From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
Some residents of Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State are raising uproar over the whereabouts of over N800 million earmarked for capital projects in the 2012 Budget in the area “but which have not been implemented years later”.
Contrary to propaganda by the Oyo State Government that the 2012 Budget ws fully implemented, investigation revealed that projects slated and situated for execution in Oke-Ogun are neither implemented, nor whereabouts of funds earmarked for them unknown.
These facts were revealed by a group known as Civil Coalition for Good Governance.
The group is being coordinated by the Justice Development and Peace Movement (JDPM), an arm of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo.
The forum meets monthly to interact on peoples’ interests, what affects their lives, and on common challenges.
The interactive forum is open to cross section of people including lecturers, civil servants, women, youths, contractors, traders, artisans and transporters from seven local governments in Oke-Ogun area .
Speaking exclusively with Freedom Online, Coordinator
of the group, Mr. Dominic Taiwo, said that it took four months to monitor the 2012 Budget in the three zones of the state, to ascertain the veracity of its implementation.
The forum noted that works are yet to begin on the N600 million earmarked for the rehabilitation of Oke-Ogun roads.
“These roads include Alaga/Ago-Are/Saki at a cost of N380 million and Iganna/Iwere-ile/Ijio/Ayegun at a cost of N200 million. These roads remain as undulating as they were without any sign of rehabilitation.
Another road, which is Bode –Isalu/ Oke Adeta/ Oke-Afin/ Iseyin road put at a cost of N8.2million, is yet to be implemented.”
He further disclosed that N17.5 million earmarked for
the rehabilitation of rural water supply at Ago-Amodu, Ogboro, Akufo, Okeho and Alabata communities were yet to see the light of the day.
“What is more, the state government, in its 2012 Budget, said it would construct three workshops at Government Technical Colleges in Iseyin, Saki and Ibadan at a cost of N78 million Till now, that of Iseyin and Saki were yet to be constructed, though we couldn’t say that of
Ibadan, the state capital. Also, construction of fence at the
General Hospital, Iwere-Ile, and procurement of a 30KVA transformer for the General Hospital in Iseyin, all at a cost of N10 million, are yet to be executed”.
Meanwhile, some members and leaders of both the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, who defected to the Labour Party (LP), have attributed their action to alleged irregularities and lack of sincerity of purpose which characterised their former parties’
primaries.
In a communiqué after a meeting held in Saki, the group said
PDP, the stakeholders and entire members decided to dump both parties for the LP.”
The communiqué, signed by Chief J. Ola Adigun Irawo and Chief J.G. Adetoro, stated that the group aligned itself with the state primaries of LP, which took place in Ibadan, on Wednesday, “where Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala was adopted and elected as the governorship candidate of the party.
“Also, Honourable Tajudeen Kareem Abisodun was equally adopted and elected as our senatorial candidate for Oyo North Senatorial District.”
While congratulating all LP candidates who were adopted and elected throughout the state, the group enjoined “all our members to team up and cooperate with all our LP counterparts and work harmoniously for the success of all our candidates in coming elections.”
Other prominent leaders of LP in Oke-Ogun, who dumped APC for LP include Chief Robert Koleosho, Chief Titilade Awakan and Honorable Kola Olabiyi, incumbent member, House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/ Kajola and Iwajowa Federal Constituency.
