Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has appealed to all citizens and other public commentators on the management and ownership of government properties to refrain from creating negative perception about such assets.

The governor who made the plea while performing the foundation laying of a Hub in Ilorin, warned Kwarans against what he described as "unnecessarily-politicized and personalization of government's programmes, as the attendant controversy discourages fresh investment".

He further explained that the government was mindful of the need to convert dormant and non performing government assets into productive use for public benefit.

According to him, "We are a government guided by the constitution and the rule of law. But we are also mindful of the need to convert dormant or non performing government assets into productive use for public benefit. All these properties, will benefit no one unless we add value to it by putting it to use.

"We have subsequently brought these assets under Harmony Holdings Limited or other statutory bodies which are fully government-owned but have the capacity to turn these assets into profit and generate revenue from them.

"While the debate about the appropriateness of the private-sector style management of these government assets is welcome, we must be careful to ensure that such analysis is not unnecessarily-politicized and personalized as the attendant controversy discourages fresh investment".

The governor who praised the board and management of the Harmony Holding Limited encouraged them to look and invest in other sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, Solid Minerals, Housing and Financial Services to increase the State’s revenue base and create jobs.

He further explained that the establishment of the Hub presented great economic opportunities for Kwara State in terms of job creation, business growth and enhanced Internal Revenue. "It will also provide trade-enabling services that will increase Kwara State’s competitive advantage", the governor enthused.

With the establishment of the Hub according to the governor, it is safe to say that greater prosperity is coming to Kwara State because, when investment and opportunities converge, prosperity is imminent and a brighter and rewarding future is assured.

The governor who spoke of his government's policies and programmes said “Indeed, our target as a state is to attract investments worth N30 billion through public private partnerships in key sectors such as manufacturing, power, health, energy and aviation between now and 2019. “We also estimate about N1.5b worth of new investments in our solid mineral sector within the same period.

"I must, however, state that these projected investment inflows depend on critical factors such as Federal Government Policy Consistency, a stable monetary climate and the appropriate incentive regime. "On our part, we will continue to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the State through business-friendly policies, and sustained infrastructure development".

The Group Managing Director, Harmony Holding Limited, Mr Tope Daramola said the construction of the edifice fell into the phase 2 of it's Strategic Growth Plan and was primarily aimed at promoting enterprise in the state. He added that the edifice would provide an opportunity for middle class businesses to thrive with offices for professionals like architects, lawyers, stock brokers among others.

The representative of the Chairman, Harmony Holding Limited, Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf said the edifice was expected to be completed within six month, saying that the edifice would create employment opportunity for unemployed youths and contribute into the state IGR.