• Condemns sponsored activism, incitement
The coordinated campaign to stampede the Kwara State government to back down on the renovation and upgrade of the state’s iconic legacy, Kwara Hotel, is dead on arrival, a pro-democracy group, Kwara Rebuilders, has noted.
In a statement issued by co- founder Tobi Matthew, on Friday in Ilorin, Kwara Rebuilders said it condemns what now appears like a strategic alliance between the main opposition PDP, Crystal Group and ENetSUD to prevent the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration from renovating Kwara Hotel, which has been in a state of disrepair for so long and left without meaningful investments by the previous administrations in the state.
“We are not surprised by the antics of Kwara PDP. This is a party whose leaders failed to make any meaningful investment in Kwara Hotel while at the helms of affairs. They had the opportunity to do so, but preferred to fritter away resources. Their recent actions and posturing expose them as a retrogressive party,” the statement read.
“For Crystal Group, they are at liberty to exercise their rights to seek a redress in court. We are just worried about their desperation which is evident in the series of media trials and onslaughts they have since launched against the government. We therefore ask: Is personal interest supposed to trump state interest? The government has been trusted with the mandate of the people, and it will act in their best interests as far as state matters are concerned.”
Kwara Rebuilders said it has also noted the actions and posturing of a civil society group ENetSUD on the Kwara Hotel upgrade, saying it falls so short of the standards expected of a CSO.
“ENetSUD have always claimed to be neutral, but the demeanor of their coordinator Dr. Abdullateef Alagbonsi on this Kwara Hotel subject matter from the beginning points to a bias. They started their campaign on Kwara Hotel with sensationalism, whipping sentiments against the government, even when they are yet to point out any malpractice in the deal.
“It is a constitutional right in a democracy to express one’s opinions about government policies and activities. This is however not a freedom to promote incitement and hate against the government. This is what ENetSuD is currently doing, and they need to be careful. ENetSuD cannot run a parallel government. They either be a sane and responsible CSO or register as a political party to contest for political offices. We see how mainstream CSOs like YIAGA Africa, BudGIT operate in Nigeria. They don’t grandstand or engage in frivolities just to be in the news.”
The statement urged Governor AbdulRazaq to ignore the distractions by PDP, Crystal Group and ENetSUD, saying Kwarans cannot wait to see the Kwara Hotel renovated and upgraded.
The group meanwhile told the Governor to entertain meaningful contributions that can add quality to the upgrade project, reiterating that ENetSUD, PDP and Crystal Group have only been engaging in theatrics so far.