By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara State government has concluded arrangements to inject N14 billion into the state’s economy through execution of infrastructural projects in the education sector.
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Strategy, Alhaji Sa’adu Salahu, disclosed this on Friday at a media parley organised by the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to mark Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration’s two years anniversary.
Salahu disclosed that having paid the Universal Basic Education ‘s (UBEC) backlog of counterpart funds, the state now has N14 billion in its kitty to improve infrastructural facilities at the basic education level in the state.
He said: “Through prudent management of the available resources at the disposal of the state government, the governor has activated the state’s economy.
“By ensuring prompt payment of retirees’ pensions, workers’ salaries, teachers inclusive, Governor AbdulRazaq has activated the state’s economy. Workers and teachers were home for six months during the COVID-19 induced locked down and they received their salaries in full.”
Salahu, a retired media and public relations guru, added: “The Governor
considers journalists as patriots and front line workers. He sees them as equal partners in nation building.”
He said that was why on assumption of office, the Governor acted swiftly to resuscitate the State Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara).
Aside from infrastructural projects scattered across the 16 local government areas of the state, numerous employment and empowerment schemes targeted at youths and women, Salahu said transparency, accountability and good governance are the hallmarks of AbdulRazaq’s administration.
“The Governor is in a hurry to take Kwara to greater heights because he was approached for rescue mission. He’s not in government to make money. As a business mogul he had made his billions at the age of 30.”
Earlier, the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Umar AbdulWahab, had said the NUJ organised the programme in recognition of the AbdulRazaq administration’s support for the union and journalists in the state.
He recalled that the state government did not only extend COVID-19 palliatives to journalists in the state, but also organised a training programme for them on effective coverage of the pandemic and as well approved over N17m for the renovation of the NUJ Press Centre in Ilorin, the state capital.
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