The Kwara state Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has expressed disappointment over alleged misgovernance of the state, accusing the Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq’s led APC government of running the state aground despite huge cash inflow to the state since he came on board in 2019.
It also demanded the whereabouts of outstanding N17 billion from the N35bn loan spent on what it called petty, non-beneficial projects, failure which may necessitate drastic action.
The state chairman, Rt Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, stated this on Tuesday in his address, at the inauguration of the ratified party state executive members at the state party secretariat, in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
The ceremony was attended by the members of the NWC, members of the State working committee, senatorial representatives, local government party chairmen, and party loyalists.
Mohammed said, “As a party that exited the government in 2019, I make bold to say that more than N10bn was left in state government coffers and inherited by the Abdulrazaq government in May 2019. This fund represented the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and tax refund from the federal government that was received by the state to meet her statutory obligations but for political reasons and the continuation of bullying of our government by the APC regime, the fund was illegally frozen by the then EFCC leadership and successfully transferred to the incumbent.
“This fund which was targeted at offsetting Salary arrears owed SUBEB teachers, some state agencies, and institutions was surprisingly diverted by the APC administration while the salaries arrears that they used in running a dirty campaign against our government remain unpaid till date.
“You will all agree with me that the incumbent government has been lucky enough to have inherited a working Kwara, where, apart from the unprecedented increase in federal allocations coming to the state, there’s also an institution established by our government to boost the income of the state internally called Kwara Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS.
“Aside from the N10bn inherited from the past administration which is enough for any serious-minded government to start on good footing, the KWIRS has remitted more than N134bn revenue to government coffers between 2019 and 2022. According to a report published by the agency, N35.4bn was generated for the year 2022 alone and remitted to Kwara State Government.
“As of October 2022, the state had received over two hundred billion naira (N200bn) from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), adding this figure to about fifty-three billion loans (N53bn) the government accessed in her first year, the N7.1bn UBEC grant, over N9bn grants for the Health sector.
“Summing all these together without the various undisclosed grants, and financial aid from foreign and local donor agencies, it is clear that Kwara state has received about four hundred fifty billion in revenue between 2019 to 2022. If those undisclosed grants and foreign aids are uncovered and added, then, more than half a trillion naira have been accrued to the state since 2019.
“It is so disappointing and unfortunate that despite all this cash inflow, Kwara’s debt profile which was around N30.2bn as of March 2018 has been increased to around N110bn as of 30th September 2022, just three years of the administration.
Mohammed also said that the past administration left more than N10 billion in the state government coffers in 2019, but the Abdulrazaq government allegedly mismanaged it with the state debt profile rising alarmingly.
“As of press time, the Government is yet to update Kwarans on the situation with the N17bn outstanding from the N35bn loan which they claimed was kept in an undisclosed bank after using a certain amount for unreasonable petty projects which are not beneficial to Kwarans. Despite public outcries and people’s lamentations on the whereabouts of this money, with some claiming the fund had been squandered to finance APC’s campaigns for 2023 elections in the state, the government has remained mute, an action that is irresponsible from people who hold the trust to people’s mandate.
Rising spate of insecurity
The PDP lambasted Governor AbdulRazaq, who also serves as Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, for vacating his primary assignment in Kwara and relocating to Abuja.
They asked the Kwara Governor to return home and borrow a leaf from Dr Bukola Saraki, a former Governor of the state who the party said also served as NGF Chairman, and excellently combined both roles.
“Our darling State, Kwara, which is known for her tranquillity and pristine ambiance enjoyed by all and sundry which every indigen and resident used to boast of in the past as one of the greatest favours which the past administration endeared them is suddenly turning into a state under the siege of bandits and cult gangsterism.
“We all are awakened by numerous heart-striking reports from different parts of the state, and today, the state capital has also joined with cult-related violence, gangsterism, kidnapping, and house buggling now our daily stories in the state capital.
“Just last month, one of the vibrant youths in Kwara state, Mr. Yusuf Mubarak Authority was murdered in cold blood, a shock which is yet to be erased from the minds of Kwara youths. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but we mustn’t deceive ourselves any longer that the state of harmony has turned into an epic center of violence, viz armed robberies, kidnappings, violent gangsterism, cult-related killings, house buggling, and all sorts.
“The NDLEA has just released its report where Kwara was adjudged one of the drug-ravaging states in Nigeria with a 14% rate of abuse, which the agency described as worrisome and disturbing. Since he made this proclamation, there’s no single statement from the government to explain what they are doing to arrest the situation.
“In all of this trauma, our Governor has shown so much insensitivity that he now feels uncomfortable living in the state with the people who voted him to office. Since he became NGF chairman, the Governor seems to have relocated Kwara state capital to Abuja as he rarely stays in Kwara except at the end of the month when allocation drops in the state treasury. This action, which the majority of Kwarans complained about is negatively affecting governance in the state.
“We are calling on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to return to Kwara fully and face the business of governance which he swore an oath to. The governor should draw an example from the leader of the PDP when he was NGF chairman.
“Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as NGF chairman not only stayed in Kwara and ran an efficient, people’s government, but he also turned Kwara into a tourist attraction for Governors in Nigeria who thronged to the state daily to learn from Saraki’s transformative prowess in the state,” he said.
Swearing in of New Excos
The party said the move is to ensure that the party position itself well to be able to form strong opposition, win election and offer worthy governance to Kwarans.
The five new members of the State Working Committee are Alhaji Idris Mudashiru, State Deputy Chairman; Mallam Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode, State Secretary; Princess Segilola AbdulKadir, State Women Leader, Mr Olusegun Olusola Adewara, State Publicity Secretary, while Mallam Mohammed Abdulmumini was also sworn in as the Acting State Youth Leader of the Party.
Mohammed said the appointments represent 80% of youth admission into the party organ to ensure a well-inclusive party system.
While noting that the vacuum was created by those who resigned their positions, Mohammed said those who resigned did so voluntarily, for personal reasons and to take up other party engagements. He added that the PDP remains one and has no crisis or faction.