Kwara gets N15bn security votes in 15 years

The Zonal head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin, Mr Isyaku Sharu has revealed that former administrations in Kwara state have spent N15 billion collected as security votes between 2003 and 2018.

Speaking at the 26th edition of Media Parliament lecture of Kwara state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) held in Ilorin on Wednesday, Sharu further revealed that the funds were spent to settle the security men who used to mill around the serving governors of the state.

Speaking on the topic, “Anti-corruption fight in Nigeria, Progress and Challenges: The Kwara state Experience”, Sharu, while admitting that corruption had become endemic in the country, said that the commission was established in the state as a result of the several complaints of the people.

He said, ” The continuous complaints of the people of Kwara state became much louder in the periods ending the year 2018 wherein the Acting Executive Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, had to create the Ilorin zonal office of the commission to look into the long standing persistent economic and financial crimes issues in the state.

“It is noteworthy that Kwara state is one of the first created states as far back as 27th May 1967 and has had several leaders, but the state has over the years not maximized its potential largely due to the alleged cases of mismanagement and embezzlement of States resources,” he lamented.

Sharu who said that though the commission resumed in the state since February 2019, he said, “in the course of carrying out our assignment, we have noticed with great disappointment that the people of Kwara state are sometimes scared of exposing the corrupt and bad eggs amongst them.”