The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says some
of the loyalists of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, holding
federal executive positions will soon be shown the way out.
The
Minister disclosed this yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State, at a ceremony
organised by the Kwara All Progressives Congress (APC) to sensitise and
mobilise the party’s women leaders ahead of the forthcoming general
elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that
thousands of Kwara APC women, who turned up at the event, were lectured
on their roles and expectations during the general elections.
The
minister said despite Saraki’s use of his position to sabotage national
development to the detriment of the people, his loyalists from Kwara
were still occupying executive positions.
He said the federal government would not hesitate to sack those beneficiaries in executive positions.
‘‘Some
of the people they nominated to the boards of government’s agencies and
parastatals are still there, yet they claim that Kwara has not
benefitted from this federal government.
‘‘These people, some of whom are holding executive positions, will soon be shown the way out,’’ he said.
Mohammed said Kwara elections, like that of the general poll, would be issue-based devoid of ethnicity, religion or gender.
He said the issues the APC is concerned with in Kwara have to do with good governance and better life for the people.
The
minister alleged that 40 years of the over five decades of the creation
of Kwara, the Saraki family had cornered the state’s commonwealth.
‘‘The
main issues here have to do with how our state has been governed in the
past 50 years, 40 of which have been dominated by a single family.
‘‘What has happened to the commonwealth, which has been cornered by a single dynasty at the expense of the people.
‘‘Where are the roads and other infrastructure to justify the huge resources that have accrued to the state?
‘‘If you follow a path for so long, and it leads you nowhere, won’t you try another path? These are the issues,’’ he said.
The
minister stressed that the 40 years of the Saraki’s family in power,
the state has no potable water for people to drink, adding that workers
had been pauperised because of non-payment of their salaries.
He said the Saraki dynasty in Kwara had rendered the quality of life of the people to the lowest point.
On
the contrary, the minister said the APC in its campaign had been
proudly showcasing what the federal government had achieved since
assuming office in 2015.
‘‘Ask them who tarred the
Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road that they (PDP) took to Bode Saadu, where they
launched their campaign a few days ago.
‘‘That road was
impassable during the time of the PDP, the same party they are now
touting as the one with the magic wand,’’ he said.
Mohammed said
contrary to the lies of the opposition, PDP, President Muhammadu Buhari
was not the reason the states had not performed.
He said: “Ask them what they did with the several bailouts they received from the Federal Government.
‘‘Ask
them why they could not pay workers’ salaries despite getting bailouts
and Paris Club refund; they claim they are helping the state to offset
workers salaries.
‘‘Remind them that they are only returning some of the commonwealth they have looted. They are only doing so out of panic.’’
The minister also said the claim by the opposition that the APC would take Kwara to South-west zone was incorrect.
Earlier,
the Kwara APC Women Leader, Hajiya Rahmat Okin-Abolaji, underscored the
importance of mobilising women ahead of the polls considering their
statistics in the nation’s population.
She alleged that women had
been marginalised in Kwara politics and expressed the confidence that
the APC would change the situation after winning the election.
The
women leader also tasked the women to come out in their numbers to vote
for the APC in order to liberate the state from decades of poor
governance.
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