The Oyo State chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) has described as outrageous and unreasonable the allocation of the sum of ₦63.4billion by the government to reconstruct the state Government House.
Chairman of the party in the state, Kayode Abayomi, stated this in a press statement issued on Thursday in reaction to the decision taken by the Governor ‘Seyi Makinde-led administration.
The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, had stated in a release that the sum of ₦63.4billion for the reconstruction of the dilapidated Government House was approved at the State Executives Council meeting, held on Wednesday.
Among other reasons, he stated that the Council described the current state and ambience of the Government House as an embarrassment and unbefitting facility.
He also added that, for the past six years, Governor Makinde and his deputy, Chief Bayo Lawal, have been living in their personal houses, instead of their official residences at the Government House.
However, the Oyo AAC chairman stated that the reasons given were not tenable, declaring “this enormous amount is not just alarming but raises serious concerns.”
He added that it was sad that the Governor Makinde administration choose to priortise the renovation of the Agodi Government House, amid the numerous challenges facing the people of the state.
Babayomi stated that, rather than embarking on what he described as “extravagant renovation” of the Government House, the government should have looked more into the condition of the public primary and secondary schools and deplorable standard of healthcare facilities.
“What is truly unbefitting of the state is the condition of our primary and secondary schools, and what is embarrassing is the deplorable standard of healthcare available to our people.
“Interestingly, the amount budgeted for this renovation is ₦5billion more than the allocation for healthcare, which is meant to serve over seven million people in Oyo State, in the 2025 budget.
“This figure is also three times the amount that was budgeted for healthcare in the previous year, which saw only a 70 per cent budget performance.
“Similarly, the proposed renovation cost exceeds the entire education budget for the state in 2023. This clearly indicates that the current government is focusing on trivial matters while neglecting critical issues.”
The Oyo AAC chairman also stated that the cost of constructing a new Government House cannot be up to half of what was earmarked for the reconstruction and renovation of the existing one.
“You don’t need a professional engineer or builder to tell you that this situation reflects a clear case of budget padding and systemic corruption.
“Increased Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funding has led to more misappropriation rather than development, and the public must rise to challenge this blatant misuse of our resources.
“We, in the African Action Congress (AAC), assert that the true development of a state is not measured by grand buildings but by the quality of life of its people. This is the only standard by which both the public and future generations will assess their leaders.
“We urge the good people of Oyo State to join us in demanding accountability and transparency from this mediocre ‘Seyi Makinde-led PDP government.
“Makinde’s priorities do not align with the well-being of the people of Oyo State. We must continue to organise ourselves to remove these corrupt individuals from our political landscape,” he added.
