By Mumini AbdulKareem
Condemnations have continued to trail the reaction of the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to the plight of victims of the heavy rainstorm in the state which rendered more than a thousand residents homeless and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
The governor who was outside the state during the incident met President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja last week where he solicited for N10billion to provide succour for the affected residents and affected victims of flooding which washed away several farmlands and many sources of livelihood.
But a group, Kwara Stakeholders Consultative Forum berated the government for the alleged lukewarm attitude to development adding that the government should think outside the box and emulate past governments by establishing office of SA Emergency to take care of issues like this.
“No committee was setup to access the extent of damage before the governor raced to Abuja to solicit for N10billion. What gives him the impression that the money is not too much or might not be enough”, Hon Muhammed Ayanshola, the coordinator of the group during a radio programme last week.
Similarly, the Kwara State chapter of the PDP, has accused the governor of insensitivity to the plight of the victims of the rainstorm.
According to the state chairman, Engr. Kola Shittu at a news conference in Ilorin, since the incident happened Governor AbdulRazaq had been away from the state.
But, the governor on Wednesday this week visited some of the affected victims while his deputy, Kayode Alabi had flagged off the distribution of palliatives to some victims in Moro and Edu local government areas of the state.
Alabi also visited some victims of the disaster while the government has also constituted a committee headed by Hajiya Saadatu Kawu Modibbo to take the inventory of the damages done to properties in the affected areas.
But, the PDP chairman insisted that “It is very disheartening that Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who is the head of government of the state had made himself unavailable in the state only to show up yesterday. The governor had stayed in Abuja from where he has been junketing around other states of the country for over two weeks.
“Our party found it so nauseating that the man who enjoyed overwhelming support of the people to clinch the governorship seat is no more comfortable living in the state where he was elected to perform leadership functions.
“It is quite sad and unfortunate that the Governor they voted for to better their lots did not deemed it fit to return to the state let alone visit the affected areas and families to have a firsthand knowledge of the level of damages and loss suffered by the people for days.
“Most disappointing is the fact that the governor while in Abuja (enjoying Kwara taxpayers’ money) without any knowledge of what was going on in the state went to the Presidential Villa with fabricated tales and figures to hoodwink the President to allow him access N10 billion grant on behalf of the state to take care of the affected victims.
“It will interest you to know that the Committee set up by the State Government barely 48 hours ago, to assess the level of damage caused by the rainstorm is yet to give any report. We then wonder how the governor came about the report that 15,000 persons have been displaced and that property and farm products worth N10billion had been damaged or destroyed as a result of the disaster.
“We therefore urge President Buhari not to act on such frivolous figures presented to him but send relevant federal government agencies to conduct a comprehensive assessment and report back to him in due course.”
On the alleged illegal deduction of local government funds in the state, Shittu called on independent anti graft agencies like EFCC and ICPC to carry out a detailed investigation on the matter.
He rejected the report of a panel of inquiry instituted by the government, saying that the most appropriate thing for government to do is to allow independent anti graft agencies to carry out the investigation.
