Shina Abubakar, Osogbo
OSOGBO – The All Progressives Congress, APC in Osun State and the spokesperson to the State Governor, Olawale Rasheed on Thursday disagreed over the newly launched N159billion infrastructure plan by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
While the opposition party described the infrastructure plan as a fraud against the State, Adeleke media aide disclosed that the party’s doubt is a reflection of its failure in government.
The APC in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, disclosed that the governor has failed to deliver on its 2024 infrastructure plan as most of the projects listed under are yet to be completed.
In October 2023, Governor Adeleke announced plans to build infrastructure worth N100 billion without borrowing, boasting of completing five flyovers by the end of 2024.
However, the flyovers in Okefia, Lameco, and Ile-Ife are facing significant challenges, missing their completion deadlines, and are now at risk of being abandoned, while nothing has been done at Ikirun and Owode locations of the touted projects.
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.
The state should take a cue from more advanced state capitals like Ilorin and Ibadan, which boast good road networks complemented with traffic lights. It is our conviction that the government’s inability to complete previous projects raises questions about its capacity to deliver on the new plan.
Reacting, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed described the doubt within the APC as exposing its failure to bridge Osun infra deficit while in office, as well as its blindness to delivery of democratic dividends by the current administration.
“It is only haters of the people that will deny the huge Infra 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.
“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 percent completed while the dualisation of Old Garage-Oke Fia-Lameco road is completed.
“The Ilesa Garage to Stadium roundabout is completed and commissioned while the Akoda-Oke gada dualisation is equally fully done. 200 Health centers were upgraded; over 100 schools were rehabilitated ; and about 150 kilometers of local and urban center roads were completed.
“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 extension of the road dualisation from Ikirun Junction to Kwara state border.
“Governor Adeleke as a pro-people leader has remained faithful to all his pledges as widely acknowledged by local and national observers. What the APC failed to achieve in four years, Governor Adeleke has delivered in two years”, he added.
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