POLITICS
PDP Tackles Kwara Goverment on N35 billion Bond
From Alfred Babs, Ilorin
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is the main opposition party in Kwara state has disagreed with the state government on the need to seek for N35 billion bond from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
While government said that it would need the bond to fill infrastructure gap in the state and complete some abandoned projects inherited from former administrations, the PDP asked the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to drop the move of taking the bond describing it as ‘reckless’ adding that the people of the state were not in it support.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye said that the bond would be utilized to complete the renovation hub which is an ongoing project embarked upon by the administration as well as fixing Infrastructural facilities in Owu falls, a tourist center, building Gbugbu International Market and developing Agro potentials of the state.
He said, “Everyone complains that Kwara remains hugely dependent on handouts from the centre.
The bond will fund some ongoing projects to completion, and do many more. These projects include the abandoned Kwara State University Campuses at Osi and Ilesha Baruba, Ilesha Gwanara Road; and a few others. These are projects inherited from the past administration.
“Kwara is essentially an agrarian state. Atop the blessing of rich arable lands is its rich tourism potentials. Kwara is home to the Owu Fall, the highest waterfall in West Africa. But it is inaccessible to date. The bond will part-fund the road leading to this treasure. Job-creating projects like garment factory, innovation hub, visual arts centre, film factory, and agroprocessing firms, spread across the state, will also be funded. The government will also construct a flyover to decongest the intractable traffic along the densely populated Tanke axis in Ilorin, along with other roads that would boost economic activities. The Gbugbu international market in Kwara North will receive a fair chunk of the bond to attain its potentials as a melting pot for continental trade.”
Ajakaye continued, “The Kwara bond followed every legal step there is, such as cabinet and legislative approvals. For emphasis, ‘public hearing’ is not a legal requirement in bond issuance. The Debt Management Office (DMO) has not only certified the state as financially healthy to take N35bn or more, it has also green-lighted the procedures so far taken by the government.”
However, PDP in a statement signed by it Publicity Secretary, Tunde Ashaolu asked the governor to immediately drop the idea of the N35b bond, stressing that such ‘reckless move’ would weaken and plunge the State into an uncontrollable debt profile.
The party said, “the public outcry that has greeted the government’s planned borrowing had shown that majority of Kwarans were not in support of the government’s plan, saying this was a reflection that the proposed credit facility was not in the interest of the State.
“Though we are not against borrowing to fund infrastructure, the State government has however not demonstrated any sincerity, transparency and accountability on the issue as the whole process has been shrouded in secrecy. More worrisome is that the government is driving the process through an unregistered company and unknown individuals”, it said.
According to the party, the manner at which the loan was conceived by the Governor and how his request was hurriedly granted by the State House of Assembly without any form of scrutiny breeds suspicion and suggests there is a sinister motive behind it.
The PDP further alleged that the State government failed to carry Kwarans along on such sensitive and critical matter as it never demanded their input on the desirability of the loan.
“The argument by the government that there is no law or regulation that calls for a public hearing on proposed borrowings, shows that the government is not committed to transparency and probity it has always mouthed.
“The government has also refused to avail members of the public full details of the loan including its utilization plan. As it stands, Kwarans do not know the exact projects to be funded by the loan, where they will be cited and their impacts to the State.
“Moreover, two years into his administration, the economy of Kwara has become weak and fragile and there is no way taking such huge loans will not hamper the state’s capacity to meet future obligations. Governor Abdulrazaq should not subject Kwarans and future generations of the State to undue debt burden.
“Governor Abdulrazaq has failed to account for how he has spent the over N100billion FAAC allocations and other cash inflows to the State since he assumed office. The huge cash inflows to the State under this present administration have not translated into better living conditions for Kwarans. There is therefore no public confidence in this government to ensure judicious use of the N35b bond it wants to access.
“The claim by the Governor’s spokesperson, Rafiu Ajakaye that ‘the government has cut waste and cannot in good conscience be accused of profligacy’ is ridiculous and laughable. How could such a claim come from a government that allocated over N300m for the renovation of a single school and over N80m for the renovation of Banquet Hall?”
The party also lambasted the State House of Assembly for not ensuring due diligence before hurriedly approving Governor Abdulrazaq’s humongous loan request, saying the Speaker, Yakubu Danladi has turned the House to the governor’s rubber stamp.
“We expected that the Assembly would look beyond partisan politics and consider the future of this State before approving such a loan request from the governor. Acting as a rubber stamp to the governor cannot and is not in the interest of Kwara and its people,” it added.
The PDP denied that the immediate past administration of Abdulfatah Ahmed did not take N20billion bond while the N17 billion bond taken by the administration of former governor Bukola Saraki was deployed to the establishment of Kwara state University (KWASU), Malete.
On the N17billion bond accessed by the administration of Governor Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the PDP said Kwarans are aware of all the projects that were financed through the facility and their positive impacts on the State.
“The bond funded the establishment of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, the International Aviation College, Ilorin, the Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre, the remodelling of the Ilorin Township Stadium, Upgrading of Asa Dam Waterworks and phase one of Ilorin Water reticulation Projects, Urban and Rural Electrification, Rural and Feeder Road Projects, Ilorin Metropolitan Square , the Kwara Mall Project, among others.
“With KWASU, the administration of Dr Saraki expanded access to tertiary education for Kwarans and non Kwarans as well, and opened up Malete and neighbouring communities for development. The Harmony Diagnostic Centre boosted healthcare for Kwarans. People from outside the State also come here to access services offered by the Centre, generating more revenue for the State.
