What we got from FG for repairing federal roads —Oyetola

THE Osun State government on Saturday disclosed that it had received in recent years a total of N11.9 billion as refund from the Federal Government for federal roads it rehabilitated. 

The state government, has thus, in a release, described as misleading and a misrepresentation of facts allegations that the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had received the sum of N48bn from the Federal Government as refund for the federal roads constructed by the immediate past administration. 

The State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, in a statement described the claims as capable of creating disharmony, strife and bad blood within the progressives family, adding that N48bn was a far cry from the N150bn which Oyetola had expended on prompt payment of full salaries and pensions. 

He added that the current government had paid over N67bn as loan repayment during its 33 months of administration in the state without borrowing a kobo till date. The allegation, which emerged from a viral video circulated on the social media by one Sikiru Ayedun, former Commissioner for Home Affairs, had suggested that the refund had been Oyetola’s secret purse for paying full salaries and undertaking other projects in the state. 

In a statement he personally signed, Oyebamiji said, “My attention has been drawn to the unsubstantiated claims by a former Commissioner for Home Affairs, Mr Sikiru Ayedun, claims that could mislead the public through misrepresentation of facts on the state of refund by the Federal Government to the Osun State Government on all the federal roads constructed by the previous administration and the Osun debt portfolio management by the present administration. “In setting the records straight, it is important to emphatically and explicitly state that such claims, as presented in the video under reference, is capable of creating disharmony, strife and bad blood within the progressive family. 

“The claim that the sum of N48 billion has been received by the Oyetola led administration as refund on federal roads constructed within the state is untrue. The total contract sum of all federal road projects embarked upon by the Osun State Government, as approved by the Federal Ministry of Works, is N38 billion. It is therefore against logic that the sum of N48bn will be paid by the FG for projects whose total contract sum equals N38bn. The projects in question, as at November, 2018, on the average, was less than 35% completion. 

“Available records show that the Osun State Government awarded the 29km Gbongan – Akodadualization project in 2013 for N29bn while the 40km Osogbo – Ikirun – Ila Odo Kwara boundary was awarded for N17.5bn in the same year, making both projects to amount to N46.5bn as proposed by Osun State Government. However, after due diligence and thorough assessment by the FG Public Procurement Agency, the contract sum was reviewed downward thus: Gbongan – Akoda road at N23bn, and Osogbo – Ila Odo road at N15bn respectively to carry the approved award contract sum of N38bn for all the ongoing FG roads under construction. 

This review was duly communicated to the Osun State Government. “As at November 2018, the contractor handling Gbongan – Akoda road project had received a total sum of N10.2bn, out of which 3.5km of the 29km stretched road have been completed including the Gbongan Interchange and the project was at 29% completion while the contractor handling the Osogbo – Ila Odo road collected a total sum of N9.2bn, with 49% completion rate; the implication is that the Osun State Government had paid both contractors the sum of N19.4bn as at November 2018. 

Similarly, the total refund by the FG to the state as at today, in three tranches, stood at N11.9bn based on the project delivered by both contractors. It is imperative to state that the FG refund of N11.9bn has been judiciously utilized and ploughed back into four inherited road projects embarked upon by the previous administration contrary to the unsubstantiated claims by Mr. Ayedun that the refund is being used to pay full salaries to civil servants in the state. 

“As at today, Gbongan – Akoda road project is at 36% completion stage, with 8.6km asphalted on both sides of the road. Also, the Osogbo – Ilaodo project which was at 49% in November 2018 is now at 55% completion, Oba Adesoji Aderemi road which was equally inherited at 65% completion is at 74% now and Ilesa – Iperindo – Ipetu Ijesa road project rose from 40% to 66% completion stage.”

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Lagos Is Second Least Liveable City In The World For 2021

Lagos is the second least liveable city in the world for the year 2021. This is according to the most recent annual ranking put together by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)…

FACT CHECK: Did UNICEF Say Blocking Children’s Access To Pornography Constitutes Human Rights’ Infringement?

CLAIM 1: A Twitter user claims UNICEF said any efforts to block children from accessing pornography might infringe their human rights.

VERDICT: MISLEADING!