EXCLUSIVE: Kwara Renewed Hope Coordinator Alakawa Under Fire For Turning Lower Niger River Basin Office Into Political Meeting Ground
Sources alleged that the chairman has repeatedly used his office and the agency’s premises to host high-profile political meetings, a development they said has disrupted the day-to-day operations of the institution.
Civil servants at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara State, have raised concerns over the alleged use of the agency’s premises for political activities by its Board Chairman, Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa.
Alakawa, who also serves as Kwara State Coordinator for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and a former commissioner under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, is accused of exceeding the limits of his part-time appointment by allegedly promoting partisan activities within the federal agency.
Sources within the parastatal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agency’s once quiet administrative environment has reportedly been replaced by frequent political gatherings since his appointment.
Sources alleged that the chairman has repeatedly used his office and the agency’s premises to host high-profile political meetings, a development they said has disrupted the day-to-day operations of the institution.
“This is supposed to be a part-time position, but the chairman has turned the office into a political arena,” a source within the agency told SaharaReporters. “The constant influx of political loyalists and the noise from these meetings are disturbing civil servants from performing their professional duties.”
Photographic evidence obtained by SaharaReporters confirms the location of the political gatherings. In one widely circulated image, Alakawa and several associates of the Renewed Hope group are seen posing in front of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority headquarters in Ilorin.
The backdrop clearly shows the federal government facility, reinforcing allegations that the agency is being used as both a meeting point and branding site for political activities—a development critics say undermines the neutrality expected of public institutions.
Alakawa, an indigene of Asa Local Government Area, is a notable figure in Kwara State politics and previously served as a commissioner during Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s first term. His current role at the LNRBDA is described as advisory and non-executive in nature.
However, concerned staff and observers have condemned the situation as an abuse of office, alleging that a federal parastatal is being turned into a de facto political base at the expense of effective public service delivery.
“The civil service is being held hostage by political ambitions,” another source stated. “Federal offices are built for public administration and development projects, not for partisan coordination or the hosting of ‘Renewed Hope’ ambassadors.”
The development has sparked calls for the Presidency and the Ministry of Water Resources to investigate the management of the LNRBDA. Stakeholders are demanding that the board chairman adhere to the limitations of his part-time role and cease the use of government infrastructure for political mobilizations.
Efforts to reach Alakawa for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report, as he did not respond to calls or a text message sent to him.
