The State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, after inauguration for the second term in office cut down the number of his advisers which rose to about 46 in the build up to the 2015 elections. Those were the advisers referred to as "election advisers"; they were appointed to galvanise votes for the ruling political class. For an instance, we had Special Assistant Yoruba community - in a state with about 80% Yoruba speaking population; Special Assistant Political Associations and so on.

The governor told the residents of the state after his re-election that it was impossible to maintain that high number of political aides in the face of the fresh economic realities. It was a good one!

The governor should go further by cutting into half salaries and entitlements of all political office holders in the state. This should affect the executive and legislative arms of government - which should permeate to the grassroots. This is how the privileged can taste of the bitter pills the poor man swallow on daily basis. The government should be courageous enough to make public, the salary of the state governor, deputy governor and speaker of the house of assembly.

The good people of the state will also be interested to know how much tax the governor pays on his Mansion on Market Street, GRA Ilorin that served as governor's lodge in the early days of his first term in office? How much is Hon. Moshood Mustapha paying as tax into the coffers of the government on his Estate that stretched from one street to the other in the heart of GRA and all Crystal properties scattered all over Ilorin in choice locations?

We are convinced beyond any doubt the aforestated and many more will assuage the government's thirst for more funds instead of over burden the "poor of the poor" to pay tax on a semi-completed buildings and water wells.

Joe Mahmud
Joint Action Against Corruption in Kwara (JAACK)
Ilorin
Monday, November 13, 2016