In the past one and half years since they assumed office, commissioners in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria have begun to give stewardship of their Ministries.
This is part of activities to mark the first year of the second term in office of the state governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The programme which lasted several hours, took place at the Conference room of the state Ministry of Communications and was presided over by the state Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminat Ahmed el-Imam during her submission, said the proposed State University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin is expected to get patronage of at least, 800,000 patients per year when it becomes operational.
According to her, the legal framework for the proposed teaching hospital is currently before the state House of Assembly for consideration and passage.
The Commissioner described the teaching hospital as the flagship of the state government aimed at ensuring that residents access affordable health care as and when required.
She said the plan of the state government was to turn Ilorin General Hospital to the proposed teaching hospital, adding that the government invested heavily in the health sector.
The commissioner told the briefing that patronage has significantly increased in the state health facilities owing to the commitment of the present administration in funding the sector.
El-Imam said, “Our ministry has recorded considerable achievements in the past few years. This can be seen from numerous renovation and rehabilitation of health facilities across the state.
“The government also ensured increase in the take home of health workers with implementation of 100 percent consolidated salary structure for them in a bid to retain professionals and reduce brain-drain in the health sector.
“We are training midwives and immunization officers. The upgrade of Ilorin General Hospital to Kwara State University Teaching Hospital is there. We also provided funding for drug control activities and provision of counterpart fund for malaria elimination programme with the distribution of treated mosquito nets to various households.
“The state government has also improved funding for immunization, cognizant that primary healthcare is the foundation for universal health coverage.”
The commissioner told the briefing that over 53,000 Kwarans have been enrolled in the state health insurance scheme with the opening of regional offices in the three senatorial districts of the state, saying that the gesture was in accordance with the government’s quest for universal health coverage.
In her remarks at the briefing, the state Commissioner for Social Development, Mrs. Opeyemi OluwaKemi Afolashade, disclosed that the government has raided and taken away beggars and destitute from the streets.
According to her, no fewer than 158 of such beggars had been mopped up in the state in the last one year while her Ministry was able to register 1,612 marriages within the period under review.
Giving the score card of her Ministry, the state Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bolanle Olukoju says the government has revitalized the state media houses within the past one year of the governor’s second tenure.
Olukoju added that the government had ensured that the media houses deliver perfectly as Kwara TV now runs twenty four hours stressing that no state media is left out in the ongoing restructuring.
The Commissioner for local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Bata revealed that all graded and ungraded chiefs across the three Senatorial Districts of the state are being paid monthly salaries, emoluments and stipends.
According to him, the case of the 103 year old Monarch of Jebba in Moro local Government area of the state, Oba Abdulkadir Alabi Adebara, who has not been paid his twenty one (21) years salaries and emoluments since 2003 is being investigated by the present administration as directed by the state governor.
On her part, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mrs. Mary Arinde, disclosed that during the period under review, the government constituted the Governing council members of the Kwara State University, Malete, repaired the collapsed bridge in Shao on Malete road, upgraded the structural facilities of the state Polytechnic, Ilorin and connected the 33KVA line from Ori-Oke junction to Kwarapoly substation.
The Commissioner added that the government upgraded the simulator at the International Aviation College, and procured Garmin one thousand simulator for the students.
She revealed that the state General Hospital will soon be converted to a teaching hospital for the training of medical students in Kwara State University, Malete while the state is also set to own a university of Education.
Giving his Ministry’s score card, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulquawiy Olododo announced that new projects including new construction, reconstruction and interlocking are about to start with eighty percent of them already mobilised to site including the upgrading of Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin and other major towns in Kwara North and Kwara South Senatorial Districts.
According to him, seventy five (75) projects including rehabilitation have been completed which he said, had further reduced travel time across the state while the man hour productivity had increased.
The Commissioner also disclosed that forty-wo (42) projects including rehabilitation, reconstruction and interlocking are ongoing including the construction of the Flyover bridge at the Unity Roundabout in Ilorin, the state capital.
