Date: 2019-12-27

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State on Thursday denied that the government sponsored the musical concert that featured the pop star, Wizkid, in Ilorin on Christmas Day.

The governor, while speaking at the presentation of a pictorial compendium on the state of infrastructure and social amenities in the 16 local government areas of the state by an NGO, Kwara Development Trackers, also denied spending N200m for the end-of-the-year party and spending N450m to buy official cars for his use.

He said claims that his administration spent N200m to organise a party were farce, saying, "Those behind the claims were the people who brought the state to its knees and thought everyone was like them.

"The Wizkid concert was not sponsored or funded by the state government. It was purely a private sector initiative.

"We however would continue to support such enterprising initiatives so that Kwara can better tap into the potential in the entertainment and creative industry. Ours is to provide the enabling environment for such initiatives. Those who said we spent N50m to bring Wizkid also said we spent N200m on the end of the year party. They also said I bought bulletproof cars. These are laughable claims.

"Their strategy is to say that we are like them and tar us with the same brush. We are not. We are prudent with public resources. As of today, I still drive my personal cars as official cars. I bought them before I was sworn in. Although the law allows me to buy such vehicles, it is not a priority for me. We need to fix our state first."

Stressing the need to grow the entertainment industry and empower talented youths, AbdulRazaq said he requested a meeting with Wizkid in his house on Wednesday, where he sought a partnership to empower local talents.