BBYDI Alerts Kwarans As Govt Allocates N8.5bn for Kwara Hotel Remodeling
A civil society organization, Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) has alerted Kwarans on series of capital projects place under Kwara State Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology.
BBYDI disclosed this on Thursday in a follow-up statement of the CSO examination of N296billion Kwara 2024 budget laid at Kwara State House of Assembly by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The Global Director of the organization, Abideen Olasupo says projects inserted under the ministry’s budget include N8.5billion for the rehabilitation of Kwara Hotel.
Recall that the Kwara Hotel Remodeling is currently under public scrutinizing for approval of Governor Abdulrazaq led State Executive Council to Crystal House Group on concession arrangement. While the administration awarded the project to Craneburg Construction Company at N17.8billion.
Other projects under the ministry include N6billion for construction of International Conference Centre, Ilorin, N2.5billion for Agro Processing Facilities, N1billion for Industrial Park Phase 2, N1billion for construction of Modern Market, Ilorin, N900million for Phase 2 of Film Factory, Ilorin and N600million for Ilorin Innovation Hub.
It said: “These are projects that will gulp billions of taxpayers’ funds. We, therefore, encourage Kwarans to follow these projects and demand greater accountability, transparency and quality delivery from the government in their execution.”
The group also highlighted other discrepancies, frivolous, undefined and non-specific line items it observed in Kwara 2024 budget.
The organisation also requested for clarification on why there are separate allocations of N100million each for Citizen Engagement for both the Ministry of Youth Development and Ministry of Communications. “Could the government elaborate on the specific initiatives or projects this budget is intended to support,” it said.
BBYDI also noted that the allocation of N1billion for the purchase of ‘electoral Hardware and software materials for the conduct of local government election’ gives a glimmer of hope that the state government will hold LG election next year. It however asked the government to provide a detailed breakdown of the materials it wants to procure with N1billion and to also confirm to Kwarans its readiness to hold council election in 2024.