Dollar Decline: Governor AbdulRazaq Should Reevaluate Kwara Hotel Budget, By Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed

Kwara Hotel has been the center of a head-to-head battle in Kwara state for some months, where many elites and political figures have debated the exorbitant amount approved by the Kwara State government under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the remodelling and restructuring.

The allocation of N17.8 billion for the hotel’s rehabilitation to Craneburg Construction Company Limited raises concerns about the future of Kwarans, and indicates that the future of Kwarans has been mortgaged.

Good Governance is said to prioritize the welfare of vulnerable citizens, but the situation in Kwara State suggests otherwise.

Undoubtedly, Kwara has remained one of the underdeveloped states since its creation on May 27, 1967. It is categorized as a civil servant state, meaning there are only a few private companies that could potentially accelerate the state’s economic growth.

Many citizens in the state are living from hand to mouth especially with the inadequacy of the minimum wage to meet basic needs, which has been a center of discussion during this difficult time. Thirty thousand cannot even buy a bag of rice, let alone sustain an individual for a whole month.

It is obvious that Governor AbdulRahman did not consider the plight of the people or the condition of the country’s economy before approving such a significant sum to a project of questionable benefit that ordinary citizens can hardly define its necessity.

At this time, when the state is suffering from economic hardship due to the removal of fuel subsidies, allocating N17.8 billion of taxpayers’ money to remodeling a hotel that cannot add benefits or value to the lives of the market men and women is nothing but sheer wickedness.

If Governor AbdulRahman truly loves his people as he claims, he needs to revisit the budget he approved for Kwara Hotel since the dollar is gradually decreasing in value. He should make a proper announcement and acknowledge the fact that the Naira has regained its strength compared to when the budget was approved.

Especially at a time when citizens are grappling with economic hardship, AbdulRazaq must prioritize the welfare of the people and embark on projects that can directly improve their standards of living.

Recall how the Crystal Group of Companies entered into a deal with the Kwara State Government in 2021 and obtained approval for the remodeling of Kwara Hotel for N3 billion. However, it’s unclear what happened before AbdulRazaq struck a new deal through the backdoor with Craneburg Construction Company Limited for N17.8 billion, to the detriment of the people.

The circumstances surrounding the renegotiation of the hotel remodelling deal, from N3 billion to N17.8 billion, raise suspicions of corruption and mismanagement of state resources.

It is a case of misplaced priorities, corruption, and mismanagement of state resources under the leadership of Governor AbdulRazaq, where unborn children will bear the burden of debt without reaping any benefits or having knowledge about it.

Governor AbdulRazaq should understand that people do not intentionally provoke hatred toward any government that prioritizes the economic well-being of its citizens before embarking on projects that do not add value to ordinary lives.

Criticism of the government’s actions should be viewed as constructive feedback rather than mere animosity, which urges them to prioritize the needs of the people.

Calling on the government to do the right thing for its people should not be seen as hatred, but rather as a wake-up call in the right direction.