Ajakaye and the Phantom Achievements of Gov Abdulrasaq

By Adeniyi Ìṣhọlá

Last Friday, I watched the appearance of Rafiu Ajakaye on TVC, where he struggled to market the failed administration of his boss, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, under whom he served as Chief Press Secretary. Rather than present verifiable evidence of meaningful development, his performance exposed the widening gap between government propaganda and the realities confronting ordinary Kwarans.

One of the claims Ajakaye made was that the Abdulrazaq administration had grown Kwara’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N30 billion in 2019 to about N90 billion in 2025. What he conveniently failed to acknowledge, however, is that the foundation for this growth was substantially laid by the previous PDP administration under Abdulfatah Ahmed. He also ignored the broader economic realities that have naturally driven up government revenues across the country, including inflation, higher taxes, increased service charges, school fees, and rising costs of government transactions.

More importantly, Ajakaye deliberately avoided mentioning the astronomical rise in federal allocations accruing to the state in recent years. A state that was getting an average of about N2billion to N3 billion monthly from FAAC now receives as much as N10 billion and more every month. Funnily, when asked what meaningful impact these huge revenue inflows have had on the lives of ordinary Kwarans, Ajakaye responded by saying his principal has executed “at least ten legacy projects along the Ahmadu Bello way alone. Beyond the rhetoric, what exactly are these legacy projects Ajakaye talked about, and how have they improved the welfare and condition of the people?

Nearly eight years into the administration, many of these so-called legacy projects on Ahmadu Bello Way, beside the fact that they are of no relevance to the pressing needs of the people, remain either incomplete or non-operational. The only project that has been completed and operational is the Ilorin Innovation Hub, which was established in partnership with IHS Towers, a private sector partner that made significant financial contributions toward its development. Perhaps, without the intervention of HIS Towers, the hub would have become another useless venture like the Ilorin Visual Art Centre and the Ilorin Garment Factory that has been shut down for almost a year under the guise of management.

Apart from the Ilorin Innovation Hub, most of the other projects situated along Ahmadu Bello Way have become financial burdens on the state without delivering corresponding value or social impact to the people of Kwara. Take, for instance, the new Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) headquarters. Reports indicate that over N10 billion has been spent on the project, yet it offers little or no direct social value to the average Kwaran struggling with unemployment, insecurity, bad roads, poor healthcare, and rising living costs.

Also located along Ahmadu Bello Way is the Ilorin Visual Arts Centre, another project that reflects the administration’s obsession with grand but poorly prioritised projects. Initially approved at N755 million in 2020, the project has consumed over N2 billion of the state’s resources. Ironically, despite the government’s claims that it would stimulate tourism and economic activities, the facility has remained shut for more than two years after its reported completion.

Among the administration’s most questionable projects situated along the Ahmadu Bello Way is the International Conference Centre (ICC), which has remained under construction for over four years despite gulping about N22 billion. Less than 500 metres away, the government has spent nearly N30 billion on the renovation of Kwara Hotel. At the same time, another N10 billion is being committed to the construction of a Convention Centre on the street just at the back of the ICC.

Any reasonable observer would question the logic behind constructing a new convention centre at the same time the government is constructing the ICC, renovating Kwara Hotels with billions of naira, and the same government is spending another N4 billion on the renovation of the Banquet Hall, also situated along Ahmadu Bello Way, with all the facilities serving the same or similar functions. The duplication raises serious concerns about planning, fiscal responsibility, and priorities.

Other projects of this administration that are located on Ahmadu Bello way include new office buildings for the Ministries of Education and Finance, as well as a courthouse complex. The issue is not whether government should build infrastructure. The real issue is whether these projects reflect the urgent needs and priorities of the people. At a time when many communities face insecurity, poor road networks, underfunded schools, inadequate healthcare facilities, and rising poverty, it is difficult to justify the enormous resources committed to projects with little or no direct impact on citizens’ daily lives.

For Ajakaye to tout these projects as legacy projects and evidence of outstanding governance only reinforces the impression that both he and the administration he served have become detached from the struggles and realities confronting ordinary Kwarans. One can only imagine the transformational impact that tens of billions of naira spent on these irrelevant projects could have achieved if invested in healthcare, urban and rural roads, housing, power, education, agriculture, youth employment, and security. What is the essence of legacy projects without legacy impact?

More annoying was when Ajakaye was asked to mention roads constructed by the present administration to support rural development and agricultural productivity, he could only mention the Bode Saadu–Kosubosu Road, a project being executed by BUA Group under the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme introduced during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

Ajakaye further claimed that the road project was facilitated through Governor Abdulrahman’s influence as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). This claim is clearly misleading. This project, alongside other road projects being executed by BUA in Kwara, was approved by President Buhari in July 2021, whereas Abdulrahman only became the NGF Chairman in May 2023. The chronology clearly contradicts Ajakaye’s narrative. Attempting to retroactively credit the governor for projects approved long before his emergence as NGF Chairman is dishonest and misleading. I am sure he made that claim to support his assertion that Governor Abdulrahman’s NGF chairmanship has been of immense benefit to Kwara.

The truth is that Governor Abdulrahman’s chairmanship of the NGF has brought little to no tangible benefit to the state. What major federal projects or strategic interventions has the state attracted through this position? How many meaningful federal political appointments or employment opportunities has the governor facilitated for Kwarans since he became the NGF chairman? In fact, his NGF chairmanship has been more of a burden on Kwara.

Instead of remaining in Kwara to provide the leadership and governance he was elected to deliver, especially at this critical period the state is in, the governor spends more time in Abuja and on foreign trips. It is difficult to recall the last time he presided over a physical meeting of the State Executive Council. Many of his commissioners and aides hardly have any physical engagement with him to discuss state matters. He frequently shuttles between Ilorin and Abuja, often at significant cost to taxpayers through chartered flights and associated costs. Perhaps this explains why the state reportedly spent about N4 billion on local and foreign travels in 2025 alone.

Ajakaye and his principal need to know that governance is not to be measured by the number of grandiose sturctures concentrated along a single road in the state capital. True leadership is reflected in improved living conditions, functional healthcare, quality education, rural development, security, job creation, and economic opportunities for the people. These are the standards by which any responsible administration should be judged. Unfortunately, despite the enormous revenues at the disposal of the present administration, many Kwarans are still waiting to feel the real impact of governance in their daily lives.

• Ìṣhọlá writes from Ilorin