Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has come under severe criticism
from various interest groups and individuals over what they considered as frivolous plan to use of over N6billion of the state resources to finance the administration’s “Light Up Kwara” project.
The administration has said it is set to further secure lives and property in the state through the project. It said it will expend a princely sum of N6 billion in the project expected to be a public-private-partnership (PPP) endeavour.
The project when completed, is also expected improve the aesthetics of the towns and cities in the state as well as boost the economy of the over 40 years old state.
State Commissioner for Energy, Alhaji Idris Abubakar assured that the project would ensure that all the streets in the state are lit during the night to boost security, enhance commerce and create jobs in the night economy hoodlums while improving aesthetics.
But group known as Joint Action Against Corruption in Kwara (JAACK), described the project as a white elephant venture. JAACK added that with the project, the administration of Governor Ahmed has continued to show to Kwara residents that the government is not people-centred and couldn’t have put the people first.
The government had explained that the project would be in two phases stating that phase I of the project will cover 78 kilometres of dualized roads within Ilorin metropolis. Power for the street lights will be generated and distributed through the innovative Solar Power Tunnels, the first of its kind in Nigeria, the Commissioner said.
The project, he said, will be financed through a Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement over a period of ten years adding that the private partners will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project for 10 years before transferring the assets to the state government. “Repayment will commence when the Kwara State Government is sure that all is well, the project is tested, reliable and efficiently serving the purpose”, he said.
The phase II of the project, he said, will go outside the metropolis like Offa in Offa Local Government Area; Omu-Aran, Moro and Edu Local Government Areas and subsequently to every other LGAs in the State.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications Mahmud Ajeigbe added that the state approved the construction of two campuses for the Kwara State University in Osi and Ilesha-Baruba at a contract sum of N2.8billion.
Alhaji Ajeigbe said that the projects will be implemented through public-private-partnership (PPP) model under the Kwara Infrastructure Development Fund (IFK). He added that the state government is committed towards ensuring that the university is continually repositioned in order to achieve the mandate for which it was established.
But the Organising Secretary of JAACK, Joe Mahmud said the ‘Light Up Kwara’ project is the height of insensitivity by a government elected by the people.
“The other time the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said he has put N1.1bn in the federal budget to lit up his constituency which is made up of four LGAs in the Ilorin emirate council.The same area covered by Saraki’s project will be attended to by the state government. The state government will lit 3,000 poles in addition to what Saraki will be doing and that will cost a mouth watering N6bn while the construction of new campuses for Kwara State University (KWASU) in 2 locations will cost paltry N3.5bn.
“It is clear that this government is moving in a direction to drown the boat of the state and everything therein. What is the connection between street lighting and the level of poverty in the state that have pushed responsible adults into stealing pots of Amala and 5 litres of vegetable oil?”
The statement condemned the state government’s attitude that is fond of copying everything from other states not considering the peculiarity of her own state.
“When Kwara State government under Dr. Bukola Saraki said it was ‘Clean and Green’. Ornamental plants were planted on all major ways in Ilorin. A whopping N70m went into the project, where are those plants today? Kwara State government expended so much on traffic lights some years back, hardly could it be maintained for 2 years. Where are the traffic lights today?
“If Lagos State is aggressive about street lighting, yes it is deserving of a mega city whose night GDP alone can pay the monthly allocation of another state in the savannah for a whole year. What are the types of trade that will flourish in Kwara in the nights when they argued it is for the sake of the economy?
“Though there is high level of conspiracy in the way the state is governed and high handedness in the corridor of power – those attributes should not stop all residents of the state from asking questions when anti-people policies and projects are forced down our system.
“We are using this medium to alert all lovers of Kwara that is another project aimed at freting away the the proceeds from the tax recently imposed on everyone as the project is ill-intentioned and wrongly applied,” he added.
Tag: Ahmed
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Critics battle Ahmed over N6b street light project
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NASU urges Ahmed to use refund of over-deductions to pay workers
Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has urged the Kwara State government to use its own refund of the Federal Government over-deductions to states to offset the salaries of workers of the state owned tertiary institutions and other parastatals.
On Friday last week, the Federal Government unfolded modalities for the reimbursement to the 36 states of about N522.74 billion over-deduction on foreign loans.
NASU also appealed to the state government to approve and implement all promotions pending and give cash backing to all nominal promotions done so far at SUBEB, Teaching Service Commission and all state-owned tertiary institutions that do not have governing council.
