Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that his administration would retrieve the billions of funds looted by officials of the former government in the state.
Governor Makinde gave his word during the inauguration of the construction of the 21-kilometre Ajia-Airport-New Ife Expressway, in Ajia town, on Tuesday.
He said his administration was ready to put measures in place to retrieve all looted funds for the development of the state’s infrastructure.
The 21-kilometre Airport-Ajia-New Ife Express Road, with spur to Amuloko, was awarded to Messrs Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited at the cost of N8,520,919,776.41.
According to the governor, unlike the previous government, his administration would reduce the infrastructural deficit in the state within a short time.
He added that the 21-kilometre road construction being launched was a product of the administration’s strategic way of reducing the state’s infrastructural deficit through the Alternative Project Funding Approach.
He said, “Our administration means business. We will drastically reduce the infrastructure deficit in Oyo State in the shortest possible time. And, this is how economies work. Investors will only go where they can be assured of profits. If we do not develop basic infrastructure like roads, it will affect the cost of production which, in turn, means less profit for investors.
“So, we cannot be seriously discussing attracting investments into Oyo State when majority of roads and other infrastructure are in a state of disrepair.
“In order to achieve this, we must strategise on how to increase our spending on infrastructure, because what we collect from Abuja every month from the federal allocation is not even enough to pay the salaries. So, the new strategies on how to increase our spending on infrastructure is what we are doing here in Oyo State.”
He said the Airport-Ajia road costs more per kilometre than the 65 kilometre Moniya-Iseyin road, because there are more hydraulic structures on the Airport-Ajia road than the Moniya-Iseyin road, and that lot of expansion and rehabilitation would be done on the bridges.
“We will continue to actualise capital projects through budgetary allocations and have the additional option of carrying out other infrastructural projects outside of the budget, using the Alternative Project Funding Approach. So, you can look forward to other projects under this approach.
“Let me state that even when we are forced to look outside Oyo State for persons to execute the projects under APFA, we still put the interests of our people first. For example, Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited has agreed that the construction labour will come from Oyo State, and we are holding them to that agreement.
“Some have said the company we awarded the contract to is from Asaba in Niger Delta and that we want to take Oyo State’s money to my wife’s state. First, let me put it on record that my wife is not from Delta but from Rivers State.
“Second, the representative of the company we awarded the project to, Abel Adeleke, has spoken here today. He is from Osun State and they are using their money to start this project.
“We also opened the opportunity for all. Even if they had approached us and brought the money they stole while in government to fund this project, we will allow them. We all know there are certain construction works that their expertise may not be with a local contractor.
“If we want to construct a bridge and it is awarded to Julius Berger, they will also say Julius Berger is not from Oyo State. So, that is to tell you they have nothing to do. One thing I know is, if we build this road the way we are supposed to, on time and on budget, what concerns the people going to the airport, whether Julius Berger constructed the road or whether the contractor is from Osun or Oyo? Our major concern is that the road is constructed.
“I heard somebody criticising us on radio concerning the N100 billion bond and was of the opinion that this administration wants to put the state in debt. I think our people need to start telling them that Governor Makinde is not like that. For the period of eight years they spent in office, they were only preoccupied with how to corner N1billion monthly into their private pockets everyday they went to the office.
“They spent 96 months in office, that means they have Oyo States N96 billion with them. We will retrieve every fund that belongs to Oyo people for the purpose of infrastructure development.
“So, tell them that the EFCC of Oyo State is coming for them. I want to assure you that we will retrieve the stolen money of the state from them and use the funds to build infrastructure like this,” the governor said.
