The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state of spending N2 billion on foreign trips within the first nine months of the year.

The opposition party in Kwara state alleged that the trips had yielded no tangible benefits for the state.

AbdulRazaq accused of misusing public funds on trips.

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Olusegun Adewara, the PDP alleged that the governor had spent over N5 billion on overseas trips in the past two years without attracting any foreign investment, citing a recent report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“It is unfortunate and thoughtless that a governor would waste public funds on frequent foreign travels when most of his people are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship,” the statement read.

As reported by The Punch, the PDP criticised Governor AbdulRazaq for prioritising foreign trips while Kwara state grapples with a 48 percent poverty rate. Buttressing its point, the opposition party highlighted that Grade Level 8 civil servants earn only N75,000 under the new minimum wage of N70,000, making Kwara’s pay scale the lowest in the North Central region.

“Civil servants in the state are earning far below a living wage. Many have tragically lost their lives due to their inability to meet basic needs, while funds that could have addressed these challenges are frivolously squandered on foreign junkets,” the statement added.

It therefore called on the anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), to investigate the state’s financial management under AbdulRazaq’s leadership.

Meanwhile, as of the time of filling this report, the state government is yet to react to the allegations by the PDP. The chief press secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, and the commissioner for communication, Bolanle Olukoju, are yet respond to PDP's allegation.