The Emir of Gwanara in Baruten local government of Kwara state, Alhaji (Dr) Sabi Idris KotoKotogi II, on Thursday said the Emirate has witnessed significant growth and development under the APC government in the state, declaring their resolve to overwhelmingly vote for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the coming elections.
He said the administration has not only prioritised their infrastructure needs but also restored their dignity as a people, saying the Emirate is reputed for paying virtue with virtue.
The Emir was speaking in Ilorin when he led a powerful delegation from the Emirate on a courtesy visit to Government House.
“To whom much is given much is expected. We want to use this opportunity to assure you and your government that ours is an Emirate that pays virtue with virtue. Therefore, you can count on us and on our support for your second term. On the days of election, we shall vote en masse for this administration that gave us a sense of belonging and treated us as human beings,” he said.
The Emir spoke through the Magajin Geri of the Emirate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Oyooru.
The First Class monarch commended AbdulRazaq for his leadership quality and appreciated him for being passionate about the welfare of the people.
The Emir had earlier conferred on the Governor the Emirate’s Chieftaincy title — Dallatu of Gwanara — with the coronation ceremony coming at a later date. He was decorated with the traditional emblems of the Emirate, including a sword and other attires.
“The purpose of the courtesy call is to express our very sincere appreciation for the many good things, which your administration has done and is still doing in my domains, including the construction of the Gwanara township asphalt road within the first one hundred days in office,” he said, adding that the administration was the first to construct asphalt Road in the whole Baruten local government.
“Other projects of importance that are/being executed are the renovation of Gwanara Basic Health Center (BHC); construction of 33km Gwanara/Ilesha asphalt road; rehabilitation of Gwanara waterworks; remodelling and rehabilitation of LGEA Central School Gwanara, and provision of ICT Centre in the school; provision of new classrooms in Damera, Gogere, Suuru, and other communities in the Emirate; total renovation and remodelling of Grade 1 Area Court; and the facilitation of the newly established Federal Science and Technical College Gwanara, among others.”
Prominent in the Emir’s entourage were the Speaker Kwara State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu; Clerk of the House Hajia Halimat Jumai Kperogi; Special Assistant to the Governor on Political (North) Hon. Abdulkareem Yusuf (Dan-hawah); and the Chief Imam of Gwanara Alhaji Salihu Usman; among others.
AbdulRazaq, for his part, thanked the Emir and people of Gwanara Emirate for their objectivity and how they firmly stand by his government, asking them to sustain that tempo.
He urged the Emirate and the entire natives of Baruten to intensify their support for Hon. Yakubu Danladi, who he said has been his government’s partner in progress and has been using his influence to bring many goodies to Gwanara and Baruten as a whole.
“It is important for you to give him the support he needs at home so that the government knows that it is working with a strong partner,” the Governor said.
“Let’s face the reality, there is no (political) position that Baruten LG has not had in the past, apart from Governor and President of Nigeria. You have done Deputy Governor, you’ve done Speaker, you’ve done Minister and all that, but you can see the level of development in just over three years compared to their (PDP) entire sixteen years.
“It is not about voting anybody to a position of either senator or governor. It is about voting for somebody who can do the job and have the interest of the people at heart. Somebody who goes home and is responsible to the people at home. Nobody goes home more than the Speaker (Yakubu Danladi) as far as we are concerned. Why is this young man doing these laudable things? You need to rally around him. And from the projects you have seen, he has delivered.
“You gave us overwhelming support in the last elections without knowing what we were up to. It was a blind trust. But we have shown you the good results and that we can do more, so give us the opportunity to do more and be able to officially open up Gwanara to the Republic of Benin. And to work with the federal government to have a new border post to be able to cross from Gwanara axis.”
He promised to continue to deliver good governance to Kwarans and assured the Gwanara Emirate of his administration’s commitment to equip their basic healthcare centre and provide it with adequate doctors to meet their health needs.
Hon. Danladi said the real development exists in Gwanara community only during the present administration, and that there is no single ward in the whole Baruten that has not seen the government’s presence, thanking AbdulRazaq for a job well done.
“Your Excellency, our people in Baruten are grateful to you. You are doing wonderfully well. I am sure we are the younger generation. Since when we know what they call politics, this is the only time we are seeing the presence of government in our Emirate. There is no district or ward in the local government that your government has not touched. So, we are proud of this administration,” he said.
He said the Emirate has always spoken in one voice on the ballots since 1999, and will repeat the same at the next elections, promising to deliver the 230 polling units in the Baruten LG for the Governor and other APC candidates.
