ANOTHER EFURA EXPLOSIVE: Duplication of funds as Gov AbdulRasaq allegedly earmarks N35bn bond for projects in budget

By Mike Adeyemi

More revelations have continued to emerge over the financial impropriety viz-a-viz fiscal indiscipline revolving round the purported N35bn bond the AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman’s led administration is planning to source from the capital market, National Pilot learnt.

Further intrigues and facts showed that there are lots of irregularities in the proposed bond as projects to which the Kwara state government planned to procure the said bond for had already budgeted for in the 2021 appropriation bill making it a duplication of fund.

X- raying these financial atrocities, a former member of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ayansola Mohammed penultimate Thursday during a Radio program said the infractions and perpetual financial indebtedness this present government is plunging the state portend doom for generation yet unborn.

2021 budget performance

We are laying more emphasis into Kwara State 2021 budget performance in relation to bond with money allocated to each projects as designated in the bond which was again duplicated in 2021 Budget.

“We are here to talk as an expert and not in any way trying to malign the present government. I spent 8 years at the Kwara State House of Assembly as a legislature and all the budgets of the time were done together. I was also appointed as Special Adviser to the governor on legislative matters for four years making a cumulative of 12 years. So the nitty gritty of budgeting is not strange to me.

“I want the people of Kwara State to know that this present government’s tenure will elapse in less down 21 months. Now the Kwara State Government said they want to do projects on which they will spend the bond.

“Government said it will spend N1 billion on Virtual Art Centre and its work span will be 36 months. The government said it would borrow N1.2 billion on Viewing Factory that will last for 24 months, when they have 21 months left for this administration.

“Kwara Garment Production Village is said to gulp N4 billion with construction span of 36 months. The government also said it would borrow 1 billion naira to build Ilorin Innovation Hub to be lasted for 36 months.

“Roads, bridges and pass, they want to borrow N7 billion with 24 months span. Education, classrooms and hostels were said, by the Kwara State Government to gulp N2,175,000,000 and it will be completed in 24 months.

“Agriculture, community processing are to gulp N7 billion plus issue cost N1,250,000,000. Is it rightful for government to borrow this money or not, which Kwarans have said no, because it will cause problems to the people of Kwara when they leave.

“If we look at 2021 Budget, the money coming from the Federal Allocation plus Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), including grants, all these are called budgets.

Duplication of fund

Now, inside this 2021 Budget, what did government say about Virtual Art Centre and where was it mentioned.

“In the approved 2021 Budget, this same Virtual Art Centre was placed under Ministry of Communication on page 75. The code is 23020155 and the construction of Virtual Art Centre was mentioned there in. Since last year, government had been spending monies on this Virtual Art Centre from the allocation they collected on 2020 budget.

“Actual expenditure as at 28th September, 2020 on Virtual Art Centre is amounted to N268, 608, 255. Now in the approved 2021 Budget, government puts N100 million on the same project which construction is still ongoing. All money spent on this Virtual Art Centre between 2020 to 2021 is N368, 68,000,255.

“The government said they would get bond on the same Virtual Art Centre and slated N1billion on it. What exactly do they want to use this money for, despite monthly allocation acquirable to government coffer?

“What again does government want to borrow N1 billion for? Is it rightful to borrow money which interest will still be paid on it despite huge income?

“Establishment of Kwara Garment Production Village was slated inside the bond at N4 billion and this same was placed under the Ministry of Enterprises in the 2021 Budget, Page 130 with code 23020185 with the inscription, Establishment of Kwara Garment Production Village. Approved Budget 2021 also has N1.8 billion for the same project.

“If I may ask, where is this Garment Production Village sited in Kwara and N1.8 billion has been approved for it?”

“Look at Ilorin Innovative Hub, it was put under the Ministry of Enterprises on page 130 with code 23020157 with the inscription’, Construction of Ilorin Innovative Hub’. Actual expenditure on it as at September, 2020 is N447,169,253. Inside this year budget, they put N100 million for the same project.

“All these monies amounted to N547,695,353 which was spent since 2020. And they also spent N1 billion in the bond. What do they want to use N1 billion for again?

