Kwara State government has said that suspected looters of government property in the state will soon be arrested and prosecuted in court.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend, the state commissioner for communications, Mr Olabode Towoju, said that many cankerworms would soon be made open, adding that evildoers would not go unpunished.
The commissioner, who was a member of the committee set up by the state government on illegal acquisition and sale of government property, sought cooperation with journalists in the state in order to move the state forward.
He said that the past administrations mishandled many government properties, adding that the alleged corruption was one of the issues the administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was trying to solve.
The commissioner made the submission at the media parley held at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at his maiden appearance at the chapel.
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
“It is unfortunate that things have gone bad but we must not rest. As a member of the White Paper Committee on Illegal Acquisition of Properties in Kwara State from 2019 till date, I have the privilege to know many hideous things the past administration did. We are all aware of the things that have gone wrong in the state.
“I am here today to seek your cooperation in moving the state forward. The press is the pivot of the truth. I know a lot of you are tired. You want things to be better in Kwara state. I am here to remind you of the past, so we can know how to mend things and move on. It is unfortunate things have gone bad. It is high time we moved to the next level.
“This government struggled to pay the counterpart funds, left unpaid by the previous administrations to make sure that our children get access to quality education, health and agriculture, among others.
“Our properties were sold to private individuals with no paper trail to back it up. They mismanaged everything and did not pay a dime to the government’s purse. They have accrued so many debts we have to pay off. That is why the governor cannot buy official cars for cabinet members,” he said.
Talking about Shonga Farms, the commissioner lamented how the past administration brought in expatriates to “do what the citizens could have done successfully, and despite doing shoddy jobs, they still borrowed money from the state purse”.