Soji Ajibola, Ibadan
Alliance for Democracy has called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to beam their searchlight on the the financial activities of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
The gubernatorial candidate of the party in 2019 general election, Oyedele Hakeem Alao, stated this in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Ibadan.
Alao stressed the need for EFCC, ICPC and other intelligence agencies to monitor Makinde to prevent what he described as ‘wasteful’ spending.
Makinde had last week announced that he would spend N12 billion to procure 106 buses and rehabilitate two spots of roads.
But Alao while speaking, described as “questionable, the plan by Makinde to spend N12 billion on the projects”, saying that the sum was outrageous and questionable.
Alao, who described the move as another reckless spending spree, charged EFCC, ICPC and all anti-graft and intelligence agencies in the country to monitor Makinde’s regime very closely.
He insisted that the members in the state’s House of Assembly lacked the shrewdness, gut, exposure, experience and sagacity to put the governor on his toes.
The AD chieftain said “It is on this note that we want to charge EFCC, ICPC, all anti-graft and intelligence agencies in the country to monitor this Engr Makinde’s regime very closely and put searchlight on him and his syndicate being used to siphon the Oyo State financial wealth to his cronies at home here, in Niger Delta and overseas.
“A lot are not right with this government. This government says he has established an anti-graft agency. Till now, his EFCC is till inactive. The anti-graft could not even catch those who were moving out the state’s water pipes for personal sales.
“No investigation on the reported incident till the moment. Our governor just moved on; he did not even utter a word and this suggests that scandals bigger than we see are going on under this government.
“The announcement of the Engineer Seyi Makinde administration last week to spend a total of N12b on purchase of 106 Mass Transit Buses and rehabilitation of just two spots of roads in the Ibadan metropolis calls for concern and questioning.
“First, how can the government of Engr Makinde buy 106 buses with N9.3b? What type of buses are they buying with such a huge amount which can be channeled elsewhere for something productive?
“What type of buses is our governor buying at that cost when Lagos State was reported to have purchased the 80 BRT buses burnt down during the #EndSARS mayhem at the total cost of N3.9b.
“If Oyo State is buying the same brand of buses of Lagos State, it means that when Lagos bought a unit at the rate of N48.7m, our prudent governor will be buying our own at N87.7m.
“Again, why must the buses be purchased through a third-party company, even if our governor must acquire them?
“Second, how on earth will our governor plan to spend almost N3b for rehabilitation of Felele-Idi-Odo junction and Akobo General Gas road? Of what serious strategic economic importance is the Felele-Idi-Odo junction to the general economic well being of the people of Oyo State?
“It is now glaring maybe certain caliber of people are just in power to expand and strengthen their personal estates at the detriment of the poor suffering masses. Our present governor in the state seems to belong to this category of “leaders”.
“It is sad that the current members in the state’s House of Assembly lack the shrewdness, guts, exposure, experience and sagacity to put the governor on his toes to be responsible. “It appears this current assembly is all out to fill their pockets and have become a rubber stamp assembly. So, people of Oyo State need to wake up and stop this gullible praise-singing.”
