Your Excellency, in as much I wouldn’t like to bore you with any lengthy composition, I humbly seek you go through this open letter with an open mind.
After I have perused a number of argumentative positions, ranging from the perspective of the government, the opposed positions and the intermediate viewpoints, on matters revolving the plan of the Kwara State government to access N20b bond to finance part of its outlined projects aimed at bridging the infrastructural gap in the state, I wish to write your Excellency on the subject matter.
Startlingly, let me assert that it is quite stimulating that after a four-year administration of Kwara State, under your watch, intrinsic issues that resonate directly with the feeling of the people about the overall growth of their state are being thrown open for dialogue. Comparing this to the popular political tradition of limiting decision making solely to the political elites, this development appears public oriented and the type of participatory governance we clamour for.
Be that as it may, the increasing agitation that Kwara in its general scale needs an all-inclusive infrastructural revamp is a call that must be answered by your leadership at this point of administration. Although nation building is a joint responsibility of the people and the government that are sincere in their desire for optimum development, but let me put it
to you without mincing words, that any government that fails to deliver on the mandate given to her by the people is a celebrated failure.
Now to the issue of BOND.
I would like to put aside what I consider unnecessary here “stating arguments about Kwara State owing some billions of Naira“ believing that the rejoinders by your government that the incurred N17billion bond during the administration of the former governor, Senate President Bukola Saraki, has been cleared by your tenure since August 2014 is not a political statement but actual and verifiable truth. However, I’m been bold to tell you that the infrastructural gaps in the state are apparent debts you have not paid.
As earlier stated, it’s interesting that your administration is aware of those infrastructural needs across the state. To be honest with you, all our though is that the much-talked-about dwindling economic condition of the state has blindfolded your government and left it with no other mission than how to meet up with the payment of civil servants salary.
Well, let me bring it to your notice that the heavyweight outlined projects contained in your 2016 budget that proposes to fix the ostensible infrastructural needs, and for which the need for bond is premised on, has been widely pre-empted as a covenant by your government that must be fulfilled. Opposed to or not and either financed by bond or whatever means,
the obtainable reality outside there on the streets and market places is that Kwarans are already looking forward to see those goals achieved, willy-nilly.
However, no matter how high are the expectations of the vast majority, the issue of BOND and it’s unfailing refund while the rationale behind it would never be jettisoned in anyway, is a critical one that we need be assured and re-assured that your newly forged economic-bracing strategies, most importantly that of internal revenue generation and diversification, will not fail us.
Sir, can we count on you?
Do your recent actions and decisions (what I would call a reprimand) against some local government heads, majorly on salary palaver and certain imperative matters, truly mean that #Change has also come to function here?
What of the financial statements (with figures) of the complete disbursement of allocation sums to LGs that gone viral on the social media are they all real?
While I would like to suspend this communication here till another time we shall be conversing again, let me end by saying that Kwara has the potential to achieve its numerous goals under your government if financial leakages could be curtailed and the real businesses that matter are faced.
END NOTE: It would be a general profit to us as indigens of this state if you could intensify productive discipline at all levels of the state working force, cut off unnecessary burden on your government, broaden revenue generation, create genuine youth empowerment and largely, reset your dedication to the betterment of Kwarans. Sir, you have a built name
that must be remembered for good!
Thanks and accept my warmest regard… I pray to God to strengthen and guide you right, always.
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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija
Open letter, penned by Peter Babalola.
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