Kwara PDP slams Gov AbdulRazaq over plans to take loans in 2021
Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday berated plans by the administration of Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq to take loans to fund what it described as “inglorious 2021 budget”.
THE INFORMANT247 had earlier reported that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, during the presentation of budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year to the state assembly on Tuesday, disclosed that his administration might take loans in 2021 to fund projects to attract investments and widen the economic base of the state.
He hinted that these projects are necessary to bridge the huge infrastructural gaps across various sectors in the State.
However, the opposition party in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Tunde Ashaolu, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin, urged 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 Party emphasised that the State Government should reduce the 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 government 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 the 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 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
The party added, “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 wants to create more problems for the State by incurring additional financial burden for the State.
“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 whopping 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 may obtain. This is why we are asking the State Assembly and all well meaning Kwarans to stand up and reject the Governor’s proposed borrowing.”
