The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara State and the Kwara Freedom Network (KFN) have alleged paralysis of governance in Kwara State.

The two opposition groups accused the state government of relinquishing governance to the background yesterday in solidarity with Senator Bukola Saraki who was billed to appear at the Special Fraud Unit (SFU)  in Lagos over a N9.7 billion loan write-off.

The Chairman, KFN, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, that "it is very sad that ex-governor Saraki's case paralyses governance in the state.

"How can the entire government functionaries be solidarising with somebody alleged to have committed fraud?"

He urged the police to properly investigate and prosecute the fraud allegation levelled against Saraki while he was governor.

His words: "We are in one with the police in this investigation. In fact, we ready to give the police more evidence. We have piles of petitions lodged against him at the ICPC and EFCC." 

The state Chairman of ACN, Kayode Olawepo, said: "We denounce in the strongest terms the public show of shame, impunity and the lack of decorum by the PDP-led Kwara State Government which on Monday deployed around 200 government vehicles to Lagos to show solidarity with former Governor Bukola Saraki. 

"The decision to deploy government's vehicles bought with public fund for such a shameful venture indicates that governance is at its lowest ebb in our dear state. It reminds us of similar behaviour by PDP when one of its godfathers was returning from jail over corruption. 

"It is apposite to state that one reason Saraki is being investigated is on account of his alleged use of public office, through the Ministry of Finance then occupied by the incumbent Governor Ahmed Abdulfattah, for personal gains. 

"Rather than show remorse and bury their heads in shame, the PDP-led state government is again using public fund and properties to side with somebody already fingered in corrupt practices. 

"This shows their lack of respect for our law, the people of Kwara State and public sentiment against corruption and abuse of public office, around which Bukola Saraki is currently enmeshed. 

"Kwara people deserve public apology from the PDP and Governor Abdulfattah for dragging their image in the mud through this shameful conduct and solidarity with corruption. We urge the police to ignore this shameful show of support and do their work thoroughly because the government clearly does not have the mandate of the people to deploy their resources for anti-progress trip."

Olawepo added that "Saraki's personal business transactions are of no concern to us, but we note from the newspaper accounts that the transactions in question took place while he was governor of Kwara State.

"If that is found to be the case, then he has been guilty of a breach of the Code of Conduct law which forbids a public officer from engaging in any personal business activity while holding office. This is punishable under the law. It also shows that rather than Saraki devote his energy and time to uplifting the lives of the people of Kwara he was engaged in pursuing his own personal interests."