The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday commissioned the expansive fully air-conditioned Kwara State Polytechnic auditorium initiated by the late former Governor Muhammed Lawal some 20 years ago.
At the event, the governor reiterated his commitment to ensure that all abandoned projects funded with tax-payers would be fixed in phases and as resources permit.
Speaking at the event, the governor disclosed that the construction of the auditorium started over 19 years ago.
According to him, it got stalled on the altar of politics of who conceived what.
“In 2019, I pledged not to let Kwara be a mortuary of abandoned projects. The commissioning of this facility is therefore a fulfilment of that pledge,” AbdulRazaq said at the state Polytechnic .
The governor reiterated that the present administration is determined to set new, people-focused priorities and make public funds work for the public.
“God willing, we will do our best to complete all abandoned projects as resources may permit. This is because allowing them to rot away is a waste of public funds already invested in the projects and an abuse of public trust. As we have funded this auditorium to a befitting completion, projects like the Osi and Ilesha Baruba campuses of Kwara State University, which we inherited, will be funded to completion. This is developmental politics,” he said.
AbdulRazaq also announced the approval of another round of scholarships to boost the morale of hardworking students.
“I urge our students and youths to reciprocate our investments in education and other areas of human capital development by being good ambassadors to their respective homes and our state. I’m glad to announce to you that I have approved another round of scholarships to boost the morale of our hard working students. The Ministry of Tertiary Education will give the details in subsequent communications,” he said.
“I appealed to our young people to shun cultism and drug abuse. I urge you to be the best that Kwara people will be proud of. On our part, we will never spare any available resources to ease your path to the top.”
The state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, called on the management of the polytechnic to take proper care of the auditorium so that the colossal sum of money sunk into the project does not go down the drain under few months.
“The story of this auditorium will be incomplete and grossly inadequate without the mention of the special interest, passion, commitment and strong political will of His Excellency who defied all odds to break the jinx and ensured that the project is completed and ready for use through constant and up-to-date release of funds to the contractor,” he said.
“We also owe our gratitude to the contractor, Alhaji Abdulraheem Oladimeji the Jagunmolu of Igbomina land, for his patience in the last 20 years.”
The Rector Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr Abdul Jimoh said the auditorium would solve some of the infrastructural challenges facing the institution.
According to him, the auditorium will go a long way in solving some of the Institute challenges.
“The structure was conceived during the Late Rear Admiral Muhammad Alabi Lawal administration on September 7, 2001 but suffered lack of funding from previous governments. We thank God that the people’s governor Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq intervened and the result is what we’re seeing today.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, the contractor, Alhaji Oladimeji who is the Founder and Proprietor Al-Hikma University , commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his intervention which made him to complete the project nearly 20 years after laying the foundation.
Meanwhile, the Governor, also pledged to look into the challenges confronting the students in the school such as the light up project and the dam of the school.
In a brief meeting with the students’ union government executives of the school, the Governor called on the students to continue to be of good character and said the administration will always support them.
The president of the SUG, Obafemi Isaac , commended the Governor for his pro-people programmes such as his recent waiver for students who were yet to pay their tuition in the school to sit their examinations while they pay up later.
Nnenna.O
