Gov Abdulrazaq's Misguided Spending: A Threat To Kwara's Equitable Development

By Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen.

Dear Governor AA, 

I can’t help but ask: why are you wasting our valuable resources on projects that don’t truly address the needs of our people and State? As I drive around the city and see the ongoing work between Wahab Folawiyo Road and Ahmadu Bello Way roundabout, it’s hard to ignore the staggering amount of money being poured into an area that was already in decent shape. It’s estimated that over ₦80billion is being spent on these projects scattered along this axis alone, yet many other parts of the state continue to suffer from neglect.

Let’s take a look at the facts. ₦1.5billion has been allocated to rehabilitate the Wahab Folawiyo road. I had driven on this road countless times before its reconstruction began and I never found it to be in disrepair, and I'm sure many people have this same thought, too. So, I have to ask: was this project truly necessary? While this road enjoys fresh asphalt, other roads in the state, like the Okolowo road, remain in a state of dangerous disrepair. Okolowo is a nightmare for road users and residents of the area have been pleading for a flyover to ease the burden of traffic and reduce the number of accidents on the road. But their cries seem to go unheard while billions are being poured into a “Unity Flyover” on a road that doesn’t even need one.

How can we justify spending ₦8.4 billion on a flyover where there’s no urgent traffic issue, while Okolowo road continues to claim lives? It’s frustrating to witness this, knowing that such an important area is being neglected in favour of projects that seem more about optics than genuine development. The argument that the Okolowo road is a federal road holds no water when you consider the number of deaths and destruction that have been recorded on that road. By the way, the road where the Unity bridge is sitting on is also a federal road. So, the 'federal road' argument is defeated. 

It is troubling whenever I think of the number of projects concentrated along the Ahmadu Bello way and its environs, and the amount of state resources expended on them. The construction of the Ilorin International Conference Centre was initially awarded at the cost of ₦12billion and the reconstruction of the Civil Service Clinic is coming in at another ₦12.4billion. There’s also the Kwara Internal Revenue Service multi-storey complex, which is said to cost over ₦12billion. And then there’s the ₦17.8billion allocated for the renovation of Kwara Hotel, the ₦3.7billion for rehabilitating Ahmadu Bello road, the construction of the Visual Art Centre cost the state over ₦3billion, while the Innovation gulped more than ₦4billion.

The above projects are eye-watering sums of money being concentrated in just one area, while the rest of the state, including communities with crumbling infrastructure, are being left unattended to. There are villages where people can hardly access healthcare because the roads are so bad that even ambulances can’t get through. Shouldn’t concerns like this be a priority to the government?

I understand the need for modernization, but how can we justify spending ₦17.8billion on Kwara Hotel’s renovation when there are people struggling to even access clean drinking water or safe roads? What is the value of these massive, high-profile projects if they don’t benefit the majority of Kwarans? Why are we spending so much on aesthetics when basic infrastructure that affects people’s daily lives is deteriorating?

This isn’t about opposing development in the state capital, but about equity. Development should be spread across the state, especially in areas where people are suffering the most. The resources we have are limited, so every naira counts. The real question is, are we spending it wisely? 

Tanke flyover is another clear example of misplaced priority, which has disrupted the area and hasn’t even been commissioned due to construction issues. It’s frustrating because all the road needed was a simple expansion to ease traffic, not a massive, poorly executed flyover. 

In the end, I ask Your Excellency to take a broader view of development. Kwara State’s progress should not be limited to one area. Let’s ensure that resources are allocated to projects that benefit all Kwarans, not just a select few. It’s time to shift focus from flashy, expensive projects to ones that address the real and pressing needs of the people. Flashy projects can wait; the wellbeing of Kwarans cannot!

Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen writes from Kwara State Capital. 

Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? For Adverts or report call/WhatsApp us on +2349064433505 or reach us at infokwarareporters@gmail.com