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