Kwara PDP, APC trade words over project execution

The Kwara State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party and its All Progressives Congress counterpart have engaged each other on altercations concerning the inauguration of projects in the state.

Although PDP has been loud in its criticism that the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had not executed tangible projects in over three years of his administration, the party now changed gear by advising the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), not to be deceived into inaugurating uncompleted projects in the state when he would visit for APC presidential campaign in the state next week.

Director General of PDP Campaign Council in the state, Ali Ahmad, said that the president should distance himself from the alleged fraudulent act by the state governor.

Ahmad, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, described the action as a ploy by the governor to save himself the embarrassment of having his failures become a topic of national discourse when the President visits and finds no noteworthy project for commissioning.

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He said, “They have all invited the President for project commissioning on more than two occasions within their first four years in office. But nothing has been done here in Kwara. Despite the bonds, grants, and loans Gov. AbdulRazaq received over the years, it is unfortunate that nothing can be shown for it. All the roads he renovated are not up to 10km in total.

“In other states, we heard about 50km of road projects and 500 units of housing projects are being constructed by their governors. We haven’t had it so bad as this in Kwara State spending four years without a single project. What is impressive about that.”

Ahmad thereafter advised the president to visit Kwara State for the APC campaign, deliver his message to the electorate, and leave without being stained with the falsehood concocted by the state government.

The APC Campaign Council, in its reaction, said that Buhari would be invited back to Kwara State to inaugurate different projects next month.

In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the APC Campaign Council in the State, Florence Oyeyemi, the party said the opposition PDP would definitely cry out its heart next month when Buhari arrive to inaugurate some legacy projects executed AbdulRazaq.

Oyeyemi, the state Commissioner of Finance said, “President Buhari is coming next Tuesday to just flag off the presidential campaign in Kwara State, while a different date will be announced for grand commissioning of different impactful projects such as the largest Intensive Care Unit facility in North Central which is the first functional ICU facility in the state.

“The PDP is understandably jittery because it has exhausted its arsenals of empty catch phrases and propaganda that fail to inspire the electorates as a result of its horrible records in Kwara State.

“Worse still is the fact that the PDP Campaign Council is led by persons notorious for their roles in diverting public resources for their own use.

“They are understandably pained that this Governor is now committing savings from bogus consultancy money that they were diverting to their private pockets to building a befitting headquarters for the KWIRS, which will have different office spaces for commercial purposes and benefit the state.”