How Governor AbdulRazaq Lavished N17.8billion On Kwara State Hotel After Shunning Company Which Submitted N3billion Bid

How Governor AbdulRazaq Lavished N17.8billion On Kwara State Hotel After Shunning Company Which Submitted N3billion Bid

The Kwara State Government has approved N17.8 billion for the rehabilitation of Kwara Hotel after public backlash over the abandonment of the facility.

Mustapha Mashood, an All Progressive Congress, (APC) Chieftain and former Governorship Aspirant has described the sum of N17.8 billion awarded for the rehabilitation of the State Hotel by Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as unjustifiable and a waste of scarce resources.

The Kwara State Government has approved N17.8 billion for the rehabilitation of Kwara Hotel after public backlash over the abandonment of the facility.

It was learnt that the project was awarded to Craneburg Construction Company Limited.

The project aims to transform it into a five-star hospitality facility at N17.8 billion, with a projected duration of 24 months.

However, the APC chieftain in an open letter to the Governor titled “NO ONE IS GOD, TREAD SOFTLY” dated 24th of January 2024, said the figure was outrageous considering that his company had bid for N3billion to complete the same task.

The APC chief said, “I am not oblivious of the risk of writing this open letter, yet, I chose to stick my neck out for posterity.

“I have had causes to interact with you both physically and through other mediums of communication prior to the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial election of 2019 where you, I and about 10 others were in the contest.

“Despite being unfairly treated by the party during the primary election, I never displayed any form of contempt towards you. Do recall when the then APC Chairman, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa (BOB) came with you to my Maitama office in Abuja to plead with me to support you. I told you to go to my campaign office in Ilorin and speak with my supporters, which you obliged. Since you emerged as the Governor of Kwara State, I have given you nothing but respect and maximum support. I, however, do not understand the reason for the deep-seated animosity you have towards me.

“There is no gainsaying that you are the biggest beneficiary of the revolution and struggle for the emancipation of our dear state between 2018 and the election of 2019. I remember very clearly how the struggle started in the early 2018.

“However, as soon as you clinched the APC’s governorship ticket, you started to show your true colours. You fought most of the people you met in the APC, a party you defected to just a few weeks to the primaries. You got your way through the back door, yet, we all accepted the wish of Allah. We collapsed our structure and supported you after the former President appealed to all the governorship aspirants at the villa in Abuja.

“Instead of you to appreciate our coming together to support you, after your inauguration, you chose to destroy most of us politically and now, you plan to destroy me economically. It will not work because you didn’t make me in the first instance. I am a God-made man and your threats hold no water.

“It is important to remind you that the allegation that I am waging social media war against you on the Kwara Hotels (KH) issue is vague, in the sense that, was it me that coordinated the social media attack on your government over the Tanke bridge or other projects that Kwarans have spoken against? The KH imbroglio ought not to have generated this kind of conversation if the government that you lead had played by the book.

“Your Excellency, you and I know that my company, Crystal Group, bidded in 2021 for the KH Concession. We went through a painstaking process and subsequently, Harmony Holdings Ltd. issued us a letter of Award. You chaired the state Exco to approve the Award. We requested for a legislative concurrence which you obliged, and the Kwara State House of Assembly gave their legislative approval.

“Please recall that my last chat and conversation with you on the KH matter was on 1st December, 2023. I sent you a copy of the press release by your government and expressed how shocking it was for me to hear of a new tender bid for the same KH that I already have approval for by both the Executive and the Legislature. Recall that you called me back almost immediately and that was when you mentioned your intention to spend N17.8 billion.

“Between you, me and Almighty Allah, I told you that the figure is completely outrageous and that the N3 billion my company proposed and subsequently got approval for could do the job. I also noted that if for any reason, we have to consider inflation and the exchange rate, then, we can look at a figure around N5 billion.

“What offence have I committed by telling you the truth? I am a professional in hospitality, I know the dynamics of the business and I gave my sincere position as a concerned Kwaran. I know we have a deficit in other key areas like infrastructure, health, Education etc. I rejected taking the unpriced bill you sent to me because I already have an approval.

“You felt challenged by my refusal and you went ahead to award the contract at a staggering sum of N17.8 billion. This is not fair, Mr. Governor. You and I know that this figure is unjustifiable and a waste of scarce resources. The good people of Kwara got wind of it and decided to ventilate their opinions as it’s allowed in a democracy. I expected you to have listened to them. They voted you into office, you are supposed to be subservient to them. You are supposed to be a servant and not a dictator that abhors dissent views. 

“My company, through our lawyers, wrote an appeal letter to you to rescind your decision to award the contract to another company when there is a subsisting and valid Award and that if such is not done, we might approach the court for a relief. Yet, you took the letter in bad faith and saw it as absurd. If we don’t go to court, where else can we go to seek redress? My dear brother, you threatened that you will destroy me if I go to court. Are you my maker or my God? No please. 

“Let me make it clear to you that as a law-abiding citizen, I will surely go to court whether you like it or not and I await whatever you plan to do. I am unmoved by your threats. Kwara’s common patrimony is not your personal property, you are just a temporary custodian. We have had Governors before you and we will still have many Governors after you. Power is transient.” 

Credit: Sahara Reporter