$20 Million NG-CARES Fund:Publish names of beneficiaries, Prof Ali Ahmad fireback at Kwara Govt
Our attention has been drawn to a statement by the Kwara State Government through one ‘Olatunde Ibiyinka’ who claimed to be the State Coordinator of the Kwara State CARES Coordinating Unit in a response titled “RE: NG-CARES Fund: Kwara State Government Sets the Record Straight”.
The response by this particular state character was said to be a reaction to one of the Six Fundamental Questions raised by the Director General of the Kwara PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Prof Ali Ahmad to HE Gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his administration.
Recall that Prof Ahmad reeled out the Six Fundamental Questions during his appearance on a popular weekly radio programme on Harmony FM 103.5 tagged ‘Efura Hour’ sponsored by an advocacy group; the Kwara Stakeholders Consultative Forum.
It should be noted that his appearance on the radio was basically to educate Kwarans, particularly the indigent about the numerous Federal Government-led nationally and internationally aided initiatives benefited by the State under Governor AbdulRazaq’s APC-led government in Kwara.
Specifically, the World Bank intervention initiative codenamed NG-CARES is purposely targeted at lessening the effect of the Covid-19 aftermath on Nigeria’s economy.
For the sake of clarity, Prof Ali Ahmad was particularly asking HE Gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to explain in clear terms to Kwarans about the spending of the said World Bank intervention programme, and also challenging him to publish the names of the beneficiaries (even if they are APC members).
Prof Ahmad, hence, insisted that the response of the Kwara State Government on how the NG-CARES fund was utilised was only addressed in usual jaundiced and rhetorical manner of the Gov AbdulRazaq-led administration.
He, however, thanked the Gov. AbdulRazaq-led government for confirming that over $20 Million NG-CARES Fund was truly allocated to Kwara State through the World Bank initiative.
It’s a stark dismay that HE Gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq prefers to play the smart game by hiding under the finger of the ‘state character’ to address One out of the Six Questions raised over a week ago by the Former Federal lawmaker.
After reading the response, It is deducible that the Gov AbdulRazaq-led Kwara State Government is majorly concerned with hoodwinking the unsuspecting indigent in order to subscribe to his whims and caprices on the yet-to-be accounted for $20 Million World Bank NG-CARES fund.
His fairy tales can only lead us to further question him on the ‘acclaimed allocated’ and the yet-to-be-named beneficiaries of the $20 Million NG-CARES fund across the various Delivery Platforms listed by the state character.
For emphasis, Prof Ahmad stands to be corrected that the spending and implementation of the over 20 Million Dollars NG-CARES fund (as claimed) meant for at least 5,000 indigent Kwarans was noticeably a sharp practice.
While it is understood that the NG-CARES Programme is a two-year emergency response intervention programme by the World Bank (specifically) with a credit facility of $750 Million, and with each participating State eligible to access an equal amount of $20 Million, this intervention was aimed at expanding access to livelihood support and food security services, and grants for vulnerable households and firms occasioned by the outbreak of Covid-19 across the 36 States in Nigeria including the FCT.
Prof Ahmad has meanwhile, criticised the Gov AbdulRazaq-led Kwara State Government for not adopting one of his fellow governor’s approaches to the spending of the NG-CARES fund in the case of our dear beloved Kwara State.
This statement, therefore, leads us to an opportunity to enlighten Kwarans by asking another set of questions from HE Gov AbdulRazaq.
- In Zamfara state, for example, in April 2022, the governor was said to set aside the sum of N8.3 Billion naira for onward distribution to 152,107 targeted beneficiaries in the case of NG-CARES initiative. The Zamfara Government noted that “the services that NG-CARES will deliver to the common man of Zamfara State including Livelihood grant of 3.4 Billion Naira, Food security 3.4 Billion Naira and Job Creation through Small and Medium scale Enterprises at 2 Billion Naira.” With this, We are asking HE Gov AbdulRazaq why did his Zamfara counterpart get N8.3 billion to be distributed for the NG-CARES and Kwara claimed to be eligible for only N900 Million advance as of March 2022?
- Similar to the claims by the NG-CARES ‘state character’ in Kwara, the delivery platforms in Zamfara state were pegged at three namely: CSDA, FADAMA, and the State Ministry of Commerce and Industries. We are asking HE Gov AbdulRazaq why is Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) included as part of the delivery platforms when KWASSIP is an independent agency that derived its resources from the state annual budget?
The operational grant of N200,000 and N700,000 claimed to be distributed through this delivery platform to 688 Small and Micro Businesses across the 16 LGAs remains questionable. Kwarans beg to ask the governor to publish the names of the beneficiaries (even if they are APC members).
- Kwara has been indexed as one of the dirtiest states under the AbdulRazaq-led administration, we are consciously asking the governor to explain to us who and where are the Labour Intensive Public Workers (LIPWs) when every of our streets is filled with hills of dirt? Again, Prof Ali Ahmad is challenging the governor to publish the names of the 1025 LIPWs who were alleged to be drawing N10,000 monthly from the acclaimed ‘N900 million NG-CARES and N518,314,964 provided by the state towards implementing the programme’.
- For clarity, Prof Ali Ahmad did not at any point claim that N15,000 peanuts were given to each business owner but insisted that the NG-CARES in Kwara state was shrouded in secrecy, and lacks transparency and accountability. He only urged Kwarans to ask questions on the largesse of the Federal-govt BOI initiative.
- Finally, the Director General for the PDP State Campaign Council in Kwara, Prof Ali Ahmad has promised never to rest on his oars to clear the air by enlightening and informing Kwarans particularly the indigents of the major opportunities and aids coming from the National and International communities under the HE Gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq led administration.
Meanwhile, the former Federal lawmaker reiterated that the major opposition, PDP, is determined and ready to reclaim Kwara by avoiding and resisting mudslinging and propaganda tools of the HE Gov AbdulRazaq APC-led administration in the state.
