Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara state has said that 100 per cent of monthly allocation due to 16 local government councils in the state goes to salary payment, while 70 per cent of monthly allocation of the state goes to workers’ salary.
The governor, who said that the state is left with little or no fund for infrastructure, added that his administration may not embark on new projects in 2020, but would continue to fix infrastructure challenges it met on ground and be prudent.
He also said local government workers want the state government to take charge of the councils due to prevailing challenges, while he put salary arrears of the local government council workers left behind by the past administration at N5billion.
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Speaking at a public presentation of a pictorial compendium of deplorable state of infrastructure and social amenities across the 16 local government areas of the state, compiled by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Kwara Development Trackers (KDT) in Ilorin on Thursday, the governor said the book would serve as reference point for his administration.
“Our challenges are enormous and we are equal to the task. We know the enormity of the work and the task ahead.
“Sixteen years of the rot of the last administration is difficult to fix in six months. Our administration has in the last year saved a sum of eight billion. This amount will be used to fund the 2020 budget”, he said.
The governor said his strategy for a better Kwara included putting in place the necessary infrastructure to attract investment, such as massive rehabilitation of schools and health centres, engaging and training the necessary manpower, and making the state a hub for innovation and enterprise.
Also speaking, KDT convener, Mr Muritala Sambo, said the compendium was put together to point up the infrastructural needs of the state.
“This is done with to provide the new government and the people of Kwara State with encyclopaedic information of people’s needs and the state of development across the state,” he added, warning that the effort was not to rubbish anyone but to set the record straight and challenge the new government.
Ahmad Moyosore, who represented Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah as the guest speaker, said fixing the state requires the collaboration of all stakeholders like the government, civil society organisations, development partners, and philanthropists.
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