…Says Current Administration Has Removed Oxygen from 16 Local Councils
Kwara Likeminds Front (KLF), a third force group advocating for good governance and development of Kwara state has raised seven questions for Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to respond to over the administration of local government areas.
KLF in a statement issued on Sunday by its Convener, Comrade Maxwell Kolawole, described Governor Abdulrazaq’s management of local government in the state as unfortunate, reckless and anti-progressive.
Kolawole said the governor is paying lip service to the issue of autonomy for the 16 local government areas, noting that the third tier of government has been operating like a unit under Office of the Governor.
The former Convener of Kwara Likeminds Political Party, a coalition of parties during the 2019 General elections, explained that the current administration is running local government affairs like a private business where he as the CEO determines the leadership and how to manage its fund without respect for the constitution.
Raising the 7 questions, the coalition, which serves as a Thirdforce in Kwara, asked”
1. Why has the Abdulrazaq administration refused to disclose monthly allocation due to each local government in line with NFIU directives as the state no longer organize JAAC meeting before disbursing funds from FAAC?
2. Why has Kwara LG wage bill remained static for 24 months despite suspension and expiration of the tenure of about 300 elected executives (Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, councilors, Secretaries and supervisory councilors across the 16 local government areas?
3. How much is Kwara LG wage bill? How many civil servants have retired in the last two years? What is the implication of partial implementation of N30,000 minimum wage on the wage bill?
4. Kwara Likeminds Front wonders about the unholy alliance between Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the 16 former council chairmen accused of misappropriating millions of naira and collecting percentage of LG revenue from KW-IRS into personal account. Does this not clearly show the governor is romancing corruption at the expense of kwarans suffering dearth of development at the grassroots?
5. Why has the AbdulRazaq administration failed to disclose LG revenue including revenue lines such as Citizenship charges being collected on behalf of 16 councils by Kwara State Internal Revenue Service?
6. Why has the current administration refused to clear outstanding salary arrears while saving surplus from FAAC without implementation of meaningful projects at the grassroots? KLF also asks the state government to clarify soft loans giving to LGs to augment salary without legal backing.
7. We demand explanation on refusal of the state government to conduct LG elections and constitution of Transition Implementation Committee despite Supreme Court judgment against such illegal action. We are forced to insinuate that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is killing local government administration to justify slow pace of development in kwara in spite of huge FAAC allocation and improved internally generated revenue.
KLF therefore calls on kwarans to urge the Abdulrazaq-led administration to publish details of income and expenditures of our local government areas for the general public to scrutinize.
We also sympathize with LG workers over the systematic, strategic and deliberate mismanagement of local government administration under the current administration in the state.
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