News
Makinde admits epileptic performance of light-up Oyo project, promises permanent solution
Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has assured residents of the state that his administration will find a permanent solution to the challenges facing the light-up Oyo project after the ongoing audit.
The governor, who gave the assurance while speaking during a special service held at Maranatha Lord Cometh Ministries International, Abayomi, Iwo-Road, Ibadan, said that his administration was also reviewing environmental laws to clean up the environment and remove beggars from the streets.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that there will be a permanent solution to the epileptic performance of the light-up Oyo project and the traffic congestion being experienced by the people of the state.
He added that the traffic gridlock experienced in recent months must have been the result of influxes of people seeking a conducive environment in Oyo State.
He explained that residents should not be afraid of whether the light will come back or not, as according to him, it will come back sustainably.
Similarly, the governor vowed to get beggars and the destitute off the streets as soon as possible.
He warned lawbreakers, to turn a new leaf by obeying environmental and traffic laws, adding that violators of state laws would not go unpunished under Omituntun 2.0.
He promised to fix the road that leads to the church as quickly as possible.
He said, “You know, it is one thing to be here and another thing to do something that you can remember. So, your request to fix this road is approved. And let it be on record that this is done under Omituntun 1.0.
“Let me also say that we have been blessed with the message this morning of mercy and grace. For the beggars, we are thinking about them and will take them off the streets. Two days ago, I visited the camp at Akinyele but it did not perform as envisaged, but we will take another approach to it. So, between now and May 29th, you will see us taking the beggars off the streets.
Speaking on the light-up project, he said: “So, an audit is going on right now, and I have asked the Commissioner for Energy to put out a notice. It will take about four to six weeks to complete the audit process, and we will have a permanent solution immediately after that audit. “So, you don’t have to be afraid of whether the light will come back or not. They will come back and stay there sustainably.
“The second issue is about the investment on the road. As you can see, we have traffic situations here. Well, let me say this: many people are coming into this state from other states because things are being done right here.
“When we came in, we were in a hole. Now, we are out of the hole and yet to start working or running, but we are crawling along and being proactive in how we are situating our infrastructure.” Many people are coming in, and we have to stay ahead of how we provide the infrastructure. If you look at the airport road coming into Ibadan, it is not the same situation as we have in Lagos. We are looking at multiple routes to get to the airport. Not only have we dualized the airport road itself, but the airport road is now going to Ajia to burst out at the Ajia junction. So, if you are going to Ife, you don’t need to get to the junction.
“We also have a new road now going through Oremeji, Agugu, which is right after the gate of the airport.” So, if you are going to the center of the city, you don’t have to come to Iwo Road. You turn in right after the gate to get to Oremeji, Agugu, and beyond. Also, on that road to Ajia, we made a spur to Amuloko, and from Amuloko, you can turn left and go towards Akanran and Ijebu-Ode, and you can turn right and come to Olorunsogo. Not only are we fixing the road, but we are also dualizing the biggest portion, which is about 3.5 km.
“For example, if you want to come to Secretariat, Gate, Total Garden, and all those neighbouring areas, you don’t have to come in through Iwo Road. The Old Ife Road is being fixed. I was there yesterday night around 9:30 p.m. and inspected the underpass at Onipepeye. You know it is connected to the Ogbere River, and we have expanded that place. We can never experience floods at Onipepeye again. If you want to go to Gate, you take the old-Ife road, which has been dualized. No bottleneck. That underpass will be open for traffic before the 29th of May. All of these are under Omituntun 1.0.
“You also touched on waste management. Yes, we have moved from where we used to be but still need to do more, and we are constantly looking at the means to achieve a very clean and presentable environment. I can say we are well on our way. We know the solution, and we are trying to implement it. So, I look forward to a cleaner and saner Ibadan.
“If you look at the roadmap for sustainable development 2023–2027, Section 6, it deals with the rule of law. We have the grace period now, too. Between now and May 29, people will have grace. But starting May 29, I will make the pronouncement and put big billboards at all entry points to Oyo State that will suggest that this will be a state where you will be responsible for your actions.
