Politics
Oyo APC to Makinde: Refund N5.2b wasted on failed Adamasingba stadium remodeling project
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has called on Governor Seyi Makinde to either refund the whopping sum of N5.2billion which his administration purportedly spent on the remodeling of the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan or risk being dragged to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to account for the alleged fraud involved in the award and execution of the ‘failed project’.
This latest reaction from Oyo APC came against the backdrop of the reports credited to the Interim Management Committee (IMC) which described the soccer pitch of the Adamasingba Stadium (the home ground of the Shooting Stars Sports Club) as falling below standard and unplayable. IMC is the body set up by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to oversee the nation’s elite soccer league.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC berated Governor Makinde over his refusal to explain to the world the details of all the stadiums and sports facilities he has used the sum of N5.2b to fix since he claimed that the said amount was not expended on only Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
“Most of our people who visited the Stadium in Adamasingba to watch the recent home matches of our darling team (3SC) against El-Kanemi Warriors and Nasarawa United respectively had given an unpleasant report about the whole stadium facility, particularly the soccer pitch which has just been confirmed as an eyesore by the IMC. This is against the impression that the Makinde administration had created through the mass media.
“It is recalled that the lid was first blown open on the very day the purportedly remodeled stadium was being recommissioned and the event attracted disgrace to Governor Makinde and the good people of the state instead of the anticipated applause. It happened that the whole place became waterlogged and messy as a result of a minor downpour. What happened on that day should have made Governor Makinde throw in the towel but he only followed it up with another media campaign equating the substandard stadium facility with those of Maracana, Emirates, and Nou Camp in Brazil, England, and Spain respectively.
“Meanwhile, the revelation coming from IMC about the sordid job done on Adamasingba Stadium did not come to us as a surprise since we had established that the present PDP administration of Governor Makinde is synonymous with fraudulent contract awards and poor delivery. This is a government that would sponsor some cronies to register some companies with the Corporate Affairs Commission today to give the emergency construction outfits tomorrow without any recourse to Due Process law.
“Sad enough, we also have it on good authority that the orchestrated 5-kilometer road contract award imposed on each of the 33 Local Government Council chairmen totaling 165 kilometers across the state has been given out to the same fake company being used to siphon the resources of the state since 2019. The arrangement this time is for the proxies behind the company to attend to some street roads across Ibadan at random after collecting the full sum for the inflated 165Km road contract and then disappear”, Oyo APC said.
House of Representatives member and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has fulfilled his pledge to support the welfare of the All Progressives Congress (APC) staff in Oyo State.
In a gesture highlighting his commitment, the lawmaker personally funded the salaries of staff at the APC’s Oke Ado Secretariat in Ibadan, reinforcing his dedication to the smooth operation of the party’s activities in the state.
Representing the Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Oseni recently visited the secretariat, where he expressed gratitude to party leaders and members for their contributions.
As a further commitment to the smooth operation of the party’s activities, the lawmaker generously donated ten million naira (N10,000,000) as an allowance to enhance the secretariat’s functions.
In a statement released Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker extended appreciation to the secretariat staff, whom he described as the backbone of the party’s daily functions.
He lauded their dedication, noting their essential role in advancing the party’s goals.
“Leadership is about service, and service begins with supporting those who make the party function from within,” Oseni remarked.
“I am proud to honour this commitment to our staff, as they play a crucial role in making our political structures work effectively. This is my way of showing appreciation for their unwavering dedication”, he added.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, has paid tribute to former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, on his 61st birthday, celebrating his decades of dedicated service and contributions to Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, Oseni, who also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), lauded Folarin’s unwavering commitment to leadership and the well-being of the people.
Highlighting the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial nominee in the 2023 elections for three terms in the Senate, the lawmaker noted that Folarin’s legacy of service continues to be a guiding light for emerging leaders and a source of inspiration for countless individuals across the state.
“Senator Folarin has built an admirable legacy through years of selfless public service, consistently advocating for progress and unity,” remarked Oseni.
Reflecting on Folarin’s role as the Ikolaba Olubadan of Ibadanland, the lawmaker commended his leadership approach, which has bridged divides, fostered coalitions, and promoted initiatives aimed at stabilising democracy.
“Senator Folarin’s career is an example of visionary leadership,” he added, “and his commitment to public service will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
As Senator Folarin marks this milestone, Oseni extended warm wishes for his continued health and success, expressing hope that his exemplary life of service will keep inspiring positive change across the nation.
In a historic ruling, a Ugandan court on Friday sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in prison.
This landmark decision, marking the first time a member of the notorious LRA has faced trial for war crimes in a Ugandan court, follows the group’s brutal two-decade insurgency against the Ugandan government.
Kwoyelo, who was convicted in August on 44 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, faced charges including murder, rape, torture, pillaging, abduction, and the destruction of settlements for internally displaced people.
(FILES) Thomas Kwoyelo a commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebellion blamed for brutal civilian murders during a 20-year war in the north of the country is brought into a courthouse in the northern Ugandan town of Gulu on July 25, 2011. – A Ugandan court on October 25, 2024 sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in prison after a landmark war crimes trial over his role in the group’s two-decade reign of terror. The sentence against Kwoyelo, who was convicted on 44 counts of crimes against humanity in August, was announced by Michael Elubu, the lead judge in the case at the court in the northern city of Gulu. (Photo by MICHELE SIBOLINI / AFP)
Michael Elubu, lead judge of the case at the International Crimes Division (ICD) of Uganda’s High Court, delivered the sentence in the northern city of Gulu, underscoring a rare moment of accountability in the decades-long history of the LRA’s violence.
Judge Elubu stated that Kwoyelo retains the right to appeal both his conviction and sentence within 14 days.
Kwoyelo, who was abducted by the LRA at the age of 12 and later rose to a low-level command position within the organization, denied all charges brought against him.
(FILES) Suspected LRA (Lords Resistance Army) member Thomas Kwoyelo is pictured during a pre-trial session at the High Court in Kampala on Februay 1, 2017. – A Ugandan court on October 25, 2024 sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in prison after a landmark war crimes trial over his role in the group’s two-decade reign of terror. The sentence against Kwoyelo, who was convicted on 44 counts of crimes against humanity in August, was announced by Michael Elubu, the lead judge in the case at the court in the northern city of Gulu. (Photo by GAEL GRILHOT / AFP)
The Lord’s Resistance Army, founded by Joseph Kony in the 1980s, sought to establish a regime based on the Ten Commandments. Under Kony’s leadership, the group unleashed widespread terror across Uganda and neighboring regions, resulting in over 100,000 deaths and the abduction of 60,000 children.
The violence eventually spread to Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Central African Republic.
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