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Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara says his administration will review the state’s 2020 budget in view of the economic crisis occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
Abdulrazaq said this in Ilorin on Wednesday in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Rafiu Ajakaye.
The governor, according to the statement, had met representatives of Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) on Tuesday in an open-space in accordance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
“The world is in a dire strait. There are no resources. We need to balance expectations with available resources.
“We are reviewing the budget. We will have to cut down on some capital projects, but we do want to prioritise social investments,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.
Abdulrazaq said the state may receive as low as N1.5 billion in federal allocation from May, down from an average of N3 billion in the previous months due to the dwindling revenue from oil.
“We have to build a new economy based on our new realities. We will need your feedback,” he said.
Abdulrazaq told the CSOs that their understanding would be critical in the coming months as the state would be weathering the storm of global economic meltdown that may come with plummeting oil prices.
Responding to a suggestion on the lockdown, Abdulrazaq said the administration was constantly reviewing its strategies to curtail the spread of the virus.
He said nearly one million masks may be produced locally for distribution, adding that this might lead to Kwara gradually allowing people to return to work under specific safety measures.
The governor commended the CSOs in the state for their role in the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effect of the lockdown on the people.
According to Abdulrazaq, the civil society movement is critical to good governance in any democracy.
The governor called on them to partner with his administration to strengthen the delivery of his mandate.
He said his recent call on various CSOs to monitor government’s palliatives was borne out of his belief that they were closer to the people and had better feedback mechanisms.
“I thank you for answering our call. Your participation has been very impactful and we are grateful for that.
“Going forward, I want us to work together more closely. We will always need your buy-in and inputs to reach out to the people.
“I have called you to specially thank you for the credibility you bring to the process and for working with our team which comprises eminent personalities,” Abdulrazaq said.
Those at the meeting were Dr Lawal Olohungbebe of the Centre for Community Development in KWASU, Salih Salihu of the Haashim Initiative for Community Advancement and Aliyu Moshood of the Elites Network for Sustainable Development.
Others were Anthonia Oshiniwe of Theios Caregivers Initiative, Bola Olojoku of Mekunu Forum Agenda, Olaitan Salman Jimba of the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development and Balogun AbdulGaniyu of the Kwara South Youths Movement.
Olohungbebe, a community development expert, who led the CSOs to the meeting, commended the governor for not politicising the distribution of palliatives.
He urged the governor to weigh the options on how to get the economy running without compromising safety protocols for COVID-19.(NAN)
