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Local contractors to fix Kwara schools, hospitals – Gov Abdulrazaq

 

The Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has said local
communities would have the option of nominating trusted indigenous
contractors to fix their schools and hospitals while government funds
the projects.
The contractors so nominated would be picked only after going through
thorough government’s procurement processes as spelt out under the
law.
The Governor made this known on Tuesday in Kaiama while on a tour of
public facilities in the Kwara North senatorial district.
Abdulrazaq said government has recently retooled the 2019 budget to
focus on rebuilding basic infrastructure such as township roads,
schools, hospitals and toilets to tackle the menace of open
defecation.
“For each community where we want to rebuild the schools or hospitals,
we want to use the local contractors from those communities, so that
we have trickle down effects and regenerate the economy by investing
in the economy,” he said.
He visited communities like Gwaria, a major hub for yam flour
production in Nigeria; Junga Aboki; and Kaiama town – all in Kaiama
Local Government Area of the state.
“When we got in, we realised that there are big issues with our roads,
hospitals and schools, they are practically down, and I am here to
make sure I understand in full the problems with all the hospitals and
schools.”
The governor said while his campaign thrust of development and change
remain valid, he is constantly rejigging the campaign promises to
reflect the realities of Kwara he now sees, especially because basic
infrastructures for education and health are almost non-existent and
must first be put in place before other things.
He suggested that government would provide the prototypes and the
standard of the schools or hospitals to be built while local
communities would engage contractors to fix them under strict
monitoring – a strategy expected to engender community participation
in project execution, empower local contractors, ensure community
ownership of public infrastructure, and increase the purchasing power
of the people.
He said Kwarans would start seeing more infrastructural development
and better government’s presence across board once the reviewed budget
is passed in the coming months.
The governor, meanwhile, has ordered the site engineer handling the
Kaiama Water project to fix the facilities within one month or be
sacked.
Abdulrazaq handed down the directive when he visited the facilities in
Kaiama town, warning that he would always personally keep a tab on
projects funded with taxpayers’ money through unscheduled visits.
The Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Umar Shehu Mu’azu, had earlier told the
Governor that the engineer had been sabotaging the project despite
getting money from the government and the community.
Mu’azu also urged Abdulrazaq to prioritise roads in the agrarian axis,
especially Kishi-Kaiama road, commending him for approving the
construction of the Kaiama township road.
The Governor said he has taken up the matter with the Federal
Government, adding however that his administration might report the
contractor employed by the previous administration to the anti-graft
agency for collecting at least N1.1bn to fix a segment of the road
without any result.
Abdulrazaq said the action of the contractor was a setback for the
road as the FG would not release further funds for the road unless it
is satisfied that the one released had been properly utilised.

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