.Kwara commissioner-designate becomes Fellow of Institute of Architects
By Valentine Amanze
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said that his administration renovated the National Youths Service Corps’ (NYSC) camp in the state as part of his efforts to project Kwara in positive light to the world.
The governor made the disclosure in a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye.
He explained that the intervention was right thing to do.
According to him, “Each Corps member that comes to Kwara becomes an ambassador for the state when they leave. Then, we want them to leave with right impression from the state. That is why we need to make sure the right facilities are in place for them.” The governor spoke during a visit to the renovated facility Monday evening.
He was accompanied on the visit by the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi, and two Commissioner-designates, Rotimi Iliasu and Joanna Kolo.
AbdulRazaq recalled likening the facility to a penitentiary that was not fit for human living, saying his action was to fulfil his promise to make the place habitable for the NYSC members undergoing the mandatory scheme.
His words: “When I visited here in June, I felt it was not habitable. I felt I couldn’t stay under such environment and I don’t want the Corps members to leave in such condition either. They were managing with no proper running water and the toilets were unusable. Going into the bush put them at the risk of snake bites. So, we needed to come in and do the right thing.”
The governor, however, advised the management of the NYSC to manage the facilities properly and to always inform the government when there are issues before they degenerate.
The state Coordinator of NYSC, Esther Ikupolati, said that the prompt intervention of the governor has brought relief to the camp as “hostels now can be called five-star hostels when compared to their previous state.
“The hostel facilities renovated were indeed in bad shape before now. And when His Excellency came to this camp barely a month in office, he expressed displeasure over the state of the hostels. He said that the place was not habitable for humans.”
She appreciated AbdulRazaq for coming to the aid of the NYSC with additional 400 mattresses, 200 double bunk beds, 100 benches for the hall and drugs for the clinic.
“Kwara NYSC camp is one of the few states enjoying the largesse of the state government in terms of meal subsidies, fumigation of the camp and support,” Ikupolati said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Institute of Architects will on Wednesday confer Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen, a commissioner-designate in Kwara State, with the status of a Fellow of the institute.
The conferment would hold at the institute’s 2019 Fellowship Investiture and Dinner in Abuja as part of the body’s Biennial General Meeting/Assembly.
Saifudeen would be invested with the title alongside 112 others.
He would also assume office as the chairman of the Institute’s Admissions Committee — a position he would be contesting for unopposed.
The theme for the event is ‘2030 and Nigerian Architecture: Goals, Gaps and Gains’.
Saifuddeen has been a member of the Admissions and Students Affairs’ Standing Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Architects since 2017.
He was until appointment as commissioner-designate the Managing Partner of Constyle Services Limited and Council member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects.