By Ahmed Ajikobi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has expressed dismay over the noninclusion of Kwara from the federal government’s intervention to subsidize the cost of transportation by 50% to about twenty-two states during this festive season. The party described the exclusion as a bad omen and attestation that there’s nobody at the top to push Kwara interest.
In a statement issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party said it is regrettable that Kwara state Governor is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and had relocated his office to Abuja to concentrate on the Governors’ Forum assignments while governance is suffering neglect back home.
” Despite Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s position as the current Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and a member of the ruling APC-led government, Kwara is conspicuously absent from this crucial initiative which would have benefitted hundreds of our people across all states of the federation traveling for Chrismas and new year festival break”.
“As a Party, we join the good people of Kwara in questioning the public benefit Kwarans have gained from Governor Abdulrazaq’s chairmanship of the Governors’ Forum, especially when he seemingly cannot effectively negotiate the interests of his people at the federal executive council during decision-making processes by the Federal Government”.
“Let us assume the federal government refused to show much concern for the welfare of our people at this time, is it too much if the Kwara state government offered some internal assistance to our people coming from different parts of the country despite the huge financial inflow to the state recently? Governor Abdulrahman, just like his colleagues in other states, had just received another N9bn intervention from the federal government, what is wrong with committing part of this fund as a subsidy to assist Kwarans who are coming home to celebrate the yuletide?”
“This raises serious concerns about the Governor’s commitment to advancing the interests of the Kwaran people or whether his political achievements merely serve personal ambitions”.
The opposition party called on the kwara governor to explain why he could not provide the N10,000 palliatives he promised Kwarans, when other states paying between N25,000 and N100,000 to their workers, with 13th-month salary added.
” Governor Abdulrahman holds the position of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum Chairman for the benefit of the people but fails to meet the expectations of his people back home in Kwara.
We recall the tenure of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the leader of PDP in Kwara, as Governors’ Forum Chairman, during which he prioritized Kwara’s interests. Under his leadership, he influenced the Nigeria Integrated Power Project to the state which brought significant developments, including 15 MVA power substations which connected more than 375 rural communities to the national grid, and installed over 875 power transformers across Kwara state”, the party submitted.
