Without taking exception to the misspelling of my nickname as observed in your letter, I received your note in high spirits, and I must commend your courage in defending what you know in your church mind that is undefendable. Unlike others who may be castigating you whenever you tried so hard to use your journalistic charisma to window-dress the current administration, I, on the other hand, will instead sympathize with you; knowing fully well of your religious and moral backgrounds, which you have held in high esteem. May Allah continue to overlook your excesses.
Egbon, that you found yourself working for a principal who does not operate based on blueprints and who is not interested in any idea or experience that any of his appointees could offer is the most frustrating for your type.
I’m also aware that, as a God-fearing man who’s dedicated to his faith, you’ve been offering your best advice secretly to ensure this government works, but for the kind of environment you find yourself and the character of a man who employed you, your dream and aspiration for even your native community has not been favourably realised. This is because the man you work for is not interested in your idea or contribution but puts you in office to fulfill righteousness and satisfy constitutional requirements.
Mallam, I do not want to believe this is true, but rumours flying around Kwara have it that whenever there’s an important official meeting, even at the level of State Executive Council meetings, your Oga is used to exasperatedly send you out – claiming you are not supposed to be part of such important engagements without getting his approval. You will agree with me, Mallam, if this is true – that this is not the type of youth empowerment we crave as a state.
I must also repeat to you, Mallam, that the government you work for does not have any blueprints, nor can it boast of any policy paper it has been working with, since 2019, therefore, your barren attempt to catalogue perceived achievements and even question us on a policy issue, is a mere attempt to brainwash your audience and divert public attention away from fundamental issue of the N9.2bn which you reported to have been spent on healthcare in which we asked the government to make account for.
How can a state like ours spend over N9.2bn on Health and today, our Primary Health Centers are in pitiable situation, none of these PHCs could boast of any functional ambulance? No doctor, no equipment to work with, saved for the painting of already existing structures, even the secondary healthcare facilities, which are directly owned by the state government had to rely on private individual donations to have the few ambulances that are operating today. This is not acceptable and no organisation will want to rate you high for crippling our health institution.
A visit to the Children’s Specialist Hospital, Centre Igboro, Ilorin, where millions of Taxpayer funds were unjustifiably lavished for fake renovation will show that all the equipment there, including patient beds, wooden chairs, pieces of cotton, oxygen, etc. were procured by private donors. Where, then, is the effect of the over N9.2bn? These are the only explanations that interest Kwarans who have been enduring your government’s exploitation through heavy taxes since 2019.
On the PHCUOR policy which you raised, I believe you did not consult with professionals in that field before you rushed to make your position. Perhaps, Oga called and put you under duress to make a rebuttal to face save his failing government. But that is not important for now, let me, without positioning myself as “Mr. Too know” on the subject matter, draw your attention to the following to correct those false rhetorics advanced in your article.
- Mallam, I want to humbly put it to you that the rating of Kwara state as worst performing in primary healthcare delivery was not done by Sholyment, neither was it at the instance of Kwara PDP. The same APC-led Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, which is the coordinating ministry that oversees the “Primary Health Care Under One Roof” policy, after rigorous evaluation, rated every state in Nigeria and concluded that Kwara is the third worst in Nigeria. I know this will shock you, just like average Kwarans who have read most of your press releases detailing more than N9.2bn as expenditure for the healthcare sector in Kwara.
- The PHCUOR policy, which you attempt to paint as insignificant just because the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq government was poorly rated is a Primary Healthcare reform program aimed at reversing fragmentation in primary healthcare delivery at the state level and bringing the management, resources, financing, and other operational responsibilities under one authority.
- Mallam, you also shot yourself in the foot when you stated in one line of your article that, “The rating of Kwara is not necessarily connected to the quality of service delivery” while in another line you stated that “What the PHCUOR policy is meant to achieve is improved health indices”. Does this not occur to you that because Kwara state failed to achieve improved health indices, which is ultimately a byproduct of the policy implementation, we are rated poor? Or did you ask yourself why is it that Kwara State since 2019 has always been rated low when it comes to public transparency, accountability, and sincerity of government?
- Let me also educate you that, the PHCUOR rating for any state is not only important for administrative purposes but also a very important precondition for accessing several interventions from the Federal Government as well as development partners across the world. It may interest Ajakaiye to note that just because of the performance of Abia state, a PDP state, in terms of PHCUOR, the state was one of the pilot states to benefit from the federal government ‘#1.5 billion basic health care provision fund a few years back. In addition to this, any state that implemented the PHCUOR programme got a 1% fund from the consolidated revenue for health as passed under the 2018 budget.
