Hammed Shittu in Ilorin.
Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the weekend said the state’s garment factory would generate 2,000 direct labour after its inauguration this year.
Speaking with dozens of APC supporters, youths, progressive social media influencers, the governor said the idea was to make Kwara a hub for garment production, which according to him could then benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the United States and other economic benefits.
The governor added that other projects of the administration such as the visual arts centre, Adeta Yebumot Road, Ilesha Gwanara and Osi-Obbo-Aiyegunle Road, General Tunde Idiagbon Bridge, among others, would also be inaugurated in the fourth quarter of the year.
He explained that the N27.2 billion bond the administration took was being deployed for what it was meant, adding that the private bond was governed by very strict rules that protect public interest and disallow mismanagement of any kind.
The governor said the delay in the bond issuance last year and the inflationary trend both affected the pace of the projects, although the challenges are being surmounted.
AbdulRazaq however said the administration had completed several projects and implemented many programmes with great impacts across the state, adding that he hardly believes that project commissioning was synonymous with good governance as some Nigerians may appear to believe.
The administration has made huge impacts in the lives of the people in various sectors like health, water, social safety nets, support for businesses, education, gender inclusion and youth empowerment, and rural urban development, AbdulRazaq said.
The governor said the administration was constructing 39 digital literacy centres across Kwara State in partnership with UBEC — apart from the innovation hub which he said would also be inaugurated later this year.
AbdulRazaq also said the current public officers were making huge sacrifices in the service of the state, as the era of flamboyance is gone because of the need to rebuild the state and channel resources to greater good.
He commended the attendees for their support, fair criticism and representation, and understanding over the years.