The union said that “at present, Kwara State government is owing the workers of College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, Ilorin nine months salaries, College of Education, Ilorin eight months, College of Education, Oro 13 months, College of Education (Technical) Lafiagi four months and staff of State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) seven months.”
NASU in a communiqué issued after its state executive council meeting said: “payment of their salaries, we believe, will go a long way to save souls of our teeming members in the state from sudden and untimely death due to their inability to attend to their health issues and buy drugs for those on life threatening sicknesses.”
The communiqué was signed by the state chairman, Comrade Issa Muhammed and Secretary, Comrade Owoeye Olusina.
The communiqué reads“The council appreciates government of Kwara State led by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for his administrative acumen at ensuring that salaries of core civil servants are paid regularly, which translates into better welfare on the side of the core civil servants and teaching service commission in the state.
“We cannot but also thank you for past and present efforts of your government to keep hope of finding lasting solution to state-owned tertiary institutions perennial salary crisis alive.
“We are aware that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of our dear state has improved tremendously; it will delight and boost the morale of our members across the state if their needs are attended to.
“Labour support Transition Committee (TIC) having critically examined cost of governance at each level of government, we believe that money saved from this arrangement will be effectively managed to pay workers outstanding salaries.
“We are hopeful that the released of seventy-five billion (N75billion) naira to Kwara State from Federation account being over deduction from Kwara State allocation for Paris debts will bring succour to our members in the state, who have been waiting patiently for relief package (bail out) as promised by your government to pay their salaries.
“We, therefore, appeal to the governor to rescue our members from the claws of their creditors due to several months of unpaid salaries.”
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‘Saraki, Ahmed never handpicked TIC members’
The chairman, Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) for Offa Local government area of Kwara State, Mrs Bolaji Ibiyeye-Adisa, has debunked claims that the TIC members were handpicked by Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed.
Ibiyeye-Adisa described the emergence of members of the committee across the 16 local government areas as an affirmation of the democratic process in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki.
Ibiyeye-Adisa, who is also the Iyalode of Offa, told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, that contrary to what Saraki’s opponents were saying, the process for selecting the TIC members was democratic.
Said she: “It is only under a democratic process which somebody like the Senate President and Governor Ahmed supervised that somebody like myself could have emerged as TIC chairman in a council area like Offa because the Senate President being the political leader of the state would always insist that whoever emerges must do so from the community level and not because he knows such a person.”
She hailed the Offa APC ward chairmen and the local party executives for their overwhelming support and the trust reposed in her and promised that their confidence in choosing her and her team would not be disappointed.
Recalling that Offa used to be in opposition to the Saraki political structure, the TIC boss said the commitment of the Senate President to transparent processes and the developmental strides being witnessed by residents over the years have now endeared Saraki to the people of Offa.
Ibiyeye-Adisa also commended Saraki and Ahmed and their wives for going beyond the 35 percent affirmative action for the appointment of women into political offices. According to her, there are 12 female supervisory councillors and five female chairmen in the TIC for the 16 council areas. “It is really a very great achievement for us women in Kwara state, we have never had it this good and I doubt if this exists in many other states of the federation”, she said. -
‘Saraki, Ahmed never handpicked TIC members’
The chairman, Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) for Offa Local government area of Kwara State, Mrs Bolaji Ibiyeye-Adisa, has debunked claims that the TIC members were handpicked by Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed.
Ibiyeye-Adisa described the emergence of members of the committee across the 16 local government areas as an affirmation of the democratic process in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki.
Ibiyeye-Adisa, who is also the Iyalode of Offa, told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, that contrary to what Saraki’s opponents were saying, the process for selecting the TIC members was democratic.
Said she: “It is only under a democratic process which somebody like the Senate President and Governor Ahmed supervised that somebody like myself could have emerged as TIC chairman in a council area like Offa because the Senate President being the political leader of the state would always insist that whoever emerges must do so from the community level and not because he knows such a person.”
She hailed the Offa APC ward chairmen and the local party executives for their overwhelming support and the trust reposed in her and promised that their confidence in choosing her and her team would not be disappointed.
Recalling that Offa used to be in opposition to the Saraki political structure, the TIC boss said the commitment of the Senate President to transparent processes and the developmental strides being witnessed by residents over the years have now endeared Saraki to the people of Offa.
Ibiyeye-Adisa also commended Saraki and Ahmed and their wives for going beyond the 35 percent affirmative action for the appointment of women into political offices. According to her, there are 12 female supervisory councillors and five female chairmen in the TIC for the 16 council areas. “It is really a very great achievement for us women in Kwara state, we have never had it this good and I doubt if this exists in many other states of the federation”, she said.
