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You are ashamed of your sordid record – Adeleke
From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has labelled Governor Ademola Adeleke’s N159 billion infrastructure plan a scam. They claim he failed to deliver on his earlier N100 billion plan.
APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said this in a statement on Thursday. He pointed out that flyovers promised for Okefia, Lameco, and Ile-Ife by 2024 are struggling. They’ve missed deadlines and risk being abandoned. Nothing has started at Ikirun or Owode, he added.
The APC argued that the government can’t finish old projects, so it can’t handle new ones. “Instead of making new promises, it would have been a tenable excuse if the government has resolved to focus on delivering the projects it already promised,” they said. “Osun State deserves better. It’s time for the government to prioritise education, healthcare, agricultural development, and rural road infrastructure,” the party stated.
Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, has fired back at the charge, saying the APC’s criticism shows they’re ashamed of their own failure to fix Osun’s infrastructure when they were in power. He also called them blind to the current government’s progress.
Rasheed said the first phase of the infrastructure plan is 70 to 80 per cent done across all sectors. The new N159 billion phase is doable, he added, reflecting what communities want. “It is only haters of the people that will deny the huge infrastructure development ongoing across various parts of the state. Within the state capital alone, work has never stopped on Oke Fia and Lameco flyovers, as can be attested to by the public. In fact, the phase of work is accelerating,” he said.
“The flyover at Ile Ife is progressing. The video and picture evidence are everywhere. The governor just inspected the Ilesa dualisation with contractors working day and night to deliver. The Oke Gada bridge is almost 90 per cent completed, while the dualisation of Old Garage-Oke Fia-Lameco Road is completed,” he continued.
“The Ilesa Garage to Stadium roundabout is completed and commissioned, while the Akoda-Oke Gada dualisation is equally fully done. 200 health centres were upgraded; over 100 schools were rehabilitated; and about 150 kilometres of local and urban centre roads were completed,” Rasheed noted.
He explained why some projects changed. “The above shows that the first phase of the infrastructure plan announced in 2023 is being faithfully executed. The Abere flyover was put on hold because the community selected a preferred road project as a replacement; ditto for Ikirun Junction flyover, where the community opted for the extension of the road dualisation from Ikirun Junction to the Kwara state border,” he said.