Mohammed Shosanya
The President of Kwara South Youth Development Frontiers (KSYDF), an umbrella of youth organization in Kwara South,Comrade Kunle Anifowoshe, has lambasted its sister organization, the Kwara South Development Forum, (KSDF) for abandoning the challenges and collective interest of the people of Kwara South.
He alleged that because of pecuniary gains, KSDF is prioritizing the agenda of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq to impose his anointed one,the incumbent Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi under the guise of supporting a Kwara North agenda in return.
In a statement signed by the KSYDAF president, the group declared that youths in Kwara South will not play parochi politics in 2027,but will only support governorship aspirants or candidates with impressive track records in service delivery, antecedents of good governance, and one with the interest of the Kwara South people at heart.
The KSDF, at its recent summit in Offa,had championed the interest of Kwara North producing the next governor instead of being concerned with burning issues in the state as it affects Kwara South.
The president can’t fathom why KSDF and its leadership failed to call out Governor Abdulrasaq on the abandoned KWASU Campus in Osi and his failure to site Kwara State University of Education in Kwara South since Kwara Central already has many tertiary institutions.
He said:“We cannot understand why the issue of Kwara North and other trivial matters is of importance to the KSDF when core issues are bothering the Kwara South that deserves urgent attention are neglected.”
He maintained that if KSDF is a serious organization that expects to be taken seriously, they should be highlighting critical issues that affect Kwara South like lack of government presence, uneven development, lopsided appointments, and total neglect of Kwara South when projects are being considered.
“I believe the leaders of the forum have lost touch with reality and they are not connected with the people they claim they are leading; we completely reject their resolution and we have distanced the people of Kwara South from it and we vowed to put an end to the actions of this older generation.
“It’s very disappointing that the KSDF has continued in their non-beneficent approach to political decisions, many of which have never benefitted the people of Kwara South.
“The elders failed to comment on the lopsided development in Kwara, the lack of government presence in Kwara South, the bad road networks, our security challenges, or how Kwara South was denied the University of Education.
“It is disheartening that the Osi campus of KWASU has not witnessed any development since Abdulrazaq came to power, despite the enormous fund at the government’s disposal.
“Disturbingly, our elders are more concerned about being part of the process of appointing a deputy governor, the same position we have had in the last five years which has attracted nothing significant to the senatorial district.”
They also accused the elders of being sponsored by Abdulrazaq, to actualize a northern agenda.
While indicating a preference for an alliance with Kwara Central, they vowed to strongly oppose the selfish interest of the KSDF, which is allegedly being sponsored by His Excellency.
“This gives credence to reports that the KSDF was established and is being sponsored by Governor Abdulrazaq, to galvanize support for the Kwara North agenda, especially the Governorship aspiration of the incumbent Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, who is his man-Friday.
“It leaves us dismayed that after collecting money from various stakeholders, our so-called elders are already plotting to sell us out with an agenda that has never been of benefit to our zone.
“If there must be an agenda, it must be with Kwara Central. Former Governors who hailed from the South – Cornelius Adebayo and Abdulfatah Ahmed – got into the Government House following an alliance with the Kwara Central.
“We, therefore, cannot be swayed by the decision of some elders who are not acting in the interest of Kwara South, but for their political benefit and pecuniary gains.
“We the youths of Kwara South will not open our eyes and watch those who had benefited hugely from previous governments to run us into a brick wall again. We will not allow some old men to destroy our future,” the statement read.
