Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced on Tuesday that his administration would partner with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to crack down on corruption and embezzlement including recovering funds looted from the state treasury.
AbdulRazaq lamented that corruption had eaten deep into the soul of Kwara when he was inaugurated on May 29, pointing to how the N2bn the state accessed to boost small scale businesses was looted and shared by some persons.
According to the statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, the diversion would now make the state government to have N35m deducted from its account every month.
Part of the statement reads; “I got a letter (last week) from the Federal Ministry of Finance saying they will now deduct N35m every month from our account because the state government, a few years ago, took N2bn for small and medium scale businesses”. He stated.
The Governor spoke at a stakeholders’ forum in Ilorin, the state capital, on value reorientation and readiness to combat corruption headlong by his adminsitration.
The event was organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency.
AbdulRazak revealed that he was contented that the Economic And Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has taken proactive steps to recover the looted funds from those who siphoned it.
AbdulRazaq said he would not allow diversion of public funds under his watch, noting how corruption had led to the collapse of basic amenities in the hospitals, schools, and other sectors of the economy.