This underlines how important the FG takes PHCUOR policy and its implementation, apart from attracting more funds from development partners, it will also reduce the pressure of PHC on the state and local governments.
- It is unbelievable, that a pious man like you will misinform the public that the PHCUOR policy is not connected to the performance indices of the Kwara government. This is why I’m doubting whether it’s our highly respected CPS who has authored such a disjointed story as a public response. The Ajakaiye I used to know had once scolded many APC “data-boys” against misleading stories and fake news, but as I said, I sympathise with you, sir. It is not easy to dip your two hands in a bowl of palm oil while on a white robe and still be running without being stained.
- Mallam, there are no health services in Kwara today, let alone the “quality” you used in qualifying health services of the Kwara State Government in your articles. Most of the indices you sighted as evidence of government performances such as under-five and maternal deaths, nutrition, immunisation, etc. have been dismissed to the bin of propaganda. You will recall that in 2021, you raised similar issues we challenged you to furnish Kwarans with sources of your data that put the figure of the maternal mortality ratio from 1,404.4 in 2019 per 100,000 deaths to 20.7 per 100,000 deaths by the end of 2020, but up till today, you are yet to disclose your sources.
Whatever gains that Kwara state may have recorded in the health sector since 2019 till date can only be from individual efforts geared toward protecting themselves when the government does not seem available.
- Kwarans will recall that last year in Offa, we witnessed the commissioning of a world-class health facility valued at N350m through a self-help donation by the Offa Metropolitan Club members. The governor was in attendance during the commissioning and nothing has occurred to him that as a man in custody of Taxpayer’s money, he’s under obligation to deliver something close if not to match such edifice. Also, just yesterday, in Balogun Fulani, a community in Ilorin south LG, a concerned indigene of that community successfully built the Olufadi Maternal and Child Referral Center and handed it over during the commissioning to community leaders. All these are indicators that the people of Kwara are tired of talking and calling the attention of the government which will not hearken to their voices and have resorted to self-help.
- If this is not a concern to Mallam Ajakaiye, whose community is also suffering negligence in primary health care delivery, the people of Kwara, who are the direct victims of these government failures, will not cease to talk.
- Almighty CPS sir, you also talked about me and my party not offering you policy advice as opposition. I remember this is in tandem with what your principal, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, said pre-2023 elections, where he mentioned that his government, although does not have any reasonable plan for the Kwara people he has benefitted immensely from criticism and policy of opposition PDP to undertake the few inflated projects he did in the last dispensation.
10 It is now crystal clear that some of the white elephant projects that the Kwara government embarked upon, such as the Tanke Flyover are not properly planned but are products of “don’t let opposition lash at me”. I’m sorry to let you know that Kwara PDP as currently constituted will no longer be the Father Christmas of ideas and policy to your government, should you or Mr. Governor feel need ideas on how to run government efficiently, kindly write a letter of assistance to be addressed to our Party Secretariat and I can assure you, that our Party, as a key stakeholder in project Kwara, is blessed with so many professionals who can help your government navigate through this shame
- He who must come to equity must come with clean hands. Why does my Egbon choose to ignore other vital issues raised by the PDP since my emergence as the State Publicity Secretary? A few days ago, we raised issues of TIC Chairmen converting security vehicles to their personal use, this is not a policy to Ajakaiye, we raised the issue of insecurity and how the continued absence of Mr. Governor is encouraging banditry, terrorism, and cult gangsterism, this is also not a policy, we raised concerned over appointment of an indicted ex-council chairman as commissioner in charge of all our sixteen local government areas, this is not a policy to Ajakaiye too. I understand your plight, my egbon.
- Mallam Ajakaiye, the Almighty CPS sir, since you drew my attention to what some people, which I believe may be ‘databoys’ recruited by your government, may be thinking about my new role as opposition spokesman – which, to me, is inconsequential, may I also digress a bit and let you know what your people and particularly those who occupy various offices are also saying about your person. Many heads of government agencies are currently bittered against you, saying you, as CPS have been usurping their official functions and that you are positioning yourself as alfa and omega of any information that the government has to hoard or publish. Particularly on this PHCUOR matter, I’ve received complaints from the Ministry of Health claiming you did not consult them before releasing your rebuttal. They are also angry that you are doing the work of the information department of the ministry. Senior staff of the Ministry of Communication as well as other key ministries have raised eyebrows to your inflated ego, they are even claiming you are one of those people constituting problems for your principal and making the government look dormant to the public.
- This is the advice of a younger brother which I feel may be useful for you in your day-to-day activities, sir.
Please accept, the assurances of my kindest regards, my able CPS and elder brother.
Olusegun Olusola Adewara (Sholyment),
State Publicity Secretary,
Kwara PDP