Date: 2016-12-25

A former Kwara Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 2015 general elections, Dr Mike Omotosho, has described the recently approved N6billion "Light Up Kwara" by the state government as a sheer misadventure.

He said the government was embarking on the project when most roads in the state especially those within Ilorin metropolis are in deplorable conditions and begging for attention.

In his Christmas Massage, Dr Omotosho stated that by approving the project, the present government was portraying itself as less concerned about the collective will and welfare of the people.

The renowned philanthropist noted that the government was taking Kwarans for granted with the whooping sum for the project while local government workers and staff of other institutions for example, College of Education, Oro are groaning over unpaid backlog of salaries.

He said it was unfair to under whatever guise deny people their legitimate earnings and cautioned that going with the old order of governance in the state would no longer be tolerated. The ex-LP governorship flag-bearer said the government should reverse its decision on the project and rather divert the project fund to viable means that will provide succour to the people of the state.

Dr Omotosho urged eminent Kwarans to prevail on the All Progressives Congress led government in the state to tread softly as people are more informed and aware of the goings.

"The idea of Light Up Kwara Project is novel and a welcome development indeed. However, one would have expected that the project is coming after most areas of people's pressing needs have been adequately and tenaciously taken care of.

"It is our observation that instead of embarking on such project, many roads in the state especially Ilorin should be fixed. There are major areas within the state and particularly the metropolis that should ordinarily be in good condition and attract people into the city, but reverse is the case. "Rather than using N6billion for Street Light and what have you, I think the government should first address anomaly in the system. As we speak, the government is owing local government workers several months salaries, ditto in College of Education, Oro.

"The good people of Kwara have kept faith in God that there will be light at the end of the tunnel but we must not because people have kept mute over the issue think we are doing the right thing. We can no longer take our people for granted.

"In view of this, it is our call to the government to reverse its decision in the interest of people of Kwara State so that the project fund can be ploughed to other areas of needs in the immediate interest of the people", Dr Omotosho's statement partly reads.

It will be recalled that the state government at its State Executive Council meeting recently approved the N6billion Light Up Kwara project with criticism in some quarters that the project was ill-conceived particularly in the current regime of economic recession".