The Kwara State Government has unveiled projects estimated to be running into several billions of naira which are to be executed in the state in the next 24 months.
According to Arewa PUNCH, the projects have already been approved by the State Executive Council at one of its meetings which was held in Ilorin, the state Capital.
Among others, the projects include the upgrade of the state General Hospital to a Teaching Hospital for the State University, the remodeling of Kwara Hotels, the reconstruction of the Wahab Folawiyo road, Ilorin, and the construction of a new overhead bridge along the Unity road.
Speaking about the contracts, the Commissioner for Business, Innovation, and Technology, Mrs. Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun disclosed further, “At a council meeting the government approved the award for the redesigning and wholesale rebuilding of the iconic Kwara Hotel to Craneburg Construction Company Limited to a five-star hospitality facility at the sum of N17.8 billion for a duration of 24 months.
“The project is to be done through contract financing model to ensure prompt delivery, the construction and furnishing will be the most comprehensive since the legacy was constructed by the Brigadier-General David Bamigboye regime in 1975, clearly giving it an edge over any other in other states across the country”.
Similarly, the Supervising Commissioner for the state Ministry of Works and Transport, AbdulQuawiy Olododo also announced the approval for the immediate reconstruction and works on the Wahab Folawiyo (Unity Road) Road in Ilorin following the state executive council’s approval of the overhauling of the major artery road that empties into downtown Ilorin.
Olododo stated, “In what is a preparation for the future of one of the major traffic-prone axis of the metropolis with a concentration of banks and other businesses, the cabinet has also approved the award of construction of a modern flyover to connect the traffic at Unity roundabout to Craneburg Construction at the cost of N8.4bn for the duration of 12 months”.
The state branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the governor to exercise patience before proceeding to execute work on the Kwara hotels contract, adding that the governor needs to give the people of the state better explanations on the contract.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, PDP stated, “We question whether the government intends to demolish and reconstruct a new hotel or it is the existing structure that will be gulping N17.8 billion for renovation or if undisclosed factors are driving them to project N17.8 billion for only Kwara hotel when the state is still lacking in infrastructural and social amenities capable of attracting investors to the state.
“The people of Kwara deserve transparency and accountability in governance, especially when confronted with such monumental financial decisions by those elected to hold trust for them.
“We maintain that the earlier shutting down of the Hotel, which was handed over by the PDP administration to Abdulrahman’s government in good operational condition, underscores the current government’s tendency to ruin Kwara State legacy and reverse all progress recorded before 2019.
“Our party also vehemently condemns the illegal auctioning of Kwara Hotel properties by the Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led Kwara State Government. This action, undertaken without adhering to due process, is a blatant disregard for transparency and governance norms. What is being labeled by the APC-led government as an auction appeared to be more of a sponsored looting spree, as the government sidesteps established procedures, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the process and the responsible use of public resources”, the PDP statement stressed.
The main opposition party also queried the award of three major projects amounting to N27.714 billion to a single company that had never executed a single project in the state.
It alleged that a single company, Craneburg Construction LTD has been approved as the sole contractor for the construction of Kwara Hotel at the rate of N17.8 billion, the Unity Roundabout flyover at the cost of N8.4 billion, and the reconstruction of Unity Road at the rate of N1,513,528,195.18. This means that Craneburg Construction has been awarded triple contracts worth N27 billion from the Kwara State Government in a single move.
It maintained that the development is highly suspicious, even as it alleged that the said Company was brought by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and imposed on the state Executive Council as its decision at a stage-managed meeting where commissioners and other members of the meeting were not allowed to ventilate their opinions.
Continuing, Adewara insisted, “We make bold to say that this action, whereby a single company that has not undertaken any project in the state before could come from the moon and secure all the construction contracts from the Kwara State government is alien to rationality.
“Could it mean that there are no other construction companies that possess the required capacity to undertake those projects all over the country?” he queried.
The PDP scribe warned further, “We challenge Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to provide a transparent explanation for the exclusive preference given to Craneburg Construction Company Limited. Is there any undisclosed relationship or special arrangement between the Governor and the said company? We call on the governor to come forth and clarify these concerns to ensure accountability and uphold the principles of fairness and equal opportunity.
“This is particularly troubling considering that during its campaign in 2019, the governor pledged to prioritise and support local contractors and ensure they grow the local economy by constantly engaging the local companies. Therefore, it is unacceptable that the governor, who prides himself as ‘Ijoba Mekunu’ has now chosen to award N27 billion worth of state contracts to a single company.
“This decision not only explains Governor AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq as a man who should not be trusted but also disregards the potential economic benefits that could have been derived from distributing these projects among various contractors”, the PDP statement challenged.
