The Integrity Group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara has rejevted the appointment of a focal person on Diaspora by the state government.
Mr Abdul-Rahoof Bello, the spokesman of the group, criticised the appointment in a statement on Friday in Ilorin.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced the name of Dr Lola Sawyerr as his focal person on Diaspora Matters.
“In his yet another political chess game, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRaZaq (GAA), has appointed one Dr Sawyerr as his ‘focal person’ on Diaspora matters.
“The Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, has just broken the news without any details about the responsibilities of the new appointee and the benefits therefrom.
“The waste of foreign exchange and the possible conduit pipe of corruption in sustaining a flamboyant ‘Diaspora Liaison’ officer, should be prevented by a well-articulated economic policy of backward integration.
“In this regard, the Governor’s motive for making a fresh appointment needs to be examined when those on ground have not been seen to be productive.
“Without prejudice to the appointee, this latest development has brought to the fore, Gov. AbdulRazaq’s penchant for outlandish and unconventional methods of administration and governance that is devoid of public interests or deference to the law.
“In the first instance, the public is not aware of the debates and approval of the appointment by the State Assembly.
“It is also contentious whether such Legislative imprimaturs for appointment of an ‘Ambassador-designate’, would not be extra-legal.
“However, what remains fresh in public reckoning was the approval for appointment of 16 Commissioners; seven Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants.
“To the best of our knowledge, they have been exhausted except for that of Ifelodun LGA that is still hanging on the balance of probability,” the statement read in part.
The group observed that the governor has little respect for the people, noting that he had taken them by surprise with an appointment that was novel to the system.
It pointed out that the appointment was made without considering its economic implications on the state’s lean finances and dwindling resources among alternative uses.
“We are tempted to ask whether there were no people to ‘advise’ the governor or that he never consulted on the constitutionality of his power to make such an appointment in a centralised federation like Nigeria?
“Otherwise, it was expected that his ‘advisers’ would not have failed in their responsibility to guide His Excellency that it was under the Independence Constitution, 1960, that Regions were allowed to establish Consulates and appoint High Commissioners to foreign countries.
“The appointment of a ‘Focal Person for Diaspora Matters’ is in the same capacity by disguise.
“The Integrity Group is of the opinion that under the binoculars of cost-benefits analysis, appointment of a Diaspora Focal Person is a luxury that Kwara should not have touched with the longest stick,” he said.
According to the group, this is a government that has not been able to fulfill most of its primary responsibilities to the people.
“If the drive is to boost revenue through investment, patriotic Kwarans would like to know why this administration could not rehabilitate all Kwara State Liaison Offices,” Bello said.
He listed the liaison offices aross the country to include those in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Port Harcourt.
“It is difficult to believe that this new appointment is not a dummy because Kwarans are yet to appreciate, in concrete terms, significant outputs by those on board.
“Two years running, what foreign investment has this administration brought into this state?
“One of the Governor’s female SA has decided to relocate to Abuja, so also was SA Youth and the SSA Security, they have relocated to Lagos for redundancy.
“Therefore, it stands to reason what another appointment of a Diaspora SA would bring to the State’s dinning table.
“Can anything good come out of this new Nazareth? Time will tell,” it stated. (NAN)
