Date: 2014-03-27

It has indeed become necessary to draw the attention of the general public to the attempt by the All Progressive Congress (APC) led government in Kwara State to totally incapacitate the Kwara State Transport Corporation with a view to acquiring the land for private use.

There is no doubt that "Kwara Express" which has become a household name in Nigeria transport industry, generating employment to vast majority of Kwarans through its safe vehicular and human movement as well as exemplary model to other states in the federation for essential services.

It is however surprising that the Kwara APC is embarking on unclean and dubious policies of transferring the ownership of the land of the said company to a private individual with little or no concern to the wellbeing of the workers therein even without considering its effect on the entire Kwara citizenry.

We are aware that the Corporation which was established by the Group Captain Ibrahim Alkali led military government under Edict No 2 of 1989 has been performing well under adequate supervision in line with the directive of its establishment is set to suffer paralyses in the hands of selfish individuals whose stock in trade is the acquisition of public properties for private interest.

It is also saddening to note that the Corporation had between September 2012 and February 2014 generated over N 511million while it still find it very difficult to pay the monthly salaries of its workers neither was it able to purchase additional operational vehicles for the growth of the industry.

As we speak, the Corporation is highly indebted to its partners who have ensured the smooth running of the firm by providing vehicles and other logistic supports as part of efforts towards promoting public/private partnership as they vowed to withdraw their vehicles while the state government could not contribute even one vehicle for operation.

However, while Kwara Express recorded about N 36.9 million as its liabilities between 1988 and September 2012 (22years) under the supervision Corporation, the said liabilities has rose to N 48.3 million between September 2012 and February 2014 (18 months) under the supervision of Harmony Holdings Limited. This is high level of gross misconduct as the margin difference is indeed far too wide.

We in the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Kwara State chapter, owe the general public the obligation of informing them that the Kwara APC government has done more damage to Kwara State’s properties through the Harmony Holdings which investigations has revealed that is it owned one Kamaldeen Ajibade and Yomi Ogunsola respectively as their names appears in the companies documents deceiving people that the ownership is otherwise.

On our own part, we warn the Kwara State government and its allies to desist their crude business with Kwarans cherished human and material resources with the fear of God and nemesis as posterity will judge in all ramifications of fraudulent and mismanagement of funds.

We also advice them not to ground the Kwara Express with greed in line with the recommendations of the Institute of Transport and Administration of Nigeria which clearly stated that having the Corporation under Harmony Holdings should be reconsidered with an advise it should rather be strictly operated as a parastatal with a board under the supervision of the Directorate of Transport.

Mohammed Mariam Alhassan
Chairman, Publicity Committee, Kwara PDP