News
Rejoinder: Did Oyo Govt. Diverts World Bank Loans Meant for Ibadan Flood Control To Ogun State Bank Account 2 Weeks Ago?
We had stumbled on a news piece with the above headline written by one Akin Ibrahimah and virally published in one Western Daily News on Tuesday, 11thOctober, 2022.
In all candidness, our initial disposition was to ignore the report on account of its lack of substance, coherence and credibility, as it was easily given away as an ill-intentioned and poorly executed work of mischief by its gross grammatical incongruity, amongst other inconsistencies, starting with the headline. We, however, decided to issue this media statement for the sake of the well-meaning citizens of Oyo State, especially the keen stakeholders of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) who see the Project as a veritable platform to secure their lives and livelihoods against the vagaries of perennial flooding in the city of Ibadan.
Now to the issues raised. First, the reporter claimed that “the World Bank about two weeks ago released another $25million for the continuation of the projects [IUFMP] for flood controls and damaged bridges across Ibadanland, part of which had been wired to an Ogun State Bank account for unknown reason.” While drawing down monies from the funder is an acceptable standard practice in the operations of projects fundedby multi-lateral agencies, it beats one’s imagination why a newspaper worth its name would not come up with details of the “Ogun State Bank account” where the money in question had been “wired.”
Anyone familiar with the Ibadan terrain would readily attest to the fact that in recent times, IUFMP has opened up some completed bridges and culverts to ease the movement of motorists, commuters and pedestrians. Some of the beneficiary-locations are Apete; Ajibode Road by NISER; Ladoke Akintola Road, New Bodija; Orogun-Agbowo Road; Adekile; Labo; and Barracks by Irepodun/Kajorepo Community off Ojoo Expressway. As at now, work is nearing completion at Akinwumi-Odewenwa by Ile Marun off Iwo Road and at Jerusalem Culvert along Ojoo – Arulogun Road.
Beyond the above giant strides, the Project has been on an upward swing in delivering many more interventions, including bridges, culverts, channelization of rivers, etc. The “four Lots” that the ‘reporter’ cited in his piece have been awarded and the contractors are all geared to ramp up performance, more so as we gradually inch towards the construction-clement weather of the dry season. If, therefore, there is any reason to be “in the news again this week,” it should be for these transformative works that are either already being delivered or at varying stages of completion, rather than this distractive, deceptive and diversionary report, which is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell!
As regards the second allegation that the “Labo bridge being done from the said loan, was criticized for lacking quality and the width needed to make the road motorists and commuters’ friendly,” this is evidently another hatchet job of an enemy of the people disguising as a friend. Labo Area near Oranyan in Ibadan South-East LGA is markedly a heavily built-up area in the heart of the sprawling city of Ibadan. Residents and commuters around the area know the extent and expanse of the road pre-intervention. Could it then be fathomed that IUFMP would do a bridge that would fall short of the existing one in terms of dimensions, scope and quality?
Besides, IUFMP has a track record of delivering world-class bridges and culverts dating back to its inception. The evidences are visible for all to see across Ibadan Metropolis, from the bridges at Odo-Ona Elewe (Believer’s Stream) and Ogbere-Pegba in Oluyole LGA; to Ogbere-Moradeyo and Ebenezery Bridges in Egbeda LGA; to Shasha-Osajin and Ola-Adua Culverts in Ido LGA; to Abonde-Ogbere Bridge in Ona Ara LGA to Isokun Culvert in Akinyele LGA. The rehabilitated Eleyele Dam is a spectacle to behold. All these and our ongoing interventions are done to international specifications and best practices, which are a product of serious-minded hydrological, hydrographical and engineering studies. The Labo Bridge is no exception to these standards.
On a final note, one cannot but wonder what the author of this campaign of calumny was all out to achievewith his copious and excessive reference in his write-up to the Abiola Ajimobi administration as the proponent of IUFMP. If anything, this clearly gives away his motive as an agent of some politically acrimonious fellows with an intent to hit below the belt. Without necessarily usurping the roles of the spokespersons of His Excellency Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, we think he deserves accolades, rather than flaks, for deciding to continue all the well-intentioned projects and programmes of Oyo State, regardless of who initiated them, in the overall best interest of the State. Oyo State has since started reaping the benefits of many of these interventions, which marks out His Excellency as someone who does not see position of authority only in the currency and colours of politics, but development of and to the people.
We, therefore, do hope that this writer and his ilk would desist from this tendency to cry wolf when there is none, and allow IUFMP and indeed the Oyo State Government concentrate on the all-important task of making life more abundant and meaningful for the good people of Oyo State.
e-Signed:
Abiodun Adefioye
Communication Consultant, IUFMP
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas amidst festivities and reflections, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has sent a heartfelt message to Nigerians, emphasising the importance of unity, compassion, and selflessness in nation-building.
In his Christmas message on Wednesday, contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker described the season as a time to reflect on the love and sacrifice demonstrated by the birth of Jesus Christ.
He urged citizens to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and shared humanity that Christmas symbolises.
“Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and renewal,” Oseni said. “It reminds us of our shared duty to show love to one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliations. Let us work together to foster unity and peace in our country, especially as we navigate through challenging times.”
The lawmaker also highlighted the significance of collective responsibility in nation-building.
“As we celebrate, we must remember the less privileged in our communities. Acts of charity and kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on someone’s life,” he added.
The APC chieftain expressed gratitude to his constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido for their unwavering support, assuring them of his commitment to delivering more impactful governance.
He also called for patience and cooperation as the government works towards addressing issues affecting the nation, including infrastructure development, economic stability, and security.
“Let this Christmas inspire us to continue building bridges of hope and fostering the true Nigerian spirit of togetherness,” he stated.
As the year draws to a close, Oseni encouraged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future, assuring them that better days lie ahead with collective effort and unwavering faith.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines—two international and three domestic operators—for various violations of its regulations under Part 19.
The offenses include non-payment of passenger refunds within the stipulated timeframe, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, mishandling of luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among other infractions.
Addressing journalists at the NCAA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s spokesman, stated that airlines must adhere to regulations regarding flight disruptions. He emphasized that failure to comply attracts sanctions.
“Although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during such incidents. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions,” Achimugu said.
He reminded airlines of the NCAA’s recent directive mandating refunds to passengers within 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The yuletide season has seen a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, largely attributed to harmattan-induced poor visibility. Achimugu clarified that airlines are not liable for cancellations due to force majeure but stressed that the enforcement actions are for cases where airlines are found at fault.
“This is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” he explained.
Achimugu further disclosed that the NCAA would summon the chief executives of all airlines this week to address flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While the names of the sanctioned airlines were not officially revealed, sources close to the Authority identified them as Ethiopian Airways, Royal Maroc Airways, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.
“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”
Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.
So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.
“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.
Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.
The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.
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