The governor of Kwara State, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has advised the state's residents to refrain from acts or statements that might endanger family safety or public peace and safety as Nigeria approaches another round of general elections.
In the 2023 New Year message he released yesterday through his chief press secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, AbdulRazaq hoped that the new year would bring everyone in the state and Nigeria in general good tidings and bigger things.
The governor exhorted the populace to continue working toward creating an inclusive state where everyone may benefit from public resources and reach their full potential via their own efforts, gifts, and the grace of God.
Ajakaye said: “As Nigeria inches closer to another general election, the governor appeals to citizens to shun actions or utterances that may jeopardize public peace and safety or put families in danger.”
He also urged continuous support for the security agencies.
The governor said his administration would continue to pursue programmes, policies and projects that deepen opportunities for all, guarantee the dignity of the human person, and reassert the place of Kwara in the northern region and Nigeria as a whole.
He, therefore, said that the year offered Kwarans a chance to reassert their democratic right to elect leaders who answer only to the citizens and not to any forces or a clique of powerful individuals under whatever guise.
Also, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state for 2023 election, Mr. Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal, has advised the people of the state not to lose hope about the growth of the state.
A statement issued in Ilorin on Sunday to mark the 2023 New Year signed by Director of Media and Strategic Communication of Lawal’s Campaign Council, Mr. Segun Abifarin, said that “Kwara State shall rise from the present pit of hopelessness to the new height of glory.”
Lawal urged the entire Kwarans to raise their antenna of hope and expectation as the nation enters the crucial bend toward the 2023 election and use their electoral power to break the shackles of bad leadership holding the State down.
He said that “for us in Kwara, we must look at where we are coming. From inception, Kwara State was created based on two principles of comparative advantage: human resources and agriculture.
This was what led to the boom where the state provided the major human resources to the civil service in northern Nigeria.
“Sadly, many of these things have become relics of the past. Some of these institutions have become nothing to write home about. If we assess ourselves today, there is little or no progress. The question is how do we move forward?”
He added that the New Year, and most especially the 2023 election, provided a rare opportunity for Kwarans to “reinvest trust in the ability of our party, (the SDP) to restore the lost glory of Kwara State which have been trampled upon by reckless and selfish past leaders.”
He, equally, charged the people of Kwara to intensify their prayers, political alertness and mobilisation so that the forthcoming polls will enthrone credible and patriotic leaders at all levels in the state for democracy and good governance to thrive.