The Young Progressives Party (YPP) Governorship Candidate in Kwara State, Waziri Yakubu Gobir has stated reasons for Gobir Organization Foundation’s partnership with the Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD) to conduct a NEEDS assessment of communities across the state.

Gobir, while speaking at the report presentation of the Citizens Enlightenment and Mobilization Programme (CEMP) in Ilorin on Sunday, said his foundation provided financial support for the documentation of the needs of 2,764 communities to contribute to the growth and development of Kwara state.

A total of 1,105 communities were assessed in Kwara North Senatorial District, 761 in Kwara South Senatorial District, and 898 in Kwara Central Senatorial District.

Gobir said that the report highlights the pain points of Kwarans — in towns and rural communities. It also serves as a magnifying lens, dutifully spotlighting the rights of the citizenry. “For far too long, a large portion of our demography has believed that their civil responsibilities do not transcend the election year — it does. He explained.

“We are not mere bystanders, we are active citizens — citizens whose civil responsibility does not end at the polls every four years. Active citizens who ensure good governance, probity, and equality are the order of the day. Active citizens who are striving to build a nation where peace and accountability are our guiding principles. Active citizens need to be empowered with the necessary information that enables us to hold those in authority accountable.”

Providing this needs assessment information has been the indispensable duty the Elites Network for Sustainable Development has taken on. A duty they have taken on without guile or bitterness but with a burning desire to see Kwara rebuilt. This desire crystallised in 2018 and was executed with such fervour that in 12 short months, they had come on my radar.

As a scientist, I was intrigued by their work with the Budget Tracking Reports, which provided a detailed analysis of how the budget allocated to various constituency projects across the 16 Local Government Areas was maximized. Through the data synthesized in the reports, they provided a basis on which Kwarans could hold leaders accountable, encouraging them to wield the power inherent in the office of
the citizen.”

He noted the needs assessment report will serve as a guide for lawmakers, governmental bodies, development partners, community development associations, non-governmental organisations, philanthropists, and politicians in proffering solutions to challenges facing different communities in the State.

The YPP Governorship Candidate made known that his concerns and contributions to the state are not a mere political strategy as he has been adding value to society without vying for or holding any public office.

‘In 2019, when I embarked on the Okesuna Project, I only did so after gathering precise data that highlighted what the needs of the school were — and the result speaks for itself. Okesuna Primary School, as we all know, is the oldest primary school in Kwara State constructed in 1915.

At the time of the project’s commencement, the school’s historic quality was evident not only in its history but in its structures as well: the classrooms were dilapidated, the school lacked lavatories, and laboratories were non-existent. Pupils were sandwiched in classrooms, to the extent that 4 modules were taught simultaneously in one classroom. Today, through my Foundation, the school has been completely renovated with modern classroom furniture, running water, toilets, laboratories, a library, an ICT center, and a fully functional solar power system — that powers the school.” He buttressed.