PDP Raises  the Alarm over Influx of Foreign Nationals into Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara  state has raised  the  alarm over the purported influx of foreign nationals into the 16 local government councils of the state.

The development, according to THISDAY checks, might not be unconnected with the recent  escalation of aggressive messages from Niger Republic to Nigeria occasioned by the ECOWAS threat to launch attack to the latter over coup detat.

The party said that already  the affected foreign nationals have been embarking on Okada riding, begging, vegetable farming, vegetable sales and scavenging across the parts of the state.

A statement issued in Ilorin yesterday  signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tunji Moronfoye, the party said: “The ugly  development may cause insecurity and threat to the peaceful atmosphere of the residents of the state if urgent step is not taking to address the influx of the foreign nationals into the state.” The  statement read:” We wishes to raise the alarm on this very important issue, to Kwarans and the Kwara All Progressive Congress (APC) regime, led by Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.  Residents of Ilorin and other major cities in Kwara state, have watched with trepidation at the major influx of foreign nationals into kwara state.

“We have seen various strange individuals engage in begging, commercial motorbike (Okada) riding, vegetable farming, vegetable sales and scavenging.

“Okada riders in Ilorin are now rather incognito, they wear various designs, colours and identification numbers of their choices, some Okada riders don’t even bother with uniforms, some cover their faces, so that they can’t be recognized.”

The statement  added: “The Kwara APC regime however, sees it fit to tax the Okada riders daily, supervised by fierce looking garage touts, who have become a nuisance at road junctions and speed breakers.

“Hausa speaking people will bear us witness that most of this new entrants do not speak or understand the Hausa language, which is the lingua franca of most northern states of Nigeria.

“To this effect we can only appeal to the state governor Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who “won” his re-election to carry out the registration and regulation of these individuals in conjunction with the Nigerian Immigration Services if necessary.

“The current security situation with the escalation of aggressive messages from Niger republic to Nigeria, we need to be security conscious in Kwara state. We have also seen a spike in recent times, of kidnappings and outright murder in Kwara state.

We also “understand” the reluctance of the state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to carry-out the registration before the 2023 general elections. His alleged reluctance was premised on not wanting to upset a very important segment/block of voters.

“Now that the elections have come and gone and he has apparently “won” re-election, we all need to consider our combined welfare and safety.The PDP hereby appeals to the Kwara state Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to spend more time at home to attend to governance, security issues and rolling out palliatives to assist Kwarans who had already been pauperised by his policies in the last four years.

“We understand the governor’s excitement at his appointment as Nigerian Governor’s forum (NGF) Chairman, need we remind him that Dr. Abubakar ‘Bukola Saraki  was elected into that position over a decade ago and that assignment didn’t affect his governance duties in a negative manner.

“It actually assisted Kwara state to have access to development projects that were not available before Dr. Saraki’s tenure as NGF chairman.

“In conclusion, we at the PDP put it to the Kwara APC regime led by Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq that; “when the sky falls, it won’t fall on only one jead. We are all in this together.”