BY Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Since the assumption of office as the sixth elected governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq has shown impressive skills of a prudent manager of scarce resources in its day-to-day efforts towards running the affairs Kwara.
Apart from the fact that he sees governance as a collective responsibility of all and sundry, his style of leadership is turning the fortune of the state around.
The governor who came into office as a result the “O To Ge” political movement on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) set an example in prudence, accountability and transparency.
Apart from this, he has consciously reduced all the paraphernalia attached to the office of the governor to enable him to conserve limited resources for good delivery of dividends of democracy to the populace.
In doing so, the official vehicles that usually accompanied the convoy of the executive governor were cut to the barest minimum in the state.
Governor Abdulrasaq has shown panache for competence in office, by his careful approach and understanding of the problems of the state. He has established a style of governance that reduces bureaucracy.
It was not surprising seeing the number one citizen of the state driving himself on the day he was be sworn in as the governor in a Toyota Hilux to Ahmadu Bello Way Government House.
Furthermore, he doesn’t ride in a convoy of vehicles which is the custom of many governors in Nigeria. A stickler for time, Abdulrazak is always punctual at events and other official functions. It is a complete reversal from what had become the culture of men of power.
On several occasions, the governor has pleasantly surprised those who invited him to functions by arriving at the venue at the stipulated time on the invitation cards and in most cases the organizers were not ready to commence the programme.
One of such notable examples was last year’s event of Ilorin Emirate Development Progressives Union (IEDPU) where all sons and daughters of the community usually gathered to discuss something of common interest and development, Governor Abdulrasaq was the first person to be at the venue while others were just coming when the information had reached them that the governor had arrived the venue of the programme.
The development has set a pace for the governor among others which stakeholders claimed has endeared the minds of the people of the community in the state.
The latest of his early arrival at functions and events was the Ijakadi festival in Offa last Saturday by 10:30 am when he shocked the monarch, Oloffa of Offa Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi and other eminent people of the town when the majority of them including the monarch were still at home.
It was somehow a drama when the governor was already seated with his team and waited for about one and a half hours to receive Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi and others organizers of the programme who indeed were supposed to receive and welcome the governor to the festival.
By and large, there is no doubting the fact that, governor Abdulrasaq meant well for the people of the state by his style of governance and the far-reaching steps he had taken so far to alleviate the sufferings of the people of the state.