“On roads, bridges and pass, the government put this under the Ministry of Works and under the proposed bond, Kwara State Government said they would borrow N7 billion on it with 24 months duration. In the approved budget of Ministry of Works Page 144 with code 23020118 under the inscription, ‘Construction and Provision Infrastructure,’ they spent N550,737,760 as at September, 2020.

“Approved budget for this year after governor signed it stood at N2.8 billion. If you look at Page 144 as at September last year on state roads, government had spent N28,676,926. In the approved estimate for 2021, N1billion was inserted. Why can’t government use income to settle for that? Why borrowing N35 billion again.

“On page 144 again, with Code 23020124, they inserted construction of markets and parks with approved of N50 million inside just to build markets and parks.

“On infrastructure, they put it at the Ministry of Enterprises at Page 130 with code 23020124, the government said again it approved estimated N300 million on market and parks. At Ministry of Enterprises again on Page 139 with code 23030113, they put rehabilitation and repairs of roads with approved estimate of N700 million. What is the duty of Ministry of Enterprises on road construction? This ought to be under Ministry of Works.

“If we estimate all these that government want to spend on infrastructure up till date is N5,429,410,686 billion which is 77.56 per cent of N7 billion they want to borrow and they had spent 77.5 per cent. What else do government want to borrow this money for? Kwarans are asking.

“The future of our children is important and that is why we are deeply concerned about this excessive spending. What do you want to use N35 billion bond for that generation yet unborn with continue to repay.

“On Agriculture, the Kwara State government said they will borrow N7 billion. Under Ministry of Agriculture on page 105 with code 23050101. Research and Development (Agric) they said it will spend N350 million. Kwarans are crying seeing this.

“If we look at code 23050128 FADAMA related activity cares driving, approved estimated N636,65000 was allocated inside this year budget. If we look at code 23050138 of the same page called Agro-Processing was estimated at N250 million. Code 3053 0154 Agricultural Mechanisation farm asset, approved estimate is N500 million.

“I had thought the tractors then was borrowed not bought. The total allocation for Agric is N1,736,650. Now let us look at what government wants to get bond for. What do they want to use N7 billion for? Government should fear God.

Issue cost

“All those who manipulated this budget are called bondycool. The issue cost was said to be 6.5 per cent. N1. 6 million will be given to people who drafted the budget. This money is more than all the states projects, including the minimum wage which government has refused to pay.

Education

“On education, the government said they would spend N2.2 billion if you look at what was stated inside the budget. Kwara State Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology on Page 231 with code 23020118, they inserted that construction of road/provision of infrastructure and the approved estimate in 2021 budget was N275,127,372 allocated with code 23020129.

“Construction of classrooms, approved estimate is N47,117,880,000. At Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development on page 217 with code 23050101, Research and Development is said to gulp N1.1 billion.

“Page 217, rehabilitation/renovation of public schools with code 230230106, approved estimate was put at N582 million inside the budget to repair schools. If all these monies are calculated, government has been spending N1,682 million which is 79.5 per cent of bond they want to use this money for despite that this government is left with 21 months.

“If you look at Page 216 at the Ministry of Human Capital and Development, government said they had paid counterpart fund of N7 billion and again said it would borrow N7.1 billion.

“Upon all these monies on education, what has been its impact on our education. Massive failure marred Kwara students’ examinations last year. Many times, we called government attention to this last year, but all our pleas fell on deaf ear.

“Imagine while children were writing their common entrance examination last week, at the same venue, APC were doing their Congresses disturbing the school children.

NLC/NUT Govt romance

“The present Kwara NLC have entered one chance. What efforts do NLC and NUT make over the issue of sunset teachers? What they did rather was to pitch tent with the government.

“The Kwara teachers should get set for their Congresses and boot out the present crop of leaders at NUT. The present NUT leaders was alleged to have been bribed by the government.

Tampering with freedom of speech

“We share in the agony of detained three social medial accusers by the Kwara State Government. We have never had it bad in the past like this in Kwara. Despite lots of media propaganda against the personality of Dr. Bukola Saraki he did not order the arrest of anybody.

“NBS has just said Kwara State and other 25 States recorded 0 per cent investment despite Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s avowed to bring investors to the state. Two years on the line now, nothing was done.”