Kwara State Governor and Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Bukola Saraki was among the 185 Nigerians honoured yesterday with a national award by President Goodluck Jonathan. Imam Imam pays tribute to the ‘action governor’

Governor Bukola Saraki yesterday joined 184 other eminent Nigerians who were honoured by President Goodluck Jonathan with the 2009 National Honours Awards.

Saraki, who was bestowed with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) award, was the only serving governor to be so honoured this year.

The award came at a time of rising popularity for the medical doctor-turned politician.
In the last two years, Saraki’s importance has grown in Nigeria’s socio-political landscape. As chairman of the powerful Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), the two-term governor has played active part in finding solutions to many critical problems confronting the country.

Last February, he led his colleagues to rein on members of the National Assembly to invoke the now famous ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ which empowered then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to assume responsibility as Acting President.
Before then, Saraki’s leadership style has ensured total transformation of the activities of the governors’ forum. Today, the forum is one of the most powerful and important power blocks in the country.

In Kwara State, he has provided the people with various long-term strategic plans and actions which have been hailed as unprecedented in the history of the state. Many have credited him with the implementation of viable projects for the benefit of the people.

Among the projects he executed include the Shonga Commercial Agriculture Project, Ganmo Stepdown Power Substation, upgrade of the Ilorin International Airport, Kwara State College of Aviation, Kwara State University, Owa Kajola Cement Factory among others.
Saraki’s imprint has also been felt in areas like health-care delivery, water and sanitation, public works, civil service reforms, education, rural electrification and housing.

Those projects, which are organically related, were conceived with the aim of diversifying the economic base of the state, providing alternative sources of employment and making the state accessible and conducive for business.

For many however, it is his commitment to good governance that he will be best remembered for. The concept of Good governance is viewed by Development experts as use of institutions and structures of authority to achieve transparency, accountability and equality in ways that are responsive to the needs of people.

The term is composed of the mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens and groups can articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences.

For seven years now, Saraki has kept up the good work of good governance he started when he assumed office in 2003. For his efforts, he has been rewarded with plethora of awards from different organizations and governmental outfits both at home and abroad.

Born into the famous family of Dr. and Mrs. Abubakar Olusola Saraki on the 19th of December 1962, Governor Saraki had his Primary Education at Corona Private School, Victoria Island Lagos, from where he proceeded to the Kings College also Lagos for his secondary education before acquiring his higher education at Cheltenham, London, in the United Kingdom (UK).
He crowned his educational attainment with professional qualification as a Medical Doctor at London Hospital College, University of London in 1987.

After serving in various public and private organizations, he was made a Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Budget Planning, Prognosis and Implementation in the year 2000.

In 2003, he won the gubernatorial election and was sworn-in as governor of Kwara State on May 29 of the same year.

Culled from This Day Newspaper

07.23.2010