“We will engage with all stakeholders whose markets are flowing into the roads and causing traffic logjams. We will ask them to be confined within the space provided for buying and selling. I will not go after the sellers, but the buyers. If you want to buy things, go inside the market. We will provide parking spaces and organization within those marketplaces. But if you stay on the road to patronize people who are not supposed to be on the road, you will pay the fine for both of you the buyer and the seller. We will show mercy on the seller, but the grace will not cover the buyer. We will sensitize the people first.
“We had the last Exco meeting about a week and a half ago, and we tasked the Exco and they harmonized the Environmental Bill. It is with the Oyo State House of Assembly now, and once it is passed, then there is a law. We will ask people to obey our laws, and we will all be better for it. We have connected almost all of our zones. I went for inspection in three zones of Oyo State, and we did it within five hours and got to Oyo, Oke-Ogun, and came back to Ibadan to inspect projects. So, we have put in the handwork but left it to people to obey the law and let the rest also enjoy the benefits of the money we have put into our infrastructure.”.
Earlier in his message, the presiding pastor of the church, Bishop Samuel 1 Olumakinde Alawode who read from the Bible Ephesians 4:7, admonished people to repent of their sins and seek divine grace from the Lord.
While commending the unprecedented feats achieved by the governor in Omituntun 1.0, the cleric charged Governor Makinde to be more active in his second term in office and strive to leave a lasting legacy in the history of the state.
… Assures Prompt Salary Payment
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas, has announced the release of withheld local government allocations, assuring that necessary steps would be taken to ensure the prompt payment of workers’ salaries.
Ibas disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting with Heads of Local Government Administrators in Port Harcourt, describing the engagement as a crucial step towards restoring stability and progress in the state.
He lamented the economic hardship in the Niger Delta, noting that despite the region’s wealth of natural resources, many of its people continued to suffer.
“This is unacceptable,” he said, stressing the need for transformation and financial accountability.
The administrator expressed concern over the delay in salary payments across local government areas, acknowledging the struggles of affected workers.
“I feel the pain of the workers,” he stated, assuring them that the withheld allocations had been released and that his administration would ensure prompt payment of salaries.
However, he warned that financial discipline would be strictly enforced, directing all local government areas to submit their wage bills with supporting documents through the office of the Head of Service.
Ibas, a retired Vice Admiral and former Chief of Naval Staff, vowed to scrutinise public funds and take decisive action against mismanagement.
“Good governance is not just a slogan; it is a commitment to changing the negative narrative within the next six months,” he added.
He also emphasised the need for collaboration with traditional rulers and security agencies to enhance grassroots security.
“You must take the lead in ensuring security within your domains,” he charged local government administrators.
Reacting, the President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Administrator of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Clifford Paul, commended the Federal Government for appointing Ibas, attributing the decision to his leadership competence.
He urged the administrator to prioritise workers’ welfare, stating that local government workers were currently owed two months’ salaries.
“With the release of the withheld allocations, we are hopeful that workers will receive their entitlements soon,” he said.
Paul further called on stakeholders to seize the opportunity to rebuild trust and foster unity in the state.
President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, following a brief meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday afternoon.
Ibas’ appointment comes a day after Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The President cited Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution as the legal basis for his action, stating that he could no longer stand by as the political crisis in the state escalated.
However, the suspension of Fubara and other elected officials has sparked widespread condemnation. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, senior lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and several civil society groups have rejected the move, describing it as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
In contrast, the pro-Nyesom Wike faction of the Rivers State Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule, has praised Tinubu’s decision, accusing Fubara of disregarding a Supreme Court ruling related to the state’s political crisis.
Vice Admiral Ibas, a retired naval officer, previously served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under President Muhammadu Buhari. Born in Cross River State, he attended the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979 and went on to have a distinguished military career, rising to the highest ranks in the Navy.
