Malete water works: FG lied – Saraki

The Leader of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described as erroneous and deceitful claims by the Federal Government that it constructed Malete Water Works in Malete, Moro Local Government Area of the state.

Senator Saraki, during the APC rally in the town, said eight of the nine members of the National Assembly from the state contributed to the financing of the rehabilitation of the water works.

According to Dr. Saraki, Senator Simeon Ajibola, who now aspires to govern the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, bluntly refused to contribute to the project.

Saraki insisted that the Federal Government in the last six years has not carried out any landmark project in the state, adding that the last time a president was in Kwara State to commission any project was when President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was alive.

The former Governor of Kwara State, who led the All Progressives Congress to campaign in Moro Local Government Area, said it was unfortunate that the National Planning Minister, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, was so alienated from Kwara State reality that he could claim that the Malete Water Works was a Federal Government project.

The Minister had earlier claimed during the PDP presidential campaign in the that the Malete Water Works was one of the Federal Government projects in the state.

Meanwhile, the state Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has offered automatic employment in the state Civil Service to Mallam Gatta, a fire incident victim in Bode Saadu, headquarters of Moro Local Government Area.

Ahmed, who is also the governorship candidate of the APC in this month’s general election, denied rumours that his administration will retrench workers if re-elected.

Ahmed wondered how an administration that had created over 10,200 jobs through Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme and QuickWin Intervention Scheme and created a generation of youth entrepreneurs, could be accused of planning to retrench workers.

The governor recalled his meeting with senior civil servants in the state where he assured them that workers would not be retrenched and that payment of their salaries would remain regular, despite the shortfall in revenue allocation from the Federal Government.

“It is sheer dishonesty for anybody to claim that my administration would downsize the state workforce if re-elected,” he said.