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‘Saraki, Ahmed never handpicked TIC members’
The chairman, Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) for Offa Local government area of Kwara State, Mrs Bolaji Ibiyeye-Adisa, has debunked claims that the TIC members were handpicked by Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed.
Ibiyeye-Adisa described the emergence of members of the committee across the 16 local government areas as an affirmation of the democratic process in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki.
Ibiyeye-Adisa, who is also the Iyalode of Offa, told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, that contrary to what Saraki’s opponents were saying, the process for selecting the TIC members was democratic.
Said she: “It is only under a democratic process which somebody like the Senate President and Governor Ahmed supervised that somebody like myself could have emerged as TIC chairman in a council area like Offa because the Senate President being the political leader of the state would always insist that whoever emerges must do so from the community level and not because he knows such a person.”
She hailed the Offa APC ward chairmen and the local party executives for their overwhelming support and the trust reposed in her and promised that their confidence in choosing her and her team would not be disappointed.
Recalling that Offa used to be in opposition to the Saraki political structure, the TIC boss said the commitment of the Senate President to transparent processes and the developmental strides being witnessed by residents over the years have now endeared Saraki to the people of Offa.
Ibiyeye-Adisa also commended Saraki and Ahmed and their wives for going beyond the 35 percent affirmative action for the appointment of women into political offices. According to her, there are 12 female supervisory councillors and five female chairmen in the TIC for the 16 council areas. “It is really a very great achievement for us women in Kwara state, we have never had it this good and I doubt if this exists in many other states of the federation”, she said.
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Ahmed explains dissolution of local councils
Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has explained dissolution of executives of the 16 local governments.
He said the council chairmen and others were sacked because they were unable to meet their statutory responsibilities to the people.
According to the governor, the dissolution became effective last Friday, and so the affected persons, including chairmen, vice chairmen, councillors, secretaries and supervisors, should handover to their respective directors of Personnel Management (DPMs).
He justified the councils’ dissolution in his formal notification to the House of Assembly.
In the message read by the Deputy Speaker, Matthew Okedare, who presided over yesterday’s plenary, Ahmed said the 16 councils failed in their responsibilities last year.
According to him, the councils failed to execute meaningful projects in the last three years, and were unable to pay salaries for months.
“I took this step following sustained complaints by residents of poor performance of the councils in discharging their statutory functions,” Ahmed said.
The governor also informed the House of his intention to appoint caretaker committees to run the councils.
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Ahmed urges support for Buhari
Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort at finding solutions to the challenges facing the country.
He spoke during the 10th yearly conference of the Association of Sociologists of Education of Nigeria (ASEN), which held at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
Ahmed, who spoke through his Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Musa Yeketi, noted that Nigerians had to discard the notion that the government alone should solve challenges facing the nation.
He said: “In our present circumstances, none of us can afford to assume that somebody else will solve our problems. Each of us has roles to play in solving our challenges. We have our own share of the responsibility, because taking collective responsibility is the key to proffering solution.”
He encouraged people to contribute their quota and support the efforts of the Federal Government towards achieving the desired growth.
Ahmed assured that his administration was ready to partner with others to boost the state’s economy.
Earlier, Acting President of ASEN Prof Uche Azikiwe said it was time to restructure education, stressing that reviewing the curriculum remained vital to actualising sustainable development.
Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Prof Claudius Daramola was among guests honoured at the event. He is a member of ASEN and former lecturer at the Faculty of Education, UNILORIN.
In a communiqué issued at the of the event, ASEN urged the government to revitalise the country’s education, with emphasis on technical and vocational education. The body said there was the need to train technicians and technocrats to rejig the economy and create jobs.
The association advised the government to promote the teaching of civic education in schools. It called on managements of higher institutions to embrace the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning to ensure sustainable development.
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Ahmed: Soaring like an eagle
A key task of leadership is to chart the way forward for the people towards accomplishment of set goals. This task becomes more imperative during crisis period; when there is confusion and hopelessness all around; when there is a storm and people seek all avenues for survival. Little wonder it is said that crisis brings out the leadership in a man, and particularly in existing leadership, crisis brings out the best among those of them that are the very best.
When, towards the end of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Kwara State government began to issue monthly statements announcing reduction in its federal allocation, many who were not on the same political page with the authority argued, most contemptuously and provocatively, that it was pretentious. But when the same pattern continued under the current administration and extended to several other states such that many could no longer pay salaries and had to run to Abuja for bailout, the reality soon dawned on us all that Nigeria was in a grave economy quagmire.
