1,000 Kwara traders, artisans to get N1bn soft loans – AbdulRazaq

At least 1,000 traders, marketers and artisans will benefit from a N1billion soft loan to run their businesses under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) under consideration by the state Assembly, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed Thursday.

AbdulRazaq stated at a maiden breakfast meeting with journalists in Ilorin that the focus of his administration centres around human capital and infrastructural development, which would attract investments, combat poverty and take Kwara to the top of the table of revenue generation and competitiveness.

He listed his major landmarks to include fixing the perennial water crisis within Ilorin metropolis, taking Kwara out of its pariah status as the least performing state in the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) ranking, getting contractors back to work to complete abandoned or uncompleted projects, paying counterpart funds that have changed the story of the state in health and education sector, paying years of arrears owed colleges of education, and re-accreditaion of the state’s tertiary institutions, among others.

AbdulRazaq said his administration has done these without touching the N4.8billion it inherited from the previous government, saying the fund is reserved to kick-start the state’s social security programme and putting basic infrastructure in place.

“Under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, for instance, we plan to spend N1bn to help traders and artisans with soft loans. We are looking at roughly 1000 beneficiaries of such soft loan. We cannot watch while our people are suffering.

“We have to do something in that regard,” he said at the event attended by top government officials and party leaders that included by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Secretary to the Government Prof. Mamman Sabah Jibril; Chief of Staff to the Governor Aminu Adisa Logun; Head of Service Mrs Susan Modupe Oluwole; and All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Bashiru Bolarinwa.

The Speaker, the Chief Judge, and the Grand Khadi were represented at the event.

AbdulRazaq also said Kwarans should expect something concrete on cabinet formation from next week, saying the delay had been due to wide consultations with all stakeholders within the ruling party and dismissing claims of rancour within its ranks.

Dwelling extensively on his development priorities, he said the recent budget review and the 2020 budget would help redirect funding for infrastructural projects that fit into his campaign promises to the people.

“We have prioritised and will always prioritise water, education, health, road and general infrastructure. Agriculture is also a priority and we are looking at ensuring that a lot is done is the area of agro-processing because  of our comparative advantages. We want to completely change the story of this state and our plans revolve around just that, beginning from the budget review,” he said.

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