He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management. In 2022, Buhari conferred upon him the national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in recognition of his service.
Ibas now assumes leadership of Rivers State amid a deeply divided political landscape, with tensions running high over the legality and implications of the emergency rule.
The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements to the federal, state, and local governments surged by 43 per cent in 2024, reflecting a major boost in government revenue inflows.
According to the latest FAAC Quarterly Review released in Abuja on Tuesday, the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) disclosed that a total of N15.26 trillion was allocated to the three tiers of government within the year under review.
NEITI’s Acting Director, Communication & Stakeholders Management, Obiageli Onuorah, described the disbursements as a historic high, noting that the allocations surpassed previous years by a remarkable margin.
Key Drivers of Revenue Growth
The report attributed the surge in FAAC disbursements to sustained fiscal reforms by the Federal Government, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and foreign exchange rate adjustments. These policies have significantly boosted oil revenue remittances and overall government earnings.
Speaking at the official release of the report in Abuja, NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, highlighted the impact of these reforms on national and subnational finances. He noted that the withdrawal of fuel subsidies in mid-2023 reshaped revenue distribution and affected debt repayment deductions from state allocations.
Dr Orji stated that the objective of the report was to assess the sustainability of government borrowing, the fiscal implications of resource dependence, and the economic realities confronting states benefitting from the 13% derivation revenue from oil, gas, and solid minerals.
“The analysis focused on crude oil revenue derivation states, as solid minerals continue to underperform despite their significant potential,” he added.
Breakdown of FAAC Allocations
According to the NEITI report, FAAC disbursements in 2024 were as follows:
Federal Government: N4.95 trillion
State Governments: N5.81 trillion
Local Governments: N3.77 trillion
Total FAAC Disbursement (Including Derivation Revenue): N15.26 trillion
State governments recorded the highest percentage increase in allocations, jumping by 62% from N3.58 trillion in 2023 to N5.81 trillion in 2024. Local government councils saw a 47% increase, while the federal government’s share rose by 24% from N3.99 trillion in 2023.
The report highlighted that FAAC allocations grew by 66.2% over three years, rising from N9.18 trillion in 2022 to N10.9 trillion in 2023 and N15.26 trillion in 2024, with the most significant leap occurring between 2023 and 2024.
Economic Risks and Challenges
Despite the revenue boost, NEITI cautioned that economic risks associated with fiscal reforms must be managed effectively. Key risks identified include:
Inflationary pressures
Possible rise in debt servicing costs
Fiscal uncertainty for oil-dependent states
The agency urged governments at all levels to adopt innovative measures to cushion the impact of these economic challenges.
State-by-State Allocation Analysis
Lagos received the highest FAAC allocation in 2024, with N531.1 billion, followed by:
Delta State: N450.4 billion
Rivers State: N349.9 billion
Conversely, the least allocations went to:
Nasarawa State: N108.3 billion
Ebonyi State: N110 billion
Ekiti State: N111.9 billion
The report also showed that six states—Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Kano—each received over N200 billion, collectively accounting for 33% of total state allocations. Meanwhile, the six lowest-receiving states—Yobe, Gombe, Kwara, Ekiti, Ebonyi, and Nasarawa—received only 11.5% of total allocations.
Debt Deductions Raise Fiscal Concerns
A total of N800 billion was deducted from states’ allocations for foreign debt servicing and contractual obligations, representing 12.3% of total state allocations.
Lagos State had the highest debt deduction, with N164.7 billion, followed by:
Kaduna State: N51.2 billion
Rivers State: N38.6 billion
Bauchi State: N37.2 billion
NEITI warned that many states with high debt burdens were among the lower FAAC recipients, raising concerns about debt sustainability and overall fiscal health.
With the federal and state governments increasingly reliant on oil revenue, the report emphasized the need for economic diversification, stronger financial management, and sustainable debt practices to ensure long-term fiscal stability.
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