Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said that his administration is planning to produce about one million face masks for distribution to Kwarans.
He stated that this might lead to the state gradually allowing people to return to work under specific safety measures.
He added that his government is constantly reviewing its strategies to curtail the spread of the virus.
The governor said the civil society movement is key to good governance in any democracy.
He urged them to join hands with his administration to strengthen the delivery of his mandate.
AbdulRazaq said his recent call on various civil society organisations to monitor government’s palliatives was borne out of his belief that they were closer to the people and have better feedback mechanisms on how to make things better.
“I thank you for answering our call. Your participation has been very impactful and we are grateful for that. Going forward, I want us to work together more closely. We will always need your buy-in and inputs to reach out to the people,” AbdulRazaq told the representatives of the civil society in an open-space meeting attended by heads of at least seven prominent community based organisations in the state in accordance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
“I have called you to specially thank you for the credibility you bring to the process and for working with our team (which comprises eminent personalities).”
Those at the meeting were Dr Lawal Olohungbebe of the Centre for Community Development in KWASU; Salih Salihu of the Haashim Initiative for Community Advancement; Aliyu Moshood (Osho) of the Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENETSUD); Anthonia Oshiniwe Theios Caregivers Initiative; Bola Olojoku of Mekunu Forum Agenda; Olaitan Salman Jimba of the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development; and Balogun AbdulGaniyu of the Kwara South Youths Movement.
AbdulRazaq told the activists that their understanding would be critical in the coming months as Kwara weathers the storm of global economic meltdown that comes with plummeting oil prices and the attendant scarce resources.
He said Kwara may receive as low as N1.5 billion from the federal allocation from May, down from an average of N3 billion in the previous months, as the NNPC might be unable to contribute anything to the national purse.
“The world is in a dire strait. There are no resources. We need to balance expectations with available resources. We are reviewing the budget. We will have to cut down on some capital projects but we do want to prioritise social investments. We have to build a new economy based on our new realities. We will need your feedback,” he said.