Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said he would jump-start the state economy and the tourism sector with solid infrastructure, especially roads and other basic amenities.
Speaking at the annual Ganni Festival in Gwanara in Baruten Local Government Area of the state, at the weekend, AbdulRazaq said his administration plans to boost tourism as a revenue earner for Kwara.
“We want to put our various festivals and tourist centres in the national tourism calendar. We will push the agenda to the Tourism Board in Abuja so people will come here,” he said.
“But we need to also develop ourselves because people will not come when there’s no good infrastructure like hotel and good roads which can make it difficult for tourists to come and witness the exposition of our culture. In shaa Allah (God willing) with this administration, (such lack of basic infrastructure) will be a thing of the past.
“Part of what we intend to do is to take the road from border here straight to Okuta to Kosubosu to Kaiama and to Bode Saadu. Works engineers have done the bill of quantity and the road has been designed already since we came in. That’s part of my discussion with the Minister of Works and Housing recently.”
He said the state would partner with the Federal Government to fix the road since a part of it, Kosubosu to Kaiama, is a federal road.
Yakubu Danladi, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, commended the governor for his commitment to rescue Kwara from years of misrule and take it to a greater height.
“Baruten is the most backward local council in Kwara and the interventions of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq within the short period have started yielding results in road construction, health, and education, especially in the local government area,” Danladi, who is from Gwanara, said at the event.
Meanwhile, water supply will be restored to some parts of the Ilorin metropolis affected by the works at the Geri Alimi Underpass, Kwara State Ministry of Water Resources said, today.
This was confirmed in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Afolabi Ezekiel, yesterday. “This is to inform the general public that the big water pipe that was affected at the Diamond Underpass has been repaired. We have also observed the required number of days for curing as specified by the engineers,” he said.
“We shall start supplying water as from Monday (9th December, 2019) to Oja-Oba, Adeta, Kuntu, Okelele, Pakata, Oloje.”
The ministry also urged Kwarans to report water leakages to the Ministry through dedicated telephone lines; adding that water supply would also resume to Ita Amodu and adjoining areas of the metropolis.
It stated, “In addition to the supply of water to inner Ilorin township, the main line from Sobi waterworks which supplies water from Akerebiata to Gambari junction has also been repaired. Therefore, water will be supplied to that axis from Monday. Alagbado Specialist Hospital and the adjoining community will also be supplied with water tomorrow.”