…Accuses Governor of Financial Mismanagement
The Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged Governor Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to immediately suspend the planned recruitment of 1,600 primary school teachers for local government areas, citing concerns over financial autonomy and mismanagement.
In a statement signed by State Publicity Secretary Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party alleged that the recruitment exercise is a “deliberate and calculated ambush” on the newly granted local government financial autonomy by the Supreme Court.
The PDP accused the governor of attempting to divert attention from financial mismanagement and irresponsibility in the handling of local government funds since 2019. They argued that the recruitment will overburden the already overstretched financial resources of local councils and set a “bobby trap” for incoming elected administrations.
The party called on the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and stakeholders to challenge the recruitment exercise, describing it as an attack on local government autonomy. They also questioned the timing of the recruitment, citing more pressing needs in senior secondary schools.
The PDP demanded that the governor halt the recruitment process, prioritize filling gaps in the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), and clarify the use of over N35 billion allocated to local government areas from federal allocations in the first half of 2024.