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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kwara State has berated plans by the administration of Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq to borrow to fund its inglorious 2021 budget, which was presented to the State House of Assembly yesterday.
Governor Abdulrazaq had during his budget presentation before the State lawmakers said “Given the huge infrastructural gaps across various sectors and our agenda for inclusive growth, we may take bonds in the new year to fund critical projects to attract investments and widen the economic base of the state.”
But the PDP speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Tunde Ashaolu, called on the lawmakers and people of Kwara to reject the State Government’s proposed borrowing, saying such move would further place more financial burden on the State with absolutely no result to show for it.
The Kwara PDP emphasised that the State Government should reduce rising cost of governance, look inward and devise means to finance the budget by expanding the state’s revenue base instead of obtaining loans.
It also asked Governor Abdulrazaq to explain to Kwarans what his governemnt had done and achieved with the huge inflows the State had attracted since he assumed office in May, 2019. The party added that a critical assessment would reveal that nothing tangible is on ground to justify the reckless spendings of the current administration.
“It is very obvious that all what has been done by the administration of Governor Abdulrazaq isn’t commensurate with the huge financial resources that had accrued to the State since May 2019,.
“Our party holds that the government can fund infrastructures and grow the State’s economy without borrowings. Governor Abdulrazaq should learn from immediate past Governor of the State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who rather than borrowing, deployed his foresight to expand the State’s revenue base to finance critical infrastructure and programmes.
“Governor Abdulrazaq should therefore look inward to improve the IGR base of the State, reduce cost of governance, block leakages, stop awarding inflated and bogus contracts and ensure judicious use of the State resources instead of throwing Kwara into unbearable debt burden,” the party noted.
The Kwara PDP further holds that the 2021 budget estimates presented by Governor Abdulrazaq yesterday, does not inspire confidence, lacks direction and fails to address the critical challenges bedeviling the people of the State following the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic
It is disheartening that under Governor Abdulrazaq, Kwarans are witnessing a high level of maladministration, escalated insecurity, untold hardship, unprecedented poverty and worsening unemployment situation. Despite all these, the government still want to create more problems for the State by incuring additional financial burden for the State.
The party added that “Kwarans can never trust a government that spent over N300million on painting and fencing of a single school. Kwarans can never trust a government that claimed to have spent a whooping N8billion on the health sector with no concrete project or programme to justify such spending.
“There is therefore no assurance that the government will ensure judicious use of whatever loan facility it my obtain. This is why we are asking the State Assembly and all wellmeaning Kwarans to stand up and reject the Governor’s proposed borrowing.”
Signed:
Tunde Ashaolu,
State Publicity Secretary,
Kwara PDP
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