if you look at Kwara State most of the people are civil servants and that is why it really affecting the state. If the government had made the plan earlier than now; let say we have already empowered people and have more of self employed than civil servant, I think that would have saved the situation. The government must pay salaries despite reduction in monthly allocation. The only thing I can say is that the government should empower youths in order to make them self employed. Whatever those people get, from their business and what they are doing, it will reduce financial burdens of the state government. They would be able to energize the state economy by paying and engaging two or more people in their businesses. Let’s assume that we have large number of self employed that knows how to turn N10,000 to N50,000, this will really help the state.
What is your advice for Kwarans?
The advice I have for the people of the state is that they should please give Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq the chance to prove himself worthy of being the Kwara State Governor. He need our support, even when things is not we should still believe in him. We should forget about individual interest. We should have the interest of Kwaran as a whole at heart. And based on this, If you can corporate with him, I know by the time his tenure is over, you will have a mere Kwara.