Between the last days of the Jonathan’s administration and the beginning of this year, Kwara must have lost close to half of its normal monthly allocation from the federation account. That is huge and considering the fact that a greater percentage of the state budget, like many other states, was based on the federal allocation, meeting the goals spelt out in the financial estimates generally became very difficult, if not impossible. Many states have had to abandon capital projects and concentrate mainly on paying salaries and even that too was not on regular basis. Some states openly confessed their inability to meet basic requirement of salary payment.
It was a challenge. It was a storm. But like the eagle, it has brought out the best in Kwara State. For instead of sitting down to complain, the state government only sat down to think out of the box to ensure we do not sink with the storm. And it is that brainstorming that has given birth to IF-K; a novel way of funding infrastructure that has not been employed by any other government in Nigeria.
Listening recently to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed who led the thought-process that produced the model provided an inkling into the leadership focus of his administration despite the national economic challenges. According to him, “When we came in 2011, we were quite ambitious on what we wanted to do on human capital development; how to improve on infrastructure and of course, how to improve on the economy. We had a document which was part of our foundation process, the Medium Term Expenditure Framework for Kwara State. Under that framework, we had outlined financial requirements that will aid us in achieving the set target.
“So, to that extent, we had to go back to the drawing board and work out how best to create a funding module that suits the current exigencies in Nigeria’s economy and, of course, Kwara State. We thought of going to the capital market, but then it became a bit cumbersome as we had to go through some hurdles within the specific timeframe that we had to come up with ingenuities in creating a funding model. That gave rise to the Infrastructure Development Fund.
“We did a data review of what the financial gaps were and we came up with a deficit of about N250bn to move Kwara State to the desired level that will see Kwara State truly positioned among the comity of well positioned states not only in West Africa but, of course, in the world. Now getting to do a drive for a N250bn infrastructure looks a bit herculean, so we sought to create modules out of it. The modules require an uninterrupted financial inflow that guarantees sustainability. That was how we came up with the possibilities of creating an Infrastructure Development Fund.”
“My confidence in this new model is that given the phenomenal success so far recorded by the state’s internal revenue generating agency, which, like IF-K, was also derided by our detractors but has become the golden bird; this new model will also succeed, even if men don’t give it the chance at inception.
Imagine that before the KIRS began operation this year, we were making maximum of N600 million monthly as IGR but now without any new tax, the agency has been steady at about N1.7 billion”.
It is another noble vision of Governor Ahmed which though derided at inception has become, no doubt, a testimony to good thinking; the evidence of a good policy. Ahmed concentrates on the formulation and implementation of good policies for sustainability as no matter how novel an idea is, it will soon fritter away without a policy backup.
The governor recently told a group of journalists that “policies are pathways that create direction for government activities. Because, it will not only help focus on what’s needed to be done but also on critical areas that affect the people and how you could achieve these set policies within a specific time frame. So, policies are key to any developmental system as it allows optimization of resources. For us, polices are seen as part and parcel of main programme in directing what we want to do in government.”
And for those who still don’t understand the workability of the model, Governor Ahmed explains: “This fund allows us to put some seed money, which we have put aside for a while and of course largely for capital development programmes, into a basket and this basket will be managed by financial trustees and of course, we created an irrevocable standing payment order from our internally generated revenue”.
“By the way, I am happy to let you know that we saw the need to create this through the things we have seen in the country as not requiring us to rely on the federation allocation and immediately we changed the internally generated revenue module. This has given room for funding into the Infrastructure Development Fund and as a constant flow coming from our internally generated revenue, we now see a clear window to fund infrastructure on monthly basis with a minimum of N500m which creates a pool that is investible and, of course, we have gotten our contractors to see them as more of partners rather than contractors because the model allows them to participate with us in driving our infrastructural development needs. Contractors will now see themselves investing their fund and getting paid from the Infrastructure Development Fund.
“We have looked at the workability of this model and its completely suit our need. That is how we will continue to carry on our development projects in Kwara State as a way forward. I want to assure Kwarans that with the model, we will begin to see projects executed from envelope basis. With the specific envelope that we are addressing, once we are through with that. In other words, as contractors are completing their jobs and are exiting, a fresh envelope will now come in and we will start key in and funding as such to drive infrastructure development. So for us, it brings to end the era of abandoned projects. Because, it gives that comfort that the lender and the partners require to see to invest their funds in driving capital development in partnership with Kwara State. So for us, it is one of the best things that has ever happened to us today and we see that model being sustained because it is also backed by law which gives it a sustainable platform to see it carrying on capital development projects for Kwara State.”
