Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State has attributed killings and other issues of insecurity facing the nation to lack of justice under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
According to Diri, the nation had become a killing field because the government is at variance with the yearnings of Nigerians.
He, however, said the governors of states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had shown the ability to deliver good governance in line with people’s expectations and the party is poised to take over at the national level in 2023.
Speaking at the official flag off of the reconstruction/rehabilitation of the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin road, on Thursday, demanded the support of Nigerians to ensure that the PDP leads both at the states and national level.
Diri, especially, lauded Governor Seyi Makinde for embarking on construction projects even in economically challenging times, saying Nigeria needed such quality of leadership.
Diri said: “We are bonded together as a people and we want the quality of leadership that Seyi Makinde is giving in Oyo in Nigeria. I came in here and all I smell is a peaceful environment.
“There are no killings and that is because the people and the government and one and the same, they are on the same page.
“Can we say the same of the federal government of Nigeria? They have to be on the same page with the people. When you are on the same page with the people, there is peace. And the peace we are all looking for can only come where there is justice.
“If Seyi Makinde is a governor of injustice, you will never be happy the way I see you today.
“Today, we are for flag off, but when we come some other time, we will tell ourselves the home truth. Continue to support your son, Engineer Seyi Makinde; continue to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“And as we keep delivering the dividends of democracy in all PDP states, come 2023, by God’s grace, we will deliver PDP and Nigeria will no longer be a killing field.”
In his remarks, Governor Makinde said the project which will cost N9.9 billion is billed for completion by July 2022, using the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA).
The event served as an opportunity for Makinde to describe as fake news and misinformation those reports that his administration is incurring huge debt to execute the ongoing infrastructural projects in the state.
Explaining that the APFA is such that the contractor funds the project and government pays overtime, Makinde assured that his administration will not owe any contractor, under APFA, at the end of his four-year tenure.
Makinde said: “Some people are still confused as to how we are still flagging off projects when some states are finding it difficult to pay salaries.
“They do not understand how we are raising Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), building our economy and engineering a modern Oyo State.
“And so, what do they do? They go to town with stories. Seyi Makinde is taking on hidden debts. He is going to turn our children into slaves. The debt he is leaving, we don’t know how many years it will take us to pay it.
“All lies, fake news and disinformation. Our secret to carrying on these projects is the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA).
“And I can say it’s an open secret. Because from when we started using it, we have always been open and transparent about it.
“With APFA, the contractor funds the project, and we pay back over an agreed period of time. And let me make this clear: you have my word that not one Naira will be left unpaid to any contractor under APFA at the end of our current tenure.
“For example, for this project, which was awarded in June this year, the repayment period is 17 months.
“This means that the project will be completed before all the repayments are made. However, the last repayment will be made by December 2022.
“So, do not allow anyone to confuse you, road construction is a big part of our engineering a modern Oyo State.”
Also flagged off on Thursday was the dualisation of the Ibadan Airport Road and its adjoining access road among others spanning a total of 10.8kilometres to be completed in six months.
Former Oyo governor, Dr Omololu Olunloyo conducted the flag off of the road dualisation with the work scope also encompassing adjoining routes such as the road to Alakia, behind Jeje Oil and Gas station, the road from Oludare street to Bishop Philips and extension of the Iwo Road Interchange to Adegbayi by 400 metres on the left and right.
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