Kwara Spends N11bn on Infrastructures in One Year

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara state government has disclosed that it has spent over N11 billion under the state infrastructure project fund (K-IFK) for the infrastructural development of the state between 2016 and 2017.

Among the infrastructural projects embarked upon were roads, education, health and water.

Speaking in Ilorin after the state executive council meeting held at Government House, Ilorin recently, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede said over N4 billion was spent on existing infrastructures before the present administration came into office, while over N7billion was spent on the new projects initiated by the government so as to make life more bearable for the residents of the state.

Akorede, flanked by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Muhammed Sabi said the documentation of all the expenses incurred on the infrastructures would put an end to the various insinuations about the money generated and expended on the Kwara Infrastructure projects, popularly called K-IFK.

Akorede also said the state government had done review on the ongoing construction on the Geri Alimi split diamond over bridge due to the current challenges being experienced by the contractors and consultants handling the project.

He said the state government reviewed the variation of sum of N708,597,407.33k on the contract sum of the overhead bridge, which, according to him, has increased from N2,930,847.06k to N3,639,444,659.04k.

On the University of Ilorin/Oke Ose road, Akorede said the government has done upward review of the contract sum of the project to the tune of N661,868,826,15k.

The aide stressed that, the variation was based on the need to embark on some shoulders of the road, which, according to him, was not captured in the actual contract sum of the road project.
He also said the government embarked on the contract review of Ilesha-Baruba road project so as to meet the urgent benefit of the completion of the road project.

In the analysis, he said the road project was now increased from N2,156,953,404.886 to N2,361,904,549.71k with just variation of N204,951,144.83k.

He noted that the review would take care of some bridges to be put on the road to make it worthwhile for the benefit of those motorists that will be plying the road.

The governor’s aide also pointed that the ongoing construction works at the campuses of Osi and Ilesha Baruba of the state university have reached over 45 per cent so that the students and other stakeholders of the affected two campuses can make use of them without any hindrances.

He also said the state-owned Kwara Hotel, Ilorin would witness a new rebranding to make it more useful for various visitors coming to the state.

He said the development would make the indigenes of the state both home and abroad to invest in the running of the hotel.
Akorede however said the development would go a long way of making the hotel a three and four stars hotel in the state that would be able to compete with other hotels in the country.