Ahmed to Abdulrasaq: I followed due process in selling govt quarters to civil servants, Kwara Assembly members
Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, governor of Kwara
But the former governor in his reply to the Abdulrasaq allegation said his administration followed due process in selling government quarters to civil servants, and members of the 7th Kwara state house of assembly on owner-occupier basis after state executive council approval.
The governor said this on Monday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock had accused Ahmed of mismanaging resources of the state.
“What we met was that, they have sold virtually about 110 government properties including the deputy governor’s residence, our deputy governor is staying in rented accommodation, they just shared everything,” The governor said.
“It’s so painful, we have to develop alternative means of generating revenue and that is why we have to be enterprising in the way we do our things. I came to see the president to wish him good tidings for the new year and also with a shopping list because our state is in dire streaks. When we got in, there was a total collapse in the state start from education. Our four colleges of education were on strike for a year.
Beer-parlour gossip is PDP’s Orbih stock-in-trade – Obaseki’s aide
“The government was owing teachers about N750 million. Thank God we have been able to clear that. Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) had blacklisted Kwara state since 2013. So, it shows you that there had not been any investment in the education sector.
“But we have been able to clear the liabilities. We paid UBEC N450
But the former Governor of Kwara State,in his response to his successor’s, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, allegation that his administration sold 110 government properties including the house the deputy governor.
Speaking through his media aide, Dr Muyideen Akorede, the ex-governo said his administration followed due process in selling some government quarters to civil servants, and members of the 7th Kwara State House of Assembly on owner-occupier basis following state Executive Council approval.
The said approval, also covered other properties disposed of by his administration with the proceeds paid into government coffers.
He further clarified that the Federal Government’s monetisation policy which sought to shed the financial burden of maintaining government-owned properties motivated his administration’s disposal of the affected assets.
According to him, contrary to Abdulrazak’s claim of misappropriation, the former administration cancelled a bank loan obtained to counterpart fund the 2013 Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) grant when the repayment pressured dwindling federal allocation, and therefore threatened pressing government obligations.
Regarding salary payment, Ahmed maintained that his administration was up to date in the payment of state civil servants, including senior secondary teachers under its remit, before leaving office. Unfortunately, he said, local government councils owed their workers and primary school teachers subsisting salary arrears on account of unstable federal allocation to that tier of government.
Ahmed pointed out that the Abdulrazak administration’s adoption of the previous administration’s position that salaries and pensions gulped the bulk of federal allocations to the state and local government councils had vindicated his administration.
Ahmed expressed relief that despite the vicious blackmail his administration was subjected to on account of the said arrears, the current government’s position had exonerated his.
