The rivalry between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara State since the preparations for the 2011 governorship elections has not waned in any way. Rather, it is getting hotter with each passing day.

In recent time, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) appears to have joined the fray by towing the way of the ACN in strengthening opposition to virtually every policy of the state government. However, in what looks like a designed mission, they never pretended that one man, the former governor of the state and the scion of the Saraki political dynasty, Senator Bukola Saraki is their target.

Saraki turns out to be the only governor of the state that ever completed two terms in office. It is common knowledge that his becoming the governor was by all standard made possible by his late father, Dr. Olusola Saraki, who is widely acknowledged to be the father of politics in the North Central state.

The political size of the late Saraki is believed by a cross section of the people to intoxicate the younger Saraki, who is regarded as simply arrogant in all ramifications. He initiated so many programmes as the governor, which his opponents say were designed to suit his personal economic interests on the long run and against the expected commendations he should deserve.

That he did everything possible to make the incumbent governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, succeed him at all costs never earned him respect either. To those who are ever ready to counter Saraki, all the energy the senator put in place to ordain and install his successor was just a ploy to achieve an agenda and this, they associate with every programme of the Ahmed administration.

The government of Ahmed is tagged a government of continuity to Bukola's, and unfortunately, the Ahmed administration has not helped matters by always playing into the hands of the opposition. Of late, the 2013 Appropriation Bill presented to the state House of Assembly before Christmas has become a platform of discord between the PDP and the ACN.

As is always the case, the leftist ACN punctured the capital and recurrent proposals of the government in the budget, but was more particular about what it termed an unholy conventional servicing of a family by successive governments in the state spanning over several decades. The issue has become a row and the spokespersons on both sides have been having a field day.

The ACN, using the name of its 2011 governorship candidate, Dele Belgore (SAN), said in a statement signed by his media aide, Rafiu Ajakaiye, that the proposed budget does not reflect a government that is in tune with the yearnings of the impoverished masses of the state, neither is it in tune with global trend.

The statement read: "The state's 2013 budget, where recurrent expenditure, standing at N51 billion, exceeds capital expenditure of N42.6 billion, does not show a government that is in tune with the yearnings of the impoverished masses and global trend. And, for a state that is clearly on the lower wrung of social, economic and human capital development, such budget estimate calls for worry by concerned citizens, conscious of the dictates of the time and consequences of enriching a corrupt few at the expense of the majority of the populace. We hope the state Assembly would rightly raise issues with the budget estimates, which we found to be ridiculous and run afoul of the government's muchridiculed ‘Shared Prosperity' mantra."

Belgore said the state government did not record a pass mark in the year 2012, saying: "Events of the outgone year have shown beyond doubt that Kwara people want genuine change and real socio-economic and political empowerment – not the window dressing that dotted the past years. While our people are indeed peace-loving and unassuming, they cannot continue to endure lies being told in the name of governance."

Like a comrade at arm, the CPC followed in the footsteps of the ACN, by aligning itself with the party. Its chairman, Suleiman Buhari, said that though it was not holding brief for Belgore, it had to tow his line of argument, "because of the obvious, score card of the government so far."

Buhari said: "The CPC in Kwara State has observed with dismay, shock and disbelief the pedestrian response that the PDP gave to the dispassionate and intervention of the ACN governorship candidate in Kwara State, Belgore (SAN) with respect to the allocation of a whopping N51,794,060,140.00, about almost 55 per cent of the total budgetary allocations to recurrent expenditure. It will be recalled that Belgore had recently echoed the concern of the public when he picked hole in the thoughtless allocation of an almost 55 per cent of the total budgetary allocations to recurrent expenditure against the much required capital allocations, which is the ideal modern budgetary requirement.

"But alas, instead of the PDP to take the intervention in good faith and question its government for throwing fiscal responsibility to the dogs, it deliberately misrepresented Belgore's advice, while also using its trade mark foul language to humiliate his person."

Puncturing the budget further, the CPC said it fell below the requirement of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It said: "The CPC believes that this kind of budgetary projection, where recurrent expenditure is far bigger than capital expenditure, absolutely falls short of the ideal budgetary requirement for a rural state like Kwara. The UNDP requires that a minimum of 70 per cent should be reserved for capital expenditure of developing states like Kwara in order to achieve accelerated and sustainable growth. Pray, how does the state under the PDP hope to achieve this with a budgetary outlook where the internally generated revenue is not even enough to offset its overhead cost, let alone personnel cost with a combined strength of over N25 billion? And to worsen the situation, there is an unprecedented level of wrongful spending priorities, income inequality and poor investment in social services."

The CPC added that "it is rather laughable that at this age and century, the PDP in Kwara State would with bold face, list as achievements of a state government with the huge resources at its disposal, the sinking of boreholes, filling of potholes, painting of classrooms, provision of chairs and tables to selected primary schools and the procurement of bicycles to party bootlickers. How more directionless and visionless can a government be? So, for the avoidance of doubt, what the ACN's candidate said in clear terms, which our party absolutely agrees with, is that instead of filtering away the state resources on a very small circle of political jobbers, establishing new useless ministries and departments to create jobs for the boys with its attendant cost on the state budgetary expenditure, the government should look inwards and reduce the size and cost of government, learn to prioritise budgetary allocations, expand its revenue base by attracting Federal Government and private sector players in mineral exploration, improve the state business climate by easing the starting and running of a business in the state."

Reacting, Governor Ahmed attributed the slanting of the 2013 fiscal budget in favour of recurrent expenditure to the need to promote and sustain workers' welfare since the government remains the major employer of labour.

Ahmed, who gave the explanation during the January monthly interactive session with the media and members of the public, said it was unfortunate that governments at all levels in the country have, over the years, allowed the civil service to grow at the expense of the other sectors of the economy.

This, he noted, has led to the deployment of "substantial part of the budgets, which in an ideal situation should have been used to drive capital expenditure, to salaries and emoluments."

According to Ahmed, "Kwara is largely a civil service driven state and until we are able to attract massive private sector investments into the state, as government is currently doing, we may have no other option but maintain the current unfortunate situation."

The governor also dismissed insinuation that development is being concentrated in certain section of the state and pledged the support of state government to interested investors from within and outside the state.

His words: "We are ready to assist local investors, just as our doors are opened to investors outside the state. Our primary objective is to explore all possible and positive avenues to create more jobs and wealth for our teaming youth. This is an oath we have sworn to and will not derail or be derailed."

On scholarship, the governor decried a situation where very few of the deserving students benefit from the current bursary and promised to introduce a merit driven scholarship scheme for students in tertiary institutions to create a level playing ground for them instead of relying on bursary, which does not benefit all.

The governor noted that his administration places high premium on education, saying that appropriate mechanism has been put in place to ensure adequate infrastructure in all the state-owned tertiary institutions in order to create condusive learning environment.

Indeed, opposition parties in Kwara are cashing in on the 2013 budget, but the PDPled government seems unfazed with the criticisms.