Civil servants at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) in Ilorin have expressed concern over the alleged use of the federal agency's headquarters for political activities. The accusations are directed at the board chairman, Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa, who also serves as Kwara State Coordinator for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and was a former commissioner under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Staff members, speaking anonymously, claim that since Alakawa's appointment, the office has become a venue for frequent political gatherings. They allege these meetings have disrupted daily operations and compromised the neutrality of the institution.
Alakawa holds a part-time, non-executive advisory role at the LNRBDA, but insiders say he has overstepped his mandate. One source told SaharaReporters, "This is supposed to be a part-time position, but the chairman has turned the office into a political arena." Photographic evidence shows Alakawa and members of the Renewed Hope group posing in front of the LNRBDA building, using the federal facility as a backdrop for political branding. Critics argue this blurs the line between public duty and partisan engagement. Staff describe the environment as increasingly hostile to professional civil service work due to the constant influx of political associates.
Concerns have mounted over the misuse of federal infrastructure, with calls for the Presidency and Ministry of Water Resources to intervene. Alakawa did not respond to attempts to contact him for comment.
Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa's transformation of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority's headquarters into a political hub reveals how federal appointments are being leveraged for partisan gain, not public service. His dual role as board chairman and Kwara coordinator for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors creates a clear conflict, especially when official premises are used for political photo-ops and meetings.
The LNRBDA is meant to coordinate water resource development, not serve as a base for political mobilization. Yet the photographic evidence of Alakawa and his associates posing in front of the agency's building confirms that federal infrastructure is being repurposed for party branding. This is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend where parastatals in Nigeria are treated as spoils of political patronage. When a part-time, non-executive chairman turns an agency into a de facto political office, it signals weak oversight and institutional erosion.
Ordinary civil servants at the LNRBDA are the immediate victims, forced to navigate a workplace overtaken by political noise and distraction. Their ability to execute water and agricultural projects—critical in a region prone to flooding and irrigation challenges—is undermined by leadership that prioritizes party loyalty over functional governance.
This reflects a wider pattern in which federal agencies across Nigeria are quietly being reshaped into political outposts, weakening public trust and operational integrity.
💡 NaijaBuzz is a news aggregator. This content is curated and editorially enhanced from third-party sources. The NaijaBuzz Take represents editorial opinion and analysis, not established fact.
