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Kwara PDP Condemns Politicisation of KWASSIP Programmes


...Calls on EFCC, ICPC to Beam Searchlights on KWASSIP's Operations

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has condemned the blatant politicisation of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP), describing the agency's actions as gross abuse of office and misuse of public funds to promote the partisan agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The KWASSIP scheme, which is a replica of the Federal government NSIP initiative, was designed to empower the poor and economically disadvantaged Kwarans, including the young and enterprising populations.

However, the show of shame recently where the KWASSIP office is being used as a platform where unemployed citizens are being paraded with the Governor's portrait and coerced into declaring their defection to the APC as a condition for benefiting from the program. Most unfortunate that this is being done by the very Acting GM of KWASSIP, Mr Tejidini Abdulwasiu Olayinka, a supposedly Academic who's supposed to understand the ethics of his office. This travesty makes a mockery of the very purpose of KWASSIP.

The PDP, in a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Olusegun Olusola Adewara, said it is unfortunate that despite the KWASSIP's claim of spending billions of naira on empowering vulnerable Kwarans and market women, the poverty and unemployment index, including food inflation in our markets has continued to skyrocket. This is a clear indication that KWASSIP is failed enterprise due to corruption and the reckless politicization of a scheme meant to uplift our people. 

"Kwara PDP is also aware of the sinister motives behind the administration’s use of KWASSIP as a vote-buying mechanism. For example during the 2023 general elections, names and bank account numbers of selected individuals, primarily APC loyalists, were compiled, and sums of N10,000 and N20,000 were disbursed to their accounts a few days before the elections. This was a calculated move aimed at mobilizing voters to cast their ballots for the APC.

"Similarly, during the recently concluded local government elections, APC members and others were enrolled in the KWASSIP in exchange for small tokens while some were promised fertilizers. Disturbingly, some of these individuals, including non-politicians, were coerced into falsely claiming PDP membership, declaring their defection to the APC, and pledging allegiance to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq before being allowed to benefit from KWASSIP. 

"This ugly weaponization of poverty is an affront to the core principles of the program, which is funded by the taxes of hard-working Kwarans and which are supposed to serve the public without bias."

In light of these serious concerns, the Kwara PDP calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant security agencies to thoroughly investigate the operations of KWASSIP and update the public on their findings.

"The people of Kwara, whose resources are in the middle of all of these, deserve to know the total amount of money allocated to KWASSIP since its inception and how the funds are expended. How the agency selects names of its beneficiaries for all its schemes, the processes for loan disbursement, the measures in place for repayment, and the checks to prevent corruption. 

"Our party believes that all these are essential to determine whether the agency is adhering to the law, following due process, and ensuring transparency in all its activities", the statement added. 



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