Oyo: APC Slams Makinde’s N63b ‘Reckless’ Spending On Govt House, Private Jets

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is spending the funds belonging to the state recklessly, he has been treating the peoples of the state with disrespect and disdain, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The party slammed the governor over his alleged  decision to spend over N63 billion for the renovation of the state Government House, describing the governor’s action  to be profligate and insensitive to the plight of the people of the state.

Governor Makinde had recently announced his government’s plan to  renovate the Agodi Government House with N63.5 billion because the building, according to him, no longer befit the status of the state.

Reacting, the APC in a statement issued by the state’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare said the government has embarked on a spending spree that will not benefit the state, citing also the government decision to “purchase two aircrafts for him to monitor criminals from the air space.”

The party said some of the projects being executed by Governor Makinde do not serve the need of the people of the state, describing them as waste and grandiose.

On the Government House renovation, APC said the decision cannot be justified considering that the structure had already been renovated by the  immediate past government of Abiola Ajimobi, wondering why Governor Makinde again allocated billions for the same project.

APC also accused the governor of “contract splitting” in the  upgrade of Alakia Airport, saying funds were allocated for the project twice, adding the the financial recklessness of the governor has come to the light of the people of the state and others closely watching his government.

The statement read in part: “We watched keenly as concerned individuals and groups across the globe condemned the decision of Gov. Makinde to record another ugly stride in his penchant for financial recklessness and wasting of public funds through the payment of huge sums on white elephant projects and misplaced priorities. Interestingly, most of those who did not take us seriously when we raised the alarm on the production of 212,505 copies of exercise books for public school pupils at the rate of N2100 per copy in 2019 are now the leading voices against the same Gov. Makinde.”

“To make the matter, Gov. Makinde failed to justify the decision to expend so much billions on the renovation of structures which had been built to last decades several years ago and renovated to taste by the immediate past administration of the ever-neat and classy Senator Abiola Ajimobi in 2017. All that played out in Gov. Makinde’s official address to the state lawmakers at the Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday was a futile attempt to cover up a case of brazen corruption and impunity.”

“At the same time, Gov. Makinde has a lot to tell the world about a criminal case of contract splitting which has been established in the ongoing upgrade of Alakia Airport because he has not explained why he had to release another N10billion and now N14.3billion for the the same project estimated to gulp N14.3billion to complete and after full payment had been made, the governor keeps making fresh budget as extra billions are being paid by the state government.”

“On the issue of aircrafts, it is another conduit through which a few individuals around the corridor of power would siphon public funds. The best thing which Gov. Makinde would do is to pay for two new airplanes from the coffers of the state and then bring one tokunboh private jet which would move him and his cronies around the world at the expense of the masses.

“Meanwhile, aircrafts are not what Oyo state needs at the moment to combat crime but synergy among stakeholders, motivation of security agents and deployment of relevant technologies as the idea of surveillance with airplane is premature.” APC said.