With this innovation, the state is now on auto run in the execution of projects such as the Garin Alimi underpass, Osi and Ilesha Baruba roads, indoor sports hall of the Ilorin Stadium Complex , Michael Imoudu to Gamo road and dualisation of Sango to Uiversity of Ilorin Teaching Hospital road, among others.
- Oba is Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ahmed.
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Ahmed, activists disagree on proposed N3.7b bridge
A group, Kwara South Advancement Agenda (KSAA), has disagreed with the Kwara State government on the state’s plan to build a N3.7 billion bridge at the Geri Alimi Junction in Ilorin, the state capital.
KSAA described the proposed bridge as “a misplacement of priority”.
In a statement by its Chairman, Opeyemi Olabanji, the group urged the government to put the construction on hold and meet “the immediate needs” of the people.
The statement reads: “In a critical time as this, government should spend money on critical infrastructure to benefit citizens . Will the bridge put food on their table or grant them employment?
“We believe the traffic jam in Ilorin today or even in the future does not call for the building of such bridge at a period of distressed economy. Besides, 80 per cent of roads in the state are at impassable and they are reasons for the traffic congestion.
“If the government is sincere, it should rehabilitate roads, rather than embark on a white elephant project in the name of decongesting traffic. Proper traffic control and management is adequate for the Geri Alimi roundabout”.
Olabanji, who noted that the quoted amount would still be surpassed when the contract is reviewed, urged the government to give out the fund in form of soft loans to qualified citizens with a penchant for medium and small scale businesses.
But the government said the criticism lacked merit.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Muideen Akorede, said the government had a mandate to look after Kwarans and residents, including the providing infrastructure for their economic prosperity and comfort.
He said: “Kwarans from all parts of the state reside in Ilorin and will, therefore, benefit from the anticipated traffic decongestion. The project will also take care of current and future requirements of road users.
“In addition, other key roads, such as Ilesha Baruba Gwanara, Share-Oke Ode, Maigida Arobadi Road, Anilelerin Road Offa, dualisation of Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) road to Ganmo, dualisation of Sango/University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Road have also been pencilled down for implementation under the IFK platform.
“Governor Ahmed will also launch the new asphalt plant in Ilorin as a prelude to major rehabilitation of compromised roads. This will begin once the rains stop.
“Besides, the government has a N1.8 billion Revolving SME scheme, which has benefited 50,000 businesses. We must realise that infrastructure is key to economic growth and welfare, and must be prioritised”.
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Kwara owes contractors N11b, says Ahmed
Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has put the value of project debts in the state at N11.1 billion.
He said his administration disbursed N1.7 billion to reduce the debts, noting that the balance is N9.4 billion.
Ahmed spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, during the launch of the Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund (IF-K).
He promised that payment would resume in December, with ongoing and new projects targeted for completion by December, 2018.
“As a demonstration of faith and a token of our commitment to pay outstanding contractor debts, this amount will be reduced on a quarterly basis until all debts are liquidated before end of the administration.
“Simultaneously, contractors will drop off the IF-K grid as their obligations are terminated to allow for the introduction of new portfolio of fresh projects.
“The fund will be financed through a N5 billion seed fund and a N500 million monthly contribution from the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO). This implies that the money will be taken at source from the state’s IGR and provides an additional layer of assurance to project partners.
“Additional non-IGR funds, such as those from the Federal Government and global development partners, will be added to IF-K as they become available.
“Under IF-K, funds will be disbursed on a quarterly basis and are projected to grow by N6 billion by end of the year. In order to ensure accountability and insulate the funds from political control, the IF-K will be managed by a reputable investment company, Investment One, which has been appointed by law as trustee for the scheme.
“Investment One is also to market the fund to potential investors and mitigate against payment risks by ring-fencing the funds and limiting their utilisation to the approved purposes.
“I must also emphasise that we will continue to fund smaller projects through other platforms as only projects worth N300 million and above will be included on the IF-K payment grid.
“Over the next 10 months, therefore, over N5.8 billion will be pumped into the state’s economy via IF-K. Our expectation is that this injection will keep our project partners in business and have a positive spiral effect on employment generation. In the medium term, the remaining N5.3 billion will boost the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for about 18 months while sustaining the multiplier impact on job creation.”