Information have emerged on how the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq allegedly paid a popular Nigerian music star, Ayodeji Balogun populary called Wizkid the sum of fifty million naira for a 15 minutes musical show in Ilorin.
The INFORMANT247 exclusively gathered that the governor made the payment in secret to avoid widespread crictism.
The 15 minutes show, which is part of a concert to hold at Kwara hotels today, is powered by the Kwara state government in proxy using a relative’s entertainment company.
The entertainment industry, CHARCOAL situated at Tanke junction in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital is allegedly owned by Baba AbdulRazaq, a brother to the governor.
According to multiple reliable sources, the music superstar requested for a sum of 50 million naira before attending the show which the governor obliged to, but however had to use a cover company to hold the program.
“You know, the governor has been nurturing this idea a longtime ago, but he needs a company to hold the program and stay behind the scene because of the public perception. He said he will come only if they pay fifty million naira, which they agreed to,” a source told THE INFORMANT247.
Wizkid is expected to come in private jet and leave Ilorin immediately after his performance for Burnaboy’s show in Lagos.
THE INFORMANT27 also gathered that another popular Disk jockey cuz musician who is to perform alongside Wizkid, Jimmy Jatt is allegedly said to have recieved N10 million naira in payment.
“Yes, but the governor is doing this to provide an enabling enviroment for the entertainment industry in Kwara state. He is trying. Let me confide this in you, more than millions of naira was expended on the project. Do you know how much Wizkid takes before attending a show? How possible do you think a company in Kwara will bring him and make gate-fee free? The government is deeply involved in this. Infact, it is a Kwara state government programme,” A source who plead anonymity told our correspondent.”
Earlier today, the governor had personally inspected the venue of the live concert alongside other powerful government delegates.
According to information gathered by this medium, the governor was on ground to ensure all necessary requirements for the program were put in place.
When contacted, the governor’s spokesperson, Rafiu Ajakaye denied knowledge. He said, “The Kwara State Government has no hand in the coming of the ace pop singer. I am also not aware that His Excellency is involved directly, but of course as the number one citizen of Kwara State it is natural that whoever that is behind the concert will give him the honour of knowing about it. That is natural and proper because the bulk stops at his table as the chief security officer of the state.”
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT BILL
Recall that the Kwara state government has refused to respond to several requests by civil society groups, including ENetSuD, on how state funds are being expended after the House of Assembly and state government failed to take action on the domestication of the FOI bill already passed by the erstwhile Assembly.
A columnist with THE INFORMANT247, Abdulwahab Tajudeen in an article published by THE INFORMANT247 also joined civil society group to speak on the recent proposed 2020 budget submitted to the House. He wrote: “The executive Governor of the state, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, claimed the budget came with a particular uniqueness in its funding, opening balance of ₦7bn, amounting to 4.3% of the required budget proposal funding is indeed unique, no state in recent time has laid claim to such feat, however, the money is an accrued saving of the state fund in the past seven months as claimed, This statement then digs out some questions as to how the government came about the figure.
“Understandably, the government inherited ₦4.8billion in as a Tax refund, where did we get the balance of ₦2.2billion? How much apart from the tax refund has the state gulped in revenue? How much did we expend to arrive at such savings?”
ENetSuD, also in one of its press statement on the transparency of the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration, said: “The Speaker (whose Assembly has refused to effect minor amendment of FOI Bill after 140 days of receiving it) and the Governor (who has not fulfilled his moral obligation to persuade the Assembly to work on the amendment he requested for on a bill he said to strongly be in support of) are both calling on Kwarans to kill corruption, but have not provided the legal tool and platform for Kwarans to kill it.
“Access to information on public fund spending (which the current KWSG has not given to Kwarans) is the beginning of sincere and realistic corruption-killing exercise. Aside the miragic domestication of FOI Act in Kwara state, Abdulrahman administration has also proven its non-readiness for transparency and accountability by the Governor’s refusal to respond to ENetSuD’s request for financial and technical details of 9 selected KWSG-funded projects after 36 days of receiving and acknowledging it.”