Kwara State government at the weekend reacted to media reports that named the state as one those that divert local government allocations, saying “there are no funds to steal at the local governments as allocations are not enough to pay salaries”.
The Special Adviser, Political Communications to the governor, Alhaji Bashir Adigun in a statement said the report was not only mischievous, but also unethical.
Alhaji Adigun maintained that “the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is transparent and remains focused on developments that transform lives in the state”.
He said further: “We are constrained to react to a mischievous publication by a national newspaper alleging diversion of allocation to local governments by some states including the state government;
The said publication is to say the least, sensational, mischievous,unethical and failed the test of balanced reporting;
The report, broadcast by some radio stations and bloggers in the state, made a weighty allegation of diversion of funds by some state governments in its headline but nowhere in the body of the story is this found;
It may be recalled that the setting up of a judicial panel of enquiry into similar false allegation of diversion of funds last year which gave Governor AbdulRazaq a clean bill was in continued demonstration of His Excellency’s commitment not only to transparency but his policy direction on the financial autonomy for the local governments;
Governor AbdulRazaq is also on record as the first and only state governor who has voluntarily invited and involved NGOs to conduct social audit of his administration;
It should also be noted that there are no funds to steal at the local governments as their entire statutory allocation and IGR are not enough to pay their salaries 100 per cent;
The state government had to loan the local governments N110 million to enable them pay 100% salaries for the month of March;
We urge Journalists in the state to be wary of such malicious, sponsored fake news as the doors of the administration remain opened to enquiry by journalists and members of the public;
Radio stations in the state are particularly reminded of National Broadcasting Commission regulations against fake news”.
18th April, 2021
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