Revealed: How Kwara Gov. AbdulRazaq secretly appoints Senegalese lady as adviser
Information has emerged on how the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has been making some secret appointment of certain individuals – which include foreigner – into the state cabinet, THE INFORMANT247 has gathered.
Recall that the State House of Assembly has recently approved the request of the State Governor to appoint 7 Special Advisers to ease governance and dividends of democracy in the state.
This, according to the speaker, followed a message from the Governor dated 5th August, 2019 requesting the approval of the House on the appointment of 7 Special Advisers by his government.
The Speaker, who read the message to members at the plenary, threw the question to all members and they unanimously gave the nod for the Governor to do so.
Meanwhile, the name of the special advisers were not revealed even to the parliamentarian that approved the executive request.
Howbeit, the Governor would later publicly announced – through his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye – the appointment of Dr Olawale Sulaiman, an Igbomina born, US based neurosurgeon as special adviser on health matters.
Ajakaye while announcing the appointment of Sulaiman revealed that he was appointed based on the excellent report of his vast experience in health matters both locally and internationally, and dedication to the noble ideals of the AbduRazaq’s administration.
The twist however took a new dimension as THE INFORMANT247 exclusively obtained how the state governor secretly appoints a Senegalese as Adviser on Economic Development Matters to the Governor.
The young Senegalese lady, Ms. Khadijetou Wouro Ba, used to be a program officer with a Nigeria-based non-profit organization founded in 2007, YIAGA – Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth Advancement.
According to her profile obtained by THE INFORMANT247, She said to be a member of Leadership-Ethics-Governance and Strategies for Africa (LEGS-AFRICA), a Senegal-based CSO that promotes leadership qualities for Africans and a thinking model based on African values and principles.
When contacted by our undercover journalist, Tunde Abdullateef, who pretends to be an economic expert based in Nigeria and graduate of London school of economics with a proposal for the state government, she responded by sending her mail (k.ba@kwarastate.gov.ng) a Kwara state Government related mail – to our correspondent for the proposal.
However, further investigation revealed that she has been appointed and working with the State Government to oversee the Economic Development of the State without the approval of the State House of Assembly as the chamber only approved the appointment of 6 “Special Adviser” and not “Adviser” as seen in the Kwara State Government card of the Governor’s adviser.
Speaking with a Kwara-based economic expert, Dr. Ibrahim Yusuf said, “I wouldn’t want to believe the governor can take such a decision, but if he does, then he might have start with error. With the thousands of experienced youths and economy expert in the state, how could the Governor possibly bring a foreign lady for the sector. Economy is more than just beautiful face or activism, this is what affects the live of millions of Kwarans,”
“Even President Buhari while constituting Economic Committee only appointed Nigerians, and the state governors are the Federal Economic team, this is to show how sensitive anything economy is,”
“Besides, how’ll you appoint a Senegalese to advise you on Kwara economy, what local knowledge has she? I believe he can’t tender such before the Kwara Assembly and they give consent to it.”
Consequently, all efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye for comment prooved abortive as his number weren’t reachable.