Kwara Lowkey celebration: Keep this up, Mr Governor!

Hassan AbdulBaaqi

Kwara State Governor-elect AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has further endeared himself to the suffering people of the state as he announced his preference for a low-key swearing-in ceremony on May 29.

This singular step shows that Kwara is indeed breaking from the unenviable past of waste, jamboree and lack of feeling for the millions who struggle to feed themselves while public officials wine and dine. This step by the Governor-elect is very symbolic. It shows Kwara may have elected a man wanting to demystify the traditional grandiose lifestyle of many public officials.

As a governor who has won an election by a landslide, AbdulRazaq seems to be telling the people that he would run a lean government that recognises their thirst for good governance and judicious use of public resources. This will be a very good thing if carried through.

The decision to have a sober swearing in ceremony contrasts sharply with the stature of the Governor-elect who is widely known to be self-made. Spending huge millions, as we are used to in this clime, would have elicited no justifiable outcry. Deciding not to do that therefore calls for a pat on the back for the Governor-elect and his team.

By June 9, this country would have survived a certain parliament leader from Kwara who insisted on buying luxury cars for himself from public till at a time Nigeria was going through a harsh economic recession.

Kwara is faced with huge infrastructure deficits and the least it needs at this point is a jamboree, although, as I posited above, fanfares have been part of our swearing in ceremony. This again explains why AbdulRazaq deserves to be watched. He seems to be telling the public he's truly from the private sector where prudent management of resources is the watchword.

Having said this, one is not oblivious of the fact that certain expenses are a given for any government -- especially during special occasions. What makes the difference is how such expenses reflect the realities on the ground and the accompanying trade-offs

May God see him through. And kudos to fellow Kwarans on the choice of this man who appears to want to do things differently.