The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lambasted Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq over the drastic drop in the stateโs Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) attributing it to incompetence and lack of foresight.
The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), report on โIGR Growth of states revealed that from 3rd position in 2019, 4th position in 2018, 5th position in 2017 and 3rd position in 2016, Kwara has slide to the 35th out of the 37.
According to the report, Oyo, Ondo, Enugu and Osun states have all overtaken Kwara on the IGR table adding that the state generated a total of N19.6 billion in 2020 against the N31billion it realised in 2019 under the immediate past PDP administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The PDP recall that former Governor Ahmed through his ingenuity, reformed Kwaraโs IGR collection and management system that led to a rapid improvement in the Stateโs internal revenue growth, which saw Kwara ranked among few most financially sustainable and economically viable states in the country.
It said the present situation is however unfortunate and depressing that his successor, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has in less than two years, failed to sustain the laudable legacy left by Governor Ahmed.
โThis is a clear manifestation of his sheer administrative incompetence, lack of foresight and laid-back attitude to and poor understanding of governance.
The latest report by NBS showed that Kwaraโs IGR has declined by more than 50 per cent which is an indication that rather than progressing, the State is retrogressing economically under Abdulrazaq. What is more worrisome is that there appears to be no hope as the Governor is bereft of innovative ideas to grow the stateโs economy and consequently improve its IGR ratingโ, it added.
The party said the recent alarm raised the national body of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) that Governor Abdulrazaq is diverting local government funds did not come as a surprise to PDP and vast majority of Kwarans.
โKwarans will recall that a former Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under this present administration, Hajia Aisha Ahman-Pategi, had come out to publicly admit that local councils in Kwara do not enjoy financial autonomy and that all is not well with the management of the councilโs fundsโ, it added.
