The gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kwara State, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal has promised to transform the State beyond expectation even as the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Kawu Mohammed-Kudu gave his royal blessings to his gubernatorial aspiration.
The Emir who spoke when Alhaji Lawal and his entourage paid a courtesy visit at the palace as part of the Kwara North Senatorial Campaign in Edu Local Government on Saturday, said: “You have my blessings, May Allah make it easy for you to become the governor of Kwara State. Today, the people of Lafiagi have shown you their support and you have seen it. May Allah make you succeed”
Aside the Emir, other chiefs in the palace also prayed for the success of the gubernatorial candidate and the SDP in the forthcoming election.
In his response, Alhaji Lawal thanked the Emir and the people of Lafiagi, promising to be an exemplary ambassador and agent of change whose agenda is to transform the State beyond expectation.
Speaking later at the LGEA Central Primary School playground, Lafiagi venue of the Edu Local Government campaign rally, Alhaji Lawal restated his blueprint for the socio-economic transformation of the State. He maintained that the “State boasts of many Agriculture Belts, adding that “for instance, we had Rice and Sugar Belts in Patigi, Cotton Belt in Baruten and Cocoa Belt in Irepodun Ekiti, Oke Ero in Kwara South.
On the basis of this, we also had forestry in Jebba and Erinle. This was the reason why we had Sugar Company in Bacita, Paper Mill in Jebba and a Paper Converter Company in Erinle. So, we are going to open rice farm in Lafiagi and other areas in Kwara North and encourage investors to come and built rice mill in the district so as to generate massive investment”
He equally promised the agric sector will be modernized to maximize the full potentials of the sector for greater returns to the farmer in order to make farming attractive to both the old and the young. We will encourage the farmers to form co-operatives and form Enterprises to work on large farms. Government he said, will also form marketing Company like in the days of Late Sadauna in Northern Nigeria, to maximize profit to our farmers.
On education and human capital development, he stated that he will provide a solution for Kwarans on the basis of education. “It means we must revive our Technical Schools and Colleges. As of today, our people can hardly compete when it comes to technical know-hosw. If you look at the Building Industry for instance, many of the professionals competing there are from places like Republic of Benin, Togo Ghana, etc.
According to him, “my focus is to change the policy on Education, with emphasis on Science and Technology to drive our youths to become global citizens.
Lawal, an International Finance Expert and Investment Analyst also projected better days ahead for teachers and civil servants in the State. According to him “in the olden days, we had Teachers Training Colleges. All these are dead now and we have to revive them to be able to produce quality teachers who will develop and train our children for the future.
