PDP Youth Counsels Gov. AbdulRazaq over LG’s Funds in Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Kwara North Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Alliance in Kwara State has called on the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to heed the voice of reason and stop tampering with the finances of local government councils in the state.

The group made the call in the wake of President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment, accusing state governors of tampering with local governments’ funds and stunting development at the third tier of government.

A statement issued in Ilorin signed by  the group  Secretary, Mr. Abubakar Hussaini Issa  said  that, “for as long as the state government continues to tamper with funds belonging to the local councils, Governor Abdulrazaq cannot absolve himself of the blame Buhari lay on state governors.

“A governor that tampers with Local Governments fund funds, appoints his cronies as Transition Implementation Committee, TIC, to run the councils, and that has failed to conduct council election in almost four years cannot claim he does not fall under the radar of President Buhari’s comment.”

The statement said that “while Governor Abdulrazaq and his media handlers keep lying to Kwarans that local governments in the state enjoy financial autonomy, the realities on ground suggest otherwise.

“As far as we know local government councils in Kwara do not have administrative and financial autonomy.

“How can anyone say the councils enjoy financial autonomy when the state government still decides for them and distributes funds on their behalf?”

The statement added: “For instance, the federal government recently made a refund of around N3.7 billion to the 16 local governments in Kwara. Rather than credit the accounts of the councils with the amount due to each, the government of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq elected to sit on the funds and decide what to do with it.

“Can the governor tell Kwarans how much of the N3.7billion will be used to offset salary and pension arrears?

“We appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for coming out to speak against governors pilfering local government funds and stunting their development.”

The statement noted that “we recall with nostalgia how Ms. Aisha Patigi, lost her place in the cabinet of Governor Abdulrazaq after exposing the finance commissioner for misappropriation of N300 million from local government funds monthly.

“We are concerned about the refusal of Governor Abdulrazaq to conduct local government election for almost four years, even when his former Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Salman Jawondo (SAN), publicly said on radio sometimes around December, 2021 that there is going to be local government election by January this year.

“The administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has rendered local government administration completely useless. No wonder, his government celebrates as achievements projects that ought to be executed by local governments if there exist a functional system at that level.

“It is on this note that we are calling on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to loosen his hold and strangulation on the local governments particularly those in Kwara North who have suffered the most in terms of marginalisation and ill-treatment.

‘Mr. Governor should stop tampering with their finances and also grant them administrative and financial autonomy, both in words and action.”