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The Patriot Institute of Journalism and Arts (PIJA), Lance Magazine is a public-centric independent media organisation dedicated to fighting injustice, fostering social justice and community development through the telling and retelling of the marginalised-oriented stories.

Senator Lola Ashiru Multi-million Naira Skills Acquisition Centres Hang in Ruins

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Ipso facto, Senator Ashiru becoming one of the 109 Senators representing the Federation is a long time achievement. Everyone who has been following his political strides in the last two decades must attest to that fact.

 

Shortly achieving his long year sought after ambition to represent his people at the Red Chamber, the then newly elected Senator Lola Ashiru commenced plans to build skills acquisition centres in his Senatorial District. This was in partial fulfillment of his manifestoes to his people.

 

This was done with a combined budget of N224,000,000 at various locations. These centres are situated Oke Onigbin (Isin LG), Offa (Offa LG), Omu-Aran (Irepodun LG, Erin-Ile (Oyun LG), and Igbaja, Omupo and Share (the trio in Ifelodun LG). All of them were fully equipped except for three (Omupo, Erin Ile, and Share). Equipment are UPS, tailoring machines (both industrial and traditional), standing hair driers, hand driers, head washing stands, hair clips, hair straighteners, male clippers, wall mirrors, chairs, printers, generators, scissors, and hand saws.

Senator Lola Ashiru Multi-million Naira Skills Acquisition Centres Hang in Ruins
Image of one of the skills acquisition centres, with bushes building up.

The project was overseen by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Shawwal Multilinks Services Ltd. in 2021.

 

First, there is a dire need to commend Lola Ashiru for such insightful project. It is a good one from him to visualise and tries to empower his constituents,

 

In Africa, skill acquisition centres can play an important role in empowering individuals, particularly young people, with the skills they need to succeed in the job market. These centers can offer training in a variety of areas, including technical skills, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. By providing individuals with the skills they need to find meaningful employment, these centres can help to reduce unemployment and poverty rates.

 

Additionally, they can also help to increase the productivity of the workforce and spur economic growth.

 

Dearest Senator Ashiru, we your constituents are interested in knowing why the centres are yet to be opened.

 

A kwara-based civil society under the aegis of Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD) in July 2022 contacted personal assistant to the senator who “confirmed that the equipment and tools were supplied about 2 weeks ago.” She also assured that the project will be commissioned soon for public use.

 

Till date (August, 2023) Senator Lola Ashiru is yet to open the centers for intended public. This become a great concern as people wonder what went wrong.

 

I can’t authoritatively say the states of other centres, but the one built on Alubata-Oju-Irin area, in front of CAC (Oluyemo) Church in Offa, Kwara State is abandoned. Or, being used for untowards work. The front of the building is occupied by a motor mechanic who has turns it to his plant and the back is wrapped by weeds; save for the sign board in front of the building you won’t know what it is meant for.

 

I tried as much as possible to get concerned people to talk, it seems nobody knows what is wrong. What is however known is that Kwara South Senatorial District has unaccessible assets and impeding empowerment programme in seven places.

 

Senator Ashiru needs to come out and address his constituents as to what the matter is. Their hopes are being dashed, the projects once greeted with euphoria and high expectations lay in ruins now. The projects in different places in Kwara South Senatorial District still inaccessible and the equipment not distributed.

 

Do we have to talk about projects were awarded to Shawal Multilinks Services Ltd., an inactive company, on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)? Pursuant to Section 16(8)(d) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, a company is disqualified from partaking in procurement proceeding or holding government contracts if it “is in arrears regarding payment of due taxes, charges, pensions or social insurance contributions, unless such bidders have obtained a lawful permit with respect to allowance, deference of such outstanding payments or payment thereof in installments”.

 

According to Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), “the company (Shawal Multilinks Services Ltd) is shown to be inactive because it has failed to pay its annual dues in the last two fiscal years as stipulated by the provisions of the CAMA Act. Thus, the award of the project to this company contravenes the law.”

 

Read Also: SUBSIDY: Kwara Rep Gives 3k to 50 people across Constituencies

Taofik is a Mass Communication lecturer, trained journalist, freelancer, editor, researcher, corporate communications and public relations expert. He has Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State and currently a Bsc student in the same discipline at Summit University, Offa, Kwara State. Taofik teaches Mass Communication at the Polytechnic, Ojoku, Kwara State. He is a guest-contributor for PIJAlance Magazine.

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