By Correspondent in Ilorin
A pro-democracy group in Kwara state, Kwara Must Change, has described the N35 billion bond, raised by the Kwara state government, as a necessary sacrifice which residents must bear to ensure rapid development in every sector.
It is recalled that the plan by the Kwara state government to raise N35 billion bond has generated issues between the state government and members of the opposition in the state.
In a statement in Ilorin on Tuesday by the convener of the group, AbdulRazaq Hamzat, to some issues generated by the bond, he observed that all over the world, governments were exploiting unconventional options to bring the much needed infrastructural development to their states.
“The new order is to invest in social amenities and economic activities to generate revenue and provide the much needed employment for the teeming youths.
” Governments need to leverage on the available options to extract funds that will assist them to re-energize every economic and social sector”, he said, adding that, “This, has no harm”.
The group also allayed the fears among the public, describing it as normal especially in a state that had experienced resources mismanagement by past governments.
“Kwara Must Change has confidence in the ability of the current administration in managing the resources transparently, because the government has demonstrated in many ways that it is not only transparent, but equally prudent.
“The recent transparent disbursement of grant support to SMEs affected by the #EndSARS crisis is a testament to the administration’s transparency and this is in addition to other transparent activities, such as bursary disbursement to students, teachers recruitment etc”, he said.
While reiterating the commitment of Kwara Must Change to good governance, Hamzat also reminded the people that projects such as KWASU campuses at Osi and Ilesha-Baruba, textile production company, International Cattle Market and other developmental projects that the present administration is planning to embark on (with the accessed bond) are necessary to get the system running sustainably.
He added that there was no where in the world where government information, especially classified ones,were available in their raw nature.
However, “government must be encouraged to give specific information that may shape public discourse and understanding to avoid misinformation and unnecessary scepticism,” he said.