“Additionally, the projects financed through the bond created thousands of local jobs for Kwarans and also significantly contributed to the development and economy of the State.“
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, National Chairman, Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed to political parties, candidates, and supporters to maintain peace during the governorship election in Ondo State.
Yakubu made the appeal while monitoring the 2024 Ondo State Mock Accreditation held on Wednesday across the three senatorial district of the state.
Report says that INEC is scheduled to conduct the Ondo State Governorship Election on Nov.
16, 2024, with 18 political parties to participate in the election.The INEC chairman, who said that the exercise was part of the commission’s preparation, said the maintenance of peace would enable the commission to conduct a free and fair election.
He also said that the mock accreditation was to further test the functionality of their system.
“In the last election, our machines performed optimally but we can not take that for granted.
“We will ensure that all the polling units open on time so that voters will not come and wait for INEC officials and materials.
“And we have tested the integrity of the machines, it is not the matter of early deployment, but also early accreditation.
“We are doing our best as an electoral commission and others should also do their best, particularly political parties and their candidates.
“I want to appeal to political parties, candidates and their supporters to ensure that they maintain the peace that will enable us to deploy and conclude the process in good time.
“And also to announce the candidate people of Ondo State are choosing as their governor on Saturday,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Usman Isiaka Taiwo, who was accredited at the Ijapo High School, Akure, Ward 4 Unit 41, applauded INEC for the conduct.
“There is no delay in the exercise, and I will come along with my family to cast our votes for the candidate of our choice,” he said.
Also, Mrs Adebimpe Bankole, who was accredited at Alagbaka Primary School, Akure, Ward 5 Unit 18, scored INEC 80 per cent for the mock exercise.
“I am satisfied with the process because I did not waste any time before I did my accreditation.
“I would have given them 100 per cent but I can’t, rather I will give them 80 per cent because they have done well.
“By Gods grace, I will come out on Saturday, Nov. 16 for the election proper to cast my vote,” she said.
The INEC national chairman visited Ijapo High School, Akure, Ward 4 Unit 41; and Alagbaka Primary School, Akure, Ward 5 Unit 18.
Ward 10 Unit 12 in Owena, and Ward 10, Unit 1, Aiyetoro/ Owena, Idanre Local Government Area in Ondo Central Senatorial District, were also visited.
Yakubu also visited two Local Government Area offices of the commission including Ile-Oluji/ Okeigbo in Ondo North Senatorial District. (NAN)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the claim by Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, that he did not lose the election but stolen, was most comical.
Mr Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary said this, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, while reacting to comments made by Abubakar on the outcome of the election.
Abubakar, also a former vice president, on his X handle, stated that he did not lose the 2023 presidential election, claiming the election was stolen from him.
Morka, in his reaction, described Abubakar as Africa’s most infamous presidential election loser, noting that since serving as vice-president, he had lost election to every elected president.
“Six times in the last 17 years, Nigerians have declared their verdict of untrust and lack of sportsmanship on Abubakar’s presidential candidacy, and roundly rejected him at the polls.
“Abubakar’s long record of electoral defeat was serially certified by Nigeria’s highest courts, sealing his rejection by the electorate with judicial and constitutional finality.
“However, a clearly unabashed Abubakar continues to lay a bogus claim that he did not lose the 2023 presidential election. That is beyond comical,” the APC spokesman said.
He said that this was so as the former vice president probably believed that he was cheated out of all previous five presidential elections that he also lost.
Morka added that Abubakar’s inability to come to terms with the reality of his rejection cuts an ominous portrait of extreme and disturbing political desperation.
He added that Nigeria’s intelligent and discerning electorate would not act against their best interest by electing Abubakar into office.
According to Morka, the former vice president is a central and recurrent player in some of our country’s most vile roll call of corruption scandals perpetrated by the PDP administrations.
“He was the vice president in the government that created crooked and viscerally corrupt petrol subsidy hydra-headed dragon that has crippled our country’s economy,
“And laid the foundation for the endemic corruption and inefficiency that have undermined our power sector through the years.
“His desperation to be president can only be understood in the context of his determination to complete the full subversion of Nigeria’s economic life from where he left off as vice president.
“Nigerians will not entrust their country to someone who puts his selfish interest, and the interest of his cronies over and above the national interest,” Morka said.
He added that having demystified himself with his recent release of what he would have done differently if he was the president, showed that he had nothing to offer Nigerians.
Morka added that from Abubakar’s release, it was obvious that all he would had offered was his stale, tired, tested and failed economic ideas that were at polar relevance to the current existential economic challenges facing the country.
He added that the former vice president had a chance to execute whatever economic ideas he may have ever had, but failed to do so.
He further added that as vice president, Abubakar also failed to get his party, the PDP, to do so in all of its 16 years government.
“Abubakar thinks himself capable of fixing Nigeria but cannot fix the rot and hopeless dysfunction in his PDP,” the APC spokesman said.
He urged Nigerians to be steadfast in support of the APC-administration of President Bola Tinubu and valiant efforts to restore vitality to our economy for the good of all Nigerians.(NAN)
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, on Tuesday submitted N156.5 billion supplementary appropriation bill for 2024 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly for approval.Mr Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the House, announced this during plenary in Lafia.He said that the supplementary appropriation bill would enable the state government to provide the much needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Mr Suleiman Azara, the Majority Leader of the House, moved a motion for the bill to scale first reading which was seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Onarigu Onah Kana. The Assembly read the bill and unanimously passed it through the first Daily Asset recalls that in Dec.2023, the House approved N199.8 billion budget the for 2024 fiscal year.The supplementary appropriation bill if approved, would take the Nasarawa State Government 2024 budget to N356.5 billion. ( NAN)
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