…Says renovating already upgraded buildings is wasteful
…Warns against impunity masked as governance
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has condemned Governor Seyi Makinde’s decision to renovate the Agodi Government House at a cost of N63.5 billion, branding the move as “a monumental waste of public resources.”
The APC, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Wasiu Olawale Sadare, described the proposed expenditure as “reckless and insulting to the people of Oyo State.”
“To make matters worse, Governor Makinde failed to justify the decision to expend so much billions on the renovation of structures which had been built to last decades several years ago and renovated to taste by the immediate past administration of the ever-neat and classy Senator Abiola Ajimobi in 2017,” Sadare said.
The party recalled that the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi had already refurbished the same government house before leaving office in 2019, insisting that there is no reasonable basis for another massive allocation for the same purpose.
“We watched keenly as concerned individuals and groups across the globe condemned the decision of Governor Makinde to record another ugly stride in his penchant for financial recklessness and wasting of public funds through huge sums on white elephant projects and misplaced priorities,” the statement read.
Accusing the governor of treating the citizens of Oyo with “disdain and impunity,” APC referenced past instances under Makinde’s administration, including a controversial production of exercise books in 2019.
“Interestingly, most of those who did not take us seriously when we raised the alarm on the production of 212,505 copies of exercise books for public school pupils at the rate of N2,100 per copy in 2019 are now the leading voices against the same Governor Makinde,” Sadare added.
The APC added by advising Governor Makinde to immediately rescind the renovation plan and redirect the funds to critical sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure, which it said are in dire need of attention.
“All that played out in Governor Makinde’s official address to the state lawmakers at the Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday was a futile attempt to cover up a case of brazen corruption and impunity,” the statement noted.
The party reaffirmed its commitment to holding the government accountable and standing with the people of Oyo State against what it called “lavish governance in the face of mass poverty.”
