Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Saturday said the local debt profile his administration inherited from the past government is N59.6 billion (N59,585,637,336.62).
The indebtedness, according to his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, was as at May 29th, 2019, Ajakaye added that as at December 2018, the new administration inherited a sum of N48.6 million (N48,599,040.43) as foreign loan.
AbdulRazaq had earlier revealed that Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) blacklisted the state because immediate Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed government mismanaged the N1.5 billion grant meant to upgrade schools in Kwara in 2013.
This, according to the government, necessitated the ban placed on the state by UBEC in accessing grant from the commission. But the former governor Ahmed refuted the claims that his administration mismanaged UBEC counterpart funds.
Ahmed’s spokesman, Dr Muyideen Akorede, absolved Ahmed’s administration of any wrongdoing regarding the management of UBEC funds.
He maintained that the federal agency essentially cancelled a N2 billion grant to the state when the government borrowed from UBEB its 50 percent cent counterpart fund of N1.5 billion for the payment of salaries at the height of the 2015 economic recession which prevented most states in Nigeria from meeting salary obligations to workers.
But Governor AbdulRazaq said: ” we regret to say that the last administration cannot be forgiven for the criminal neglect of the schools because the consequences are there for all to see.”
He added that the ex-governor’s response to the outrage that greeted the diversion of N1.5 UBEC funds has raised more questions on the sordid neglect of public schools under him. Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government has called for the support of the Nigerian Government and donor agencies in its drive to revamp the education sector.
The State Governor made the call on Saturday at the commissioning of the Multi-billion Naira Main Library Complex of Kwara State University, KWASU, Malete.