By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has said he and other members of his executive and the legislative arm have sacrificed all perks of office in the last one year the administration assumed office for the sake of the state.
He said they were doing this as a sacrifice to develop the state beyond its present level.
The governor stated this on Friday at a media chat aired by radio stations in the state.
The chat was organised as part of activities of his administration in its first year anniversary.
He said that prudent management of the resources of the state had helped his administration to accomplish the feats he said the administration had recorded in infrastecure development.
The governor said his commitment to prudent management of resources would not make him share money for political patronage at the expense of developmental projects which he said the state had suffered over the years.
He said his administration was not in a rush to purchase official vehicles or make the Government House overtly cozy when the state is littered with unbefitting infrastructure that has kept it down the ladder of socioeconomic development over the years.
Abdulrazaq said his conducts, prudent handling of public funds, and prioritisation of people’s welfare were in agreement with the spirit of Otoge — the campaign slogan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
He stated: “What Kwarans voted for was change. They were tired of how things were being done before. They needed a new beginning to chart a new course. That’s the task we are charged with. The question they are asking us is how we are funding our (numerous) projects? The answer is because we are prudent in the management of public resources.
“I thank members of the state House of Assembly. All the lawmakers are entitled to a vehicle each. So far, they have sacrificed that. That possibly runs to over a billion. Our commissioners are also entitled to vehicles. That also runs to over a billion. The Governor and the deputy Governor and their aides are also entitled to vehicles which also run to over a billion. We all have sacrificed such in order to invest in critical infrastructure for the state.”
“We abandon the renovation of Government House which is also over N100m. That’s not important to us now. We need to focus on the essential things. We believe that there should be a change in the way things are done.
“Let us make sure that we start delivering now with the right trajectory because our people voted for change and change has come to stay. People will continue to see the change. Yes, some (persons) will complain that we’re not sharing money. We’re not doing this, we’re not doing that. We are not here to share money; we are here to share projects and infrastructure. We expect people to stay with us and stay focused.”
The governor commended the people of the state for their support over the last one year, calling on them to remain steadfast as the administration commits public funds to serve them.
He said that in view of the plummeting oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic that had slowed down global economy, his government would slash the (N162 billion) 2020 budget by roughly N40 billion with huge emphasis placed on cutting cost of governance and some infrastructural projects that do not immediately impact on the lives of the people.
He disclosed more money would now go into social investments to shore up the purchasing power of the masses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abdulrazaq who said that the state government had nearly finalised debates on the national minimum wage before the pandemic struck commended the workers in the state for their understanding while the debate lasted, saying the government remains committed to welfare of the workers.
He said that the recent presidential order granting autonomy to local governments has justified his position that the third tier of government must be allowed to manage its own resources and take its own decisions.
