Kwara PDP Asks Gov Abdulrahman to Account for over N9.2bn Expended on Health since 2019

By Ahmed Ajikobi

The Kwara State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said it is appalled to see the latest federal government report on primary healthcare across the country; where Kwara was rated as one of the worst-performing states in Nigeria.

The party in a statement signed by its spokesman, Olusegun Olusola Adewara and made available to National Pilot, said the report is not only an indictment of corruption in the APC-led government but also an uncovering of five years of putrid lies, propaganda, and deception used in milking the people by those who hold our trust and mandate.

According to the party, “the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Health in her 2022 ratings under the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof program adjudged Kwara to be at the bottom of other states in terms of Healthcare delivery at the grassroots. In fact, in the presentation by PHCUOR, while many states including Abia, Niger, Zamfara, Kebbi, etc made 100, 98,95% pass marks and positioned themselves as the best-performing state, Kwara could only be declared as the worst state with paltry 39% to upbeat Akwa Ibom and Ogun State which got 38%.

Perhaps, the federal government, just like the majority of Kwarans was not swayed by a mere painting of already existing structures which the government tagged as a major investment in the health sector”

The opposition party noted that the report has vindicated its position that the kwara state governor and his media handlers have not only been feeding the people with lies and propaganda, but are also corruptly enriching themselves through dubious media publicity.

“This report, coming from the same APC-led federal government has vindicated our party and affirmed our position that Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and his media handlers are not only feeding the people with lies and propaganda but are also corruptly enriching themselves by showcasing audio projects for media publicity while carting away taxpayers money using these audio projects as conduit -pipe for their nefarious bidding.”

“This rating not only uncovered all the five years of decorated lies from the Kwara government but also allowed Kwarans to ask how Abdulrazaq’s Government spent about N9.2bn which his government claimed to have received since 2019 to prosecute health care delivery in the state.

Kwarans will recall that the Chief Press Secretary to the government, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaiye had told Kwarans that as of December 2019; less than a year after their administration, they’ve already accessed N8bn from various sources after payment of undisclosed counterpart funding. The CPS also claimed they injected N232m to fight malaria, maternal death, and malnutrition.

Just this year, a few weeks after general elections, the state government also boasted of receiving about N1bn funding from the World Bank assisted-impact project under the Decentralised Facility Financing. This fund was targeted to improve the conditions of Primary Healthcare Facilities across the 193 wards of the state according to one Dr Nusirat Elelu.

It’s pathetic that despite all these huge billions being accessed from various international and domestic sources, to strengthen primary healthcare centers in the state, primary healthcare across the state is still in deplorable conditions.

As a party, we are not surprised, just like we’ve reiterated in the past, the current regime in Kwara state is made up of “Political Merchants” whose primary focus is to borrow out the future of our state, unfortunately not for the development of the state but in a bid to revive their dead portfolio oil business and sadly, most of these investments, just like rumored constructions of private refinery projects are not being undertaken in Nigeria but outside the country where no one will have access to them.

This is a trying time for the Kwara people, and the meager resources that past administrations had managed for the optimum services of the people are now being pitilessly squandered from all fronts calls for concern for discerning minds. As of press time, the Government is yet to update Kwarans on the situation with the N17bn outstanding from the N35bn bond which he claimed was kept in an undisclosed bank.

We call on anti-graft agencies, ICPC, EFCC, NFIU, and others to invite all past appointees especially the man in charge of the Ministry of Health under whose all these funds were misappropriated to account for every kobo of money received through loans, grants, and other financing sources on behalf of the state.

We also demand that they beam searchlights on all that they’ve expended on the renovations projects said to have embarked upon on health facilities across the state. Kwarans will recollect how ENETSUD uncovered a fraudulent renovation project carried out in Patigi Hospital. In that hospital, about N150m was said to have been spent on renovation and yet, the Hospital does not have a generator, only 1 doctor with a leaking roof.

We wonder why after accessing N9.2bn, the Kwara healthcare sector will still be relying on Ambulances donated by private individuals. This is a spat on Abdulrahman’s face and now that the river is fried up, we can all see where the crocodile is sleeping.”