From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Osun State Government has explained that it took over the reconstruction of the Osogbo-Okinni-Ilobu road, which is a federal road, to alleviate the hardship motorists and other road users face daily while plying the road.
The government said the facility has been in a deplorable condition for so long and it could not afford to allow its citizens to continue to suffer on the road, adding that it followed due process in taking over the project.
One of the opposition parties in Osun, the Accord Party had in a statement published accused the State Government of taking over a road project that had already been awarded by the Federal Government.
Reacting to the statement by the Accord Party, Mr Ismail Omipidan who is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, described the party’s claims as “unfortunate, lame and illogical.”
He said while the contract for the rehabilitation of the road had been truly awarded by the federal government on two different occasions since 2012, no concrete work had been done on the project, a development he said forced the State government to take over the project.
“The contract for rehabilitating the road was first awarded by the federal government 10 years ago, but since then, no significant work has been done on the project that has caused so much hardship for our people who use the road.
“It was for this reason that the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola-led administration decided to take over the project to address the needless sufferings and loss of man-hours on the facility,” Omipidan explained.
He further noted that the Accord party should be more concerned about how to sell its candidate to the people of Osun rather than engaging in a futile exercise. “The party’s comments on the take-over of the road project by the State government are lame and illogical,” he added.
Omipidan further said: “Accord Party should simply bury its head in shame. Are they saying we should continue to allow the people of Osun to suffer under our administration simply because the road belongs to the federal government?
“If they were discerning enough and if they had listened to Mr Governor’s speech on the day we flagged off the reconstruction of that road, I am sure they would not bother themselves issuing a statement that lacks substance.
“Mr Governor said it clearly in his speech that the road contractors were awarded about 10 years ago and that as a state government, even though it is a federal government project, we did everything possible to support all the contractors that have had cause to work on that road. But there was no positive result.
“The argument on the timing of the award of the project is preposterous and ill-judged. A government can award a project contract even a week to its expiration, as long as it is in the overall interest of the State and its people.
“We all know that there are processes to take over federal government project that explains why it took us time to start the reconstruction because we have to complete the necessary paperwork.
“During the Governor’s January broadcast, he stated it clearly that though 2022 is going to be an election year as a responsible government, he will not allow politics to overdo governance, government thing, the Governor should be cover shadow walking his talk.
“Hon. Lasun Yusuff, the candidate of the Labour Party in the July 16 governorship contest was on air just on Monday, stating how as a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, he facilitated the reconstruction of the road. He explained how some persons who were coming for his event from Lagos had to return without getting to their destinations after spending three hours on that road, so he was happy and even commended the State government for taking over the road project and so, are the immediate beneficiaries of the road.
“The benefiting communities and road users who ply the road will not be happy with the position taken by Accord Party. as indeed missed its target as it cannot use this project to attack Governor Oyetola who has only done what the people desire.
“The party should be more concerned on how to sell its candidate rather than engaging in a futile exercise because this indeed is an exercise in futility, the people of Osun know Mr Adegboyega Oyetola very well a man of his words and somebody who walks his talks. He has promised that he won’t allow politics to overshadow governance. We will reel out more road projects in the days ahead.”