Kwara govt. warns against purchase or sales of govt properties

Management of Kwara State assets is shrouded in controversy and needs to be reviewed for posterity, according to a 21-man committee Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq set up to probe the state of public assets in the state.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Suleiman Ajadi, said at the presentation of its interim report on Tuesday evening that the panel made far reaching recommendations upon which the governor would need to take urgent decisions.

The presentation was attended by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; House of Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi; and the 20 other members of the Assets Recovery Committee.

“There are so many thorny issues surrounding the control and management of some assets like the Kwara Hotel, the International Aviation College, the amorphous case of the Shonga Farms and the entire Harmony Holdings structure,” Ajadi said.

“We are also looking into the issue of the amusement park which was sold in very unclear circumstances for a princely sum of N100m in 2010 but which, perhaps fortuitously, has been bogged down since because of litigation.”

Ajadi called on AbdulRazaq to look critically at the issues and make pronouncements in the immediate future even before we make available the final report. This is because quite a few of the issues highlighted are going concerns which will require prompt government attention and action.

AbdulRazaq, for his part, thanked the committee for the good job, adding: “You can count on us to face up to the challenges and make sure that justice is done to the issues raised.”

The committee, meanwhile, has said government has not authorised the sale of any of its properties within or outside of the state.

In a statement on Tuesday, the committee cautioned “the general public against buying or sale of government properties in which Government has interest now/before ranging from Government Quarters, Chalets, farmlands, vehicles, and equipment etc.”

The committee said anyone who buys such properties does so at their own risk.