AROMI-OPIN — As Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq marks the third anniversary of his second term, Kwara State is seeing two very different reactions to the administration’s scorecard. While Ekiti Local Government Chairman Hon. Awelewa Olawale Gabriel says the governor has “restored dignity, built roads, and rekindled hope,” residents of Ekiti LGA have taken to public scrutiny, blasting the praise as out of touch with worsening insecurity and poor road conditions.
The debate exploded after a statement posted on the Facebook page of the Ekiti LGA Chairman. Released by Chief Press Secretary Prince Dada Sunday, the statement quoted Awelewa as saying AbdulRasaq’s seven years in office moved Kwara “from pariah status to an enviable height among its counterpart in the country.”
But the post quickly drew disappointment from citizens who say the reality on the ground does not match the chairman’s optimism.
“From Backlog to Buildings” – The Chairman’s Case
In his anniversary message, Awelewa painted a picture of transformation. He recalled 2019 as a period of unpaid salaries, pension arrears, collapsed water supply, abandoned roads, and government payrolls filled with touts and cultists.
“AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq came and changed that story,” Awelewa said. He credited the administration with clearing salary, pension, and gratuity arrears dating to 2012, implementing two minimum wages, and restoring 100% CONMESS/CONHESS payments for health workers. Teachers, he noted, will get a 27.5% Specific Allowance from 2026.
On infrastructure, the chairman cited 302.4 km of completed roads, 275.25 km ongoing, and 294 km under federal tax credit totaling 871.65 km, which he said surpasses the 651.2 km built by three administrations from 1999 to 2019. He highlighted the Ilorin-Offa concrete road, rural access roads in Asa, and routes like Ajase-Ipo-Oke Ode-Sagbe. In Ekiti LGA specifically, he pointed to the KWASU satellite campus in Osi as proof of development reaching rural areas.
Other wins listed include the new Revenue House skyscraper, Ilorin International Conference Center, upgraded civil service hospitals, 10 repaired waterworks, and first-time public water supply in Baruten and Kaiama. He also referenced job creation through the Kwara Garment Factory with over 10,000 youths employed, and a rise in Internally Generated Revenue from ₦30.6 billion in 2019 to ₦87.1 billion by December 2025.
“Before 2019, Kwara was run for a few. Today, power and prosperity are returning to the people,” Awelewa said, calling the governor’s leadership the reason Kwara is “no longer managing collapse, but building for the future.”
The statement, however, has come under fire from Ekiti LGA residents who say the chairman ignored pressing local problems. The Facebook post attracted comments and shares criticizing the timing and tone of the praise.
Many citizens argued that insecurity, deplorable roads, and lack of basic amenities remain unresolved in parts of Ekiti LGA. Some accused the chairman of prioritizing political loyalty over grassroots reality.
“How can you talk about turnaround when farmers in our communities can’t go to their farms without fear of kidnappers?” one resident wrote. Others pointed to specific roads within Ekiti LGA that remain unmotorable despite the state’s overall road statistics, saying rural routes have been neglected.
The backlash reflects a wider tension in Kwara politics: state-level data showing infrastructure and revenue growth versus local complaints about safety and access. While the administration reports three times more patient traffic in public hospitals and exit from the UBEC blacklist, citizens in some LGAs say they still lack access to those facilities.
Security was another flashpoint. Although Awelewa mentioned the Security Task Force and 2026 budget plans for security hardware to combat kidnapping and banditry, Ekiti residents say the measures have not reduced attacks or restored confidence. The chairman also cited the Alfalfa Estate investment to reduce farmer-herder clashes, but farmers argue the crisis persists.
Governor AbdulRasaq himself, in remarks marking the anniversary, said the last six years saw “greater investments in infrastructure and across very important sectors than what we met.” The administration was also recently recognized with the Integrity Governor of the Year Award by the Nigeria Association of Christian Journalists for performance in education, roads, healthcare, youth empowerment, and transparency.
Supporters of the government say the macro numbers matter clearing inherited debts, recruiting 8,601 teachers, reaccrediting colleges of education, and fixing waterworks. They argue that large projects like the Oluremi Tinubu Hospital in Ilorin and urban renewal will eventually benefit all LGAs, including Ekiti.
Critics counter that development must be felt at the ward level, not just in statistics. For Ekiti citizens, the KWASU campus in Osi is progress, but it doesn’t fix bad rural roads or stop insecurity. The disconnect between state achievements and local lived experience is fueling the disappointment.
As Kwara enters year three of AbdulRasaq’s second term, the mood in councils like Ekiti is split between “cautious optimism” from officials and frustration from residents. The chairman’s statement suggests the administration believes it has shifted the state from crisis management to construction. The citizen reaction suggests many feel the construction has not reached them yet.
For now, the debate continues online and offline. Veritas News Hub gathered that some Ekiti LGA residents are calling on Hon. Awelewa to address specific local issues road rehabilitation, security patrols, and water access before celebrating statewide progress.
The governor’s team maintains that infrastructure and revenue gains lay the foundation for broader relief. Ekiti citizens insist that foundation must include their safety and daily needs.
As one resident commented under the chairman’s post: “We want to see Kwara’s turnaround in our village roads and our farms, not just in Ilorin skyscrapers.”
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