The Chairman of the Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, delivered a blistering critique of the state government’s performance during an address at the State Party Secretariat in Ilorin on October 10, 2023.

 

In his welcome address at the inauguration of the ratified state executive members of the Kwara State PDP, Chairman Rt. Hon. Babatunde Mohammed emphasized the party’s commitment to youth inclusion in politics. He discussed the significance of the “NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN” law and the need for capable young individuals in decision-making roles.

 

However, Mohammed did not mince words when criticizing the governance of the incumbent administration led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. He raised concerns about the alleged mismanagement of funds, including the diversion of N10 billion inherited from the previous administration, which was intended to address salary arrears and other obligations but was allegedly misused. Additionally, he highlighted the growing debt burden on the state, reaching N110 billion by September 2022 despite substantial revenue inflow.

 

The Chairman also pointed out the rising insecurity in Kwara State, citing incidents of violence, gangsterism, kidnappings, and drug abuse. He expressed disappointment over the Governor’s absence from the state, urging him to return and address governance issues.

 

Furthermore, Mohammed called for transparency regarding the N17 billion outstanding from a loan and demanded immediate explanations. He urged the State House of Assembly to revisit the Freedom of Information Act to promote transparency and accountability in government spending.

 

In conclusion, Chairman Babatunde Mohammed thanked attendees and the press for their time and patience, reaffirming the PDP’s commitment to the people of Kwara State. The address shed light on the challenges facing the state and emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in government operations. The Kwara State government has yet to respond to these criticisms and calls for transparency.

 

 

 

Below is the full Press Statement

 

BEING A TEXT OF WELCOME ADDRESS BY RT. HONOURABLE BABATUNDE MOHAMMED, CHAIRMAN, KWARA STATE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, (PDP) AT THE STATE PARTY SECRETARIAT, TANKE JUNCTION, ILORIN, TODAY, 10TH OCTOBER, 2023 AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE RATIFIED STATE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

 

Protocol

 

On behalf of the Leader of our Party in Kwara State and President of the 8th Nigerian Senate, HE Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (CON), I welcome the members of the NWC present here, members of the State working committee, senatorial representatives, our local government party chairmen, gentlemen of the press, fellow citizens of Kwara state to the Peoples Democratic Party Secretariat in Ilorin.

 

I’m most delighted to welcome you all to this expanded meeting of our party which of course will witness the inductions of new members of the state executives of our party in the state to replace the vacant positions after the resignation of previous occupiers.

 

For political systems to be well-inclusive, all parts of the society must be represented. When young people are disenfranchised or disengaged from political processes, a significant portion of the population has little or no voice or influence in decisions that affect group members’ lives. The introduction of capable youths into the SWC of the party underscores the readiness of our party to make the platform more attractive to the younger population of Kwarans. Kwarans will recall that during our regime in government, the state witnessed unprecedented introductions of capable young people into decision-making organs of government, today, all of those young men brought into government in 2003 have all become critical stakeholders who have contributed immensely to the project Kwara with some of them still occupying elective offices under this incumbent regime.

 

Our regime did not just pick youth, but went for those suitable for a given task, assigned them those tasks based on their antecedents and capacities. We gave them the platforms to operate, and contribute their ideas in their chosen sectors thereby paving ways for them to develop and introduce several innovative reforms which the state is enjoying to date. In furtherance of this commitment, the leader of our Party, HE Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (CON), and leader of the 8th National Assembly also ensured passage of the popular “NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN” Bill and was assented before former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 when it became fully operational.

 

Since its passage into law, it has reduced the constitutional age to contest elections for President from 40 to 35; Governor from 35 to 30; Senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25, and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25 respectively. We are saying this so that Kwarans can know those who genuinely empower our youth population from those who are presently making a mockery of them by making those who are still undertaking their NYSC scheme commissioners in ministries they do not have the experience to offer their best.

 

Our Party’s commitment to youth development in party activities and their inclusion in formal political processes remains an important cardinal of our policy programs. Hence, today, we will officially be receiving the following into the state working committee to fill the vacant offices:

 

Alh Idris. K Mudashiru as the State Deputy Chairman; Mallam Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode as the State Secretary; Mr Olusegun Olusola Adewara (Sholyments) as the State Publicity Secretary, Princess Ramat Segilola AbdulKadir as State Women Leader while Mallam Mohammed Abdulmumini as the Acting State Youth Leader if the Party.

 

These appointments represent 80% of youth admission into the state organ of our party.

 

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I considered it important to talk about the misgovernance in our state and how Abdulrazaq’s led APC government is disappointedly running the state aground despite huge cash inflow to the state since he came on board in 2019. 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.

 

Collapse of governance in Kwara since 2019

 

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.

 

Kwara increasing in revenue, debt profile but shrinking in development

 

Aside from the N10bn inherited from the past administration which is enough for any seriousminded 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 aids from foreign and local donor agencies, it is clear that Kwara state has received about four hundred and 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.

 

No commiserate Project commissioned despite cash inflow

 

It is worrying that despite this huge cash inflow to the state, Kwarans could not see anything on the ground across the state that commiserate with the income and huge debt imposed on the state since 2019. For example, this is the only government that has broken a negative record that in almost five years, the Governor has not been able to commission a single infrastructural project that is fully state-funded from start to completion. This is the first time Kwarans will be witnessing such a calamity since 1999.

 

Indeed, this is a trying time for the Kwarans, and the meager resources that were well managed for the optimum services of the people by our government are now being pitilessly squandered from all fronts by political merchants that have taken over management of the state since 2019.

 

We have it on record that all through the first 4 years of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, he was able to construct less than 5 kilometers of road in the whole of Irepodun LG while Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed in his first time in office constructed over 10km Road from Arandun linking Ipetu Rore to Oke ero LG. There’s also a construction of close to 5km from Oro township to Ijomu-oro . Yet , the Abdulrahman-led government has made more noise on road construction in Irepodun than all government since 1999.

 

No explanation yet for N17bn Fixed in Secret Bank

 

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.

 

Our Party demands immediate explanations as to the whereabouts of this fund from the government. Failure of this may further necessitate drastic action to force the government out of its shell.

 

Rising Insecurity, Governance continues in Absence

 

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.

 

The continued absence of Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led to the illegal conversion of security vehicles procured to enhance local security into private use by the impostors he put in charge of our local government areas as TIC chairpersons. It should be noted that none of the vehicles have been put into serious use by the security agents it was meant to serve as TIC chairmen still cruise on these vehicles as if they are their official cars.

 

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.

 

On a final note, we call on the State House of Assembly to revisit the Freedom of Information Act which was passed by past administration to encourage transparency and accountability in government spending and allocation of resources. The FOI bill when passed into law will give citizens the legal power to enquire about government incomes and expenditures to be properly informed about the financial status of the state. We are surprised that a government that code-named itself “Ijoba Mekunu” is not ready to disclose how people’s funds are being spent to the same people who own the mandate.

 

Thank you everyone and gentlemen of the press for your time and patience.

 

PDP, POWWR!

PDP, POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!

P, D and P, OLOYE!!!

 

Signed

 

Rt. Hon. Babatunde Mohammed,

State Chairman,

Kwara PDP.

October 10th, 2023