ILORIN, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Kwara state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has denied insinuations in certain quarters that he was at loggerheads with President of Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki over the unruly behavior of miscreants at the Ilorin Eid Prayer Ground, last Thursday.
Also, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, says the disruption of the eid prayers by miscreants was condemnable stressing that the actions of the malefactors amounted to desecration of the sanctity of the worship place.
In a statement, senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede, disclosed that at no time did Saraki accuse the governor of opening him to attacks by the miscreants at the prayer ground.
Faulting the report in an online news medium, which claimed that Senator Saraki collected N1billion out of the N4.3b bail-out fund meant for the state, Akorede said it was “preposterous, malicious and provocative”.
The Senate President neither received any kobo out of the money which was fully used to pay the two-months salary arrears owed State Civil Servants in August, 2015 nor any other money from the state government,” the statement added.
He noted that Saraki being fully preoccupied with the onerous task of law-making and providing leadership at the National Assembly, has no time to either interfere with or control the state’s finances which he said was fully under the jurisdiction of the state government.
The Special Assistant explained that Governor Ahmed’s decision to observe the Eid prayers in his hometown rather than Ilorin, was to spend time with the people and not based on any security report of a possible attack.
While stressing that Saraki’s presence at Ilorin Eid Ground on Sallah day was not in defiance of any security reports or publicity stunt as was reported, the statement noted that as a political loved by the people, Dr Saraki does not need to prove his popularity or induce people to show their support for him.
Truly and convincingly, the report could only have been stirred up by disgruntled elements, threatened by the peace and harmony in the state with the sole aim of creating disaffection between the state government and the good people of the state”, Akorede added.
Speaking when he paid the yearly Eid el Kabir visit to the Governor, the Emir maintained that the action of the unruly youth at the Ilorin Moslem Central Praying Ground was an offence against God.
The activities of the miscreants to defile the sanctity of the place of worship and deny Muslims their right of worship are condemnable and a possible invitation of the wrath of Allah whose abode the miscreants invaded,” the Emir added even as he described the development as despicable and unfortunate.
Governor Ahmed, in his response, noted that in spite of the fact that the September federal allocation had not been received his administration has paid the state civil servants and facilitated loan for local government councils to offset local government workers’ salaries.
The governor assured that his administration would complete all ongoing projects while new ones would be embarked upon as soon as the state’s finances improved stressing the determination of his administration to boost internally generated revenue without inflicting extra burden on the people.
Credit: Guardian (Nigeria)
