Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday, accused the opposition of deliberately withholding Osun’s allocation to stop the completion of critical projects by his administration, but vowed to push ahead with all the projects.
The governor made the accusation while inspecting the Lagere Flyover Bridge and other projects in Ile-Ife. He said, “To those critics who are asking us to move faster, we call their attention to the fact that we are less than three years old in government. Almost a year of the three years has been taken up by a deliberate onslaught by the opposition to disrupt Osun’s development through the blocking of funding and destabilisation plots.”
“Almost N100 billion of Osun’s funds have been unjustly seized in a bid to stop the completion of the Ile-Ife flyover, Ilesa township dualisation, Iwo township road dualisation, Ila Orangun township dualisation, reconstruction of the Iwo–Osogbo Road and the Lameco Flyover Bridge, among others. The opposition has unfortunately chosen to play politics with the urgent need of our people to exit decades of underdevelopment.
“Our royal fathers and good people of Osun, we will not allow the evil plan of the opposition to come to reality. Our government will complete all ongoing major projects. We will not succumb to dark forces hell-bent on blocking Osun’s development. On behalf of the Osun people, we will continue to pursue the rule of law to secure our rights within the Federation.
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“I warn contractors and officials to be up and doing on various ongoing projects,” the governor said, adding that his administration has broken the jinx of underdevelopment for Ile-Ife and other towns in the state, vowing that the opposition’s plot to stop Osun’s development will not materialise.
“I urge various contractors handling our infrastructure projects to be up and doing. I task them to show commitment to delivering on the awarded contracts. I expect those contractors to maintain presence and ensure memorability of the roads while the contract lasts.
“Our administration will not hesitate to terminate any non-performing contracts. Our people expect so much from this administration, and we will not allow slack in the implementation process.
“I task officials of the Ministry of Works to strengthen their monitoring of ongoing projects. The public should be regularly updated on the state of each project. Project implementation reports should henceforth be issued on a monthly basis.”
He, however, justified his administration’s upgrading of infrastructure in Ile-Ife and other major towns of the state on the grounds that improved infrastructure fast-tracks economic development.
The governor, who decried the neglect of Ile-Ife and the abandonment of several projects by previous administrations and individuals, said the cultural capital of the Yoruba people deserves the best roads and other infrastructure.
“Ile-Ife infrastructure projects are designed to transform the state into an economic hub and a tourism capital of the South-West.
“I am elated to see the rapid progress already recorded in our unprecedented moves to modernise and upgrade Ile-Ife, the cultural capital of the Yoruba people. Many doubted the need for our ambitious approach to the development of Ile-Ife and other ancient towns in Osun State. We told them we must think big, we must aim very high, and we must seek and deliver the best infrastructure and services to our people.
“We decided to make history by breaking from the legacy of abandoned projects whose funds were diverted into private pockets. We rejected private enrichment at the expense of our people. The people of Ile-Ife remember the many tales of abandoned projects and diverted funds in this community. Our administration opted for the people’s way — Osun money must serve the Osun people. That mantra of state money for state development is manifesting in Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Osogbo, Ede, Ila Orangun, Iwo and other parts of the state.
“Today, the Ile-Ife Flyover with adjacent dualisation is nearing completion. We have shamed those who doubted our sincerity. We have ridiculed those who think the fund is for diversion and self-enrichment as they had done in the past. We have broken the jinx by launching and realising this upgrading of our cultural capital.
“Some critics with low governance ambition dared us and declared that Ile-Ife needed no flyover bridge. We ask: why do you hate Ile-Ife so much? Why do you think so little of our ancestral capital? Why must Ile-Ife be kept under a perpetual state of underdevelopment?
“We rejected the path of those who denied this ancient city a dualised road since 1999. We are fulfilling the wishes and aspirations of Ile-Ife sons and daughters who rightly affirmed that top-notch infrastructure is an engine for economic growth.
“This flyover is strategically located at an economic nerve centre of Osun East, connecting Osun West, Ijesaland, and Ondo State through Garage Olode. An economic hub is being created through this iconic flyover bridge.
“Apart from creating an economic hub, our administration is conscious of the tourism potentials and importance of Ile-Ife to millions of Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora. In our creative economy agenda, Ile-Ife occupies a prime place. The cradle of the Yoruba nation thus deserves a massive infrastructure upgrade to support our vision of a cultural capital attracting multibillion-dollar tourism opportunities in the near future.
“Our administration is not only building the flyover and dualised roads; several internal roads have been reconstructed here in Ile-Ife. Our deliveries are visible in Ile-Ife, Modakeke, Ifetedo, Yakooyo, Akinlalu, and Edunabon. Completed road projects include Iredunmi–Oke Ijan Road, Oriyangi–St. John’s Road, Manchester–Igboya Road, Olurin–Omi Okun Road, Ife City Benediction Road, London Street–Iremo Road, Agric Road Opa, Akinlalu Junction to Town Junction, Magistrate Court–Itamerin Road, Ogbingbin–Garage Isale, RCM Road Ifetedo, Modakeke’s AP Junction to Alapata Road, and Cele Road to Ajape Junction — all shining examples of equity in governance. Meanwhile, Moore Babaakodi Road, UNIOSUN Road, and the ongoing Edunabon–Tonkere Road, among others,” he concluded.
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