llorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), the umbrella sociocultural organisation of the people of Ilorin Emirate in Kwara State, has commended the Executive Governor of the State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, on the decision of his government to convert the General Hospital, Ilorin, into the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) for the training of medical students of the State University.
The National President of the Union, Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, fsi, in a statement signed by the IEDPU National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Nurudeen Ibrahiim, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin over the weekend, described the decision as “very thoughtful, quite timely and highly welcomed”.
Alhaji Uthman added that when operational, KWASUTH would complement the referral services being offered by the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in addition to the job opportunities it would offer qualified and competent Kwarans.
The IEDPU President appealed to the Governor to, as a matter of urgency, build another General Hospital in Ilorin metropolis as he explained that the services offered by a Teaching Hospital are certainly different from those of a General Hospital and which the people and residents of Ilorin should always be availed in the interest of fairness and welfarism.
While also appreciating the decision of the Kwara State Government to construct a Flyover Bridge on Unity Roundabout, Ilorin, Alhaji Uthman pleaded with Governor AbdulRazaq to ensure that the facility is named after one of the founding fathers of the State and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence during the nation’s unfortunate civil war, Alhaji Yusuf Amuda Gobir, OFR, who died in active service in 1975 and at the prime age of 41.
Alhaji Uthman explained that naming of the bridge after the late patriot would not only serve as an honour to a past and distinguished hero but would definitely stimulate patriotism and service delivery among members of the nation’s younger generations who would desire to receive such an honour in the future.
The community leader, who thanked the Governor for the support the Union has been enjoying from the State Government since 2019 when he assumed its presidency, also commended Mallam AbdulRazaq,who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for the ongoing rehabilitation of dilapidated roads across the city of Ilorin and beyond.
Alhaji Uthman specifically commended the improved spate of work on the ongoing construction of the Adam Abdullahi (Adeta- Ita-Uma-Oloje) Road as he urged the government to mandate the contractor handling the project to deliver it on time.
On the resolve of the government to transform the Kwara Hotel, Ilorin, Alhaji Uthman reasoned that facilities at the hotel actually needed an upgrade to meet the rising status of Ilorin as a commercial hub of the North-Central geopolitical zone.
Alhaji Uthman appealed to the Governor to locate more projects in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as he explained that any project situated in Ilorin is not for the indigenous people of the city alone but also for the people and residents of the entire State as such facilities would be enjoyed by all.
On the proposed Kwara State University of Education, the retired security technocrat stated that the establishment of another University in the State is a matter of necessity considering the increasing number of secondary school leavers of Kwara State origin and other Nigerians who desire university education.
Alhaji Uthman pointed out that most of the proposed projects recently highlighted by the State Government are not only necessary but also commendable.
Alhaji Uthman pleaded that more roads should be opened up within and around Ilorin in view of the growing population of the city who needed good roads to boost their socioeconomic activities.
While imploring the people of the State to support the administration of Governor AbdulRazaq, the statement appealed to the government to ensure that the projects are not only of the highest obtainable quality but are also delivered as scheduled for the benefit of the people and residents of the State.
