PDP Tasks AbdulRazaq on Planned N17bn to Renovate Kwara Hotel

Hammed Shittu  in Ilorin

Worried by the current economic realities, the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kwara state at the weekend advised the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to reconsider the purported move to spend over N17billion to embark on the renovation of the state owned hotel, Kwara Hotel, Ilorin.

The party said that the commitment of such huge amount to the renovation of hotel when many residents of the state are sufferings from economic hardship is not good  for the socio well being of the residents of the state.

The state executive council after its meeting  last Wednesday in Ilorin approved the award of redesigning and wholesale rebuilding of the iconic Kwara Hotel to Craneburg Construction Company Limited to a five-star hospitality facility at the sums of N17b.8 billion for a duration of 24 months.

The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji AbdulQuawiy Olododo stated that, “the contract will  be done through contract financing model to ensure prompt delivery, the construction and furnishing will be the most comprehensive since the legacy was constructed by the Brigadier-General David Bamigboye regime in 1975, clearly giving it an edge over any other facility in the entire North Central.

“The contract award followed a long procurement process that began in September 2023,” he said.

But, the PDP,  in a statement issued and  signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, said: “In the face of economic challenges confronting our citizens, such an exorbitant spending plan requires detailed clarification.

“At a time when citizens are grappling with economic hardships, the government must prioritize the welfare of the people and embark on projects that can directly improve their standards of living.

“It is also important for Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman to tell Kwarans whether the intention is to demolish the existing structure and rebuild the new hotel.”

The statement read: “To us in PDP,  there are so much inconsistent in the government’s statements over renovation/ rehabilitation of Kwara Hotel.

“When the government closed the hotel last year due to poor management,  they told Kwarans that the government would like to go for a public private partnership.

Again, the government is allocating N17.8 billion of tax payers money for the renovation of the same hotel while deceiving Kwarans it is planning to rebuild it.

“It is disheartening that, the purported move to spend such huge amount of over N17billion on the renovation of Kwara Hotel when the state is still lacking in infrastructural and social amenities capable of attracting investors to the state.

“The people of Kwara deserve transparency and accountability in governance, especially when confronted with such monumental financial decisions by those elected to hold trust for them.”

The party added: “We maintained that the earlier shutting down of the Hotel, which was handed over by the PDP’s administration to Abdulrahman’s government in good operational condition, underscores the current government tendency to ruin Kwara state legacy and reverse all progress reocrded before 2019.”

“Our party also vehemently condemns the illegal auctioning of Kwara Hotel properties by the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led Kwara State Government.

“This action, undertaken without adhering to due process, is a blatant disregard for transparency and governance norms. What is being labeled by APC APC-led government as an auction appeared to be more of a sponsored looting spree, as the government sidesteps established procedures, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the process and the responsible use of public resources.”

“Furthermore, we insist on accountability for the N17 billion kept in a secret bank account for over three years by the Governor, this fund is very important to Kwarans.

The party added: “We urge Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to reconsider his stance on the Kwara Hotel and explain to citizens what he plans to do, whether he is demolishing the existing structure to erect a new one or whether it is just a renovation of the existing structure that will gulp N17.8 billion.”