LG Polls: Kwara Govt says Saraki lacks credibility to speak on people’s welfare, Saraki reacts

 

Kwara State Government has described as laughable and self-flattery the comments of Senator Bukola Saraki on the outcome of the recent local government elections in the state, which the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) convincingly won across the state.

The government said Saraki’s PDP not only fruitlessly tried to frustrate the conduct of the election through the court, but it mobilised urchins and its local collaborators to disrupt the balloting with their shenanigans and hooliganism after seeing that they lacked the credibility or a record of convincing people to vote for them.

“It took the popular will of the people to cast their ballot. The government has done well enough to win the trust of the people, and that was what played out, regardless of the noise from Saraki’s men.

It is bewildering that Saraki’s party is confused between floating the narrative that no election took place and claiming a victory from an election it said was never held. That is the lot of a confused, desperate people that Senator Saraki leads,” according to a statement by the Honourable Commissioner for Communications Mrs Bola Olukoju.

“We also find it incredible that Senator Bukola Saraki was talking about people’s welfare. The record of his iron-fist imperialism, which featured non-payment of salary, use of thugs to intimidate people, and high rate of suicides and destitution and other menaces faced by workers is still fresh.

In 2016 when things were so tough and various categories of workers were not being paid, Kwarans remembered how Senator Saraki was fighting to buy exotic cars while public funds were also being used to transport people to show solidarity for him in the dock.

The same Senator Saraki is notorious for his conversion of public properties for personal use, even as the government he inspired was not paying workers while all their appointees were getting 100% salaries and other perks of office.

The government that he struggles so hard to bad-mouth has cleared the years of salary arrears that his lackeys left unpaid.

“As far as people’s welfare is concerned, Saraki lacks the moral standing to talk. He is a bald hairdresser recommending his unfailing hair restorer.

He is a snail claiming a championship in a community of horned animals. The world is facing serious economic challenges. Nigerians have not been immune to the same.

“In addition to the efforts of President Tinubu to ease things, not only is the Kwara State Government committed to public welfare, as is evident in its many programmes, it continues to execute different infrastructural projects and social protection programmes that strengthen the purchasing powers of the people.

The government is also not denying people their wages while its appointees enjoy the perks of office as the Saraki-inspired government did. We urge Senator Saraki to reflect on his legacies of impoverishing people and organising questionable philanthropic feasts to throw morsels at the same people during which hundreds died.”

Meanwhile, Comrade Rasaq Abata while responding to the Kwara State Government’s Allegations Against Dr. Bukola Saraki, said the recent statement by the Kwara State Government, issued by the Honourable Commissioner for Communications, is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the critical issues affecting Kwarans.

The desperation in the tone and content of the release only underscores the frustration of an administration struggling to justify its poor performance in the local government polls and its inability to meet the expectations of the people.

The Kwara State Government’s narrative about Dr. Bukola Saraki is not only misleading but also an insult to the collective intelligence of Kwarans, who are well aware of the positive contributions Saraki has made to the state.

It is a well-known fact that under Dr. Saraki’s leadership, Kwara experienced tremendous growth in healthcare, education, infrastructure, and overall welfare.

His administration laid the foundation for many of the institutions that this current government is now taking credit for.

The APC-led government in Kwara is quick to throw accusations at Dr. Saraki but conveniently ignores its own failures.

For a government that claims victory in the local government elections, it is curious why it feels the need to launch an unprovoked attack on Saraki and the PDP.

The truth is, the so-called victory was nothing more than a display of orchestrated manipulation, voter suppression, and intimidation.

The people of Kwara are not fooled by the façade of legitimacy that the APC is attempting to project.

Regarding welfare, Dr. Saraki’s record speaks for itself. It was his administration that implemented the innovative Kwara Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring access to quality healthcare for the most vulnerable citizens.

His tenure also saw significant improvements in infrastructure, the creation of jobs, and the promotion of entrepreneurship through various empowerment schemes.

The present government, rather than building on these achievements, has resorted to cheap political attacks to divert attention from its inability to provide real development.

The Kwara State Government’s attempt to paint Saraki as a figure of selfish acquisition is laughable. If anything, it is the current government that has shown a pattern of self-serving governance, with contracts awarded to cronies and a focus on enriching a select few, rather than uplifting the masses.

Kwarans deserve better than a government that resorts to smear campaigns and fails to address their real concerns. Dr. Bukola Saraki has always stood for the people, and his legacy in Kwara will continue to speak louder than any politically motivated propaganda.

We urge the people of Kwara to see through the noise and remain focused on demanding the accountability and good governance they deserve.

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