Osun Govt, Omigbodun Disagree Over Governance, Flyovers Construction

The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi has disagreed with recent statement credited to a former governoship candidate, Mr Goke Omigbodun , describing his assertion on governance priorities and flyover bridges as lacking in facts and a mere parrotting of opposition talks.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Commissioner who affirmed the rights of citizens to criticisise their government, cautioned against deliberate spreading of fake news, assumptions on false data and insinuation arising from half truths.

“While it is not part of my mandate as the Honourable commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Osun state to join issue with a citizen or group of citizens over their political beliefs or comments no matter how belligerent.

“I however, for the first time want to draw the attention of the innocent public, especially the people that are not readily familiar with Osogbo, to a misleading publication by an otherwise respected commentator in Osun state, in person of Architect Goke Omigbodun. Let me reiterate that, I have great respect for our referred Architect Omigbodun but that will not deter me from averring his mind to any of the areas where I believe his position is at variance with the reality on ground as it is in the instant case. This is necessary to avoid a pattern of persistence in error.

“It is quite astonishing that, in an effort to discredit the building of flyovers by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, the former governorship candidate published a statement which were full of factual errors amidst underlying subtle jibes which are also based on false assumptions and disguised hatred for the current administration.

“Before I address his illogical declaration on flyovers at Osogbo, I will first address his wrong suggestions on what the state government should have done as governance sectoral priorities.

“First, he was wrong to have asserted that federal allocation inflow into Osun is five time fold compared to the time of previous government. This is a false statement not supported by frequently available data on allocations from the federation account that are available to the public. Aside parrotting opposition lies, the architect turned politician goofed.

“While there is an increase in allocation, it is not up to two fold talkless of five fold. Additionally, the value of current allocations has largely depreciated due to current inflationary and national rate crisis. We had thought the writer would read publicly available allocation table to educate himself before putting that write up in place.

“Secondly, with false note on huge allocations, he pontificated that the government should have paid up all accumulated salary and pension debts. As the premise was not factual, the expectation of the state paying all debt would imply shutting down other sectoral demands. Only a bad administrator will adopt that approach. The phased payment was endorsed by labour and the debts are being liquadated in progression.

“His sugggestion on agro investment was shocking not to say the least as he failed to acknowledge advances made by the Administration in the mechanization of the agric sector. The commentator pretended as if he was not aware of recent tractor acquisition, first in the last 13 years, ongoing agroprenueur programme, the cocoa and cashew initiative among others.

“In his fixation on flyovers, he overlooked massive road construction ongoing across the 30 local governments with some local governments having as much as six kilometers, totalling almost 140 kilometer of roads already constructed. He pretended not to be aware of ongoing mass rehabilitation and upgrade of primary health centres with almost 100 completed out of almost 400.

“Quite strange that he has nothing to say about ongoing courageous mining reform including the breakthrough by the state daring Segilola Gold operators. The Administration targeted spending on education, sports, tourism, science and tech, energy, transportation, commerce and industry are conscious decisions to transorm the state economy.

“It is particularly shocking that Mr Omigbodun repeated his earlier false statement that the state is doing nothing on energy generation and distribution. For his information, the state has finalized the legal and policy frameworks to create a state electricity market system, a regulatory agency to license generators and distributors of electricity. My dear Architect, a legal framework is required before investors can venture into offgrid and mini grids power generation and distribution. And we have acted so well on those requirements.

“Above are just to correct misrepresentation and misinformation spewed out by the former candidate. If he had been abreast of news publications and broadcast on sectoral developments in Osun, he would probably not have submitted those out of date and largely uninformed suggestions. Or is the Architect removing the garb of a public commentator to that of an opposition activist.

“The more ludicrous side of the piece was his postulation that, a flyover is more needed at Olaiya junction than at Oke-fia. He contested that there are more traffic jams at Olaiya junction than at Oke-fia. This postulation coming from the Architect is strange and far from the truth. Let me remind himt that, the traffic jams at Olaiya junction has been resolved by the Administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola by building four adjoining roads at Olaiya junction, leaving few vehicles to actually reach Olaiya junction, which are being controlled by the traffic lights.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the four roads are:

1. The adjoining road from Alekuwodo to Fakunle area that takes vehicles coming from Oke-fia/Alekuwodo axis directly to Fakunle area without getting to Olaiya junction;
2. The adjoining road from Asubiaro/Jaleyemi area to MDS area that takes vehicles coming from Jaleyemi to MDS directly to MDS without getting to Olaiya junction;
3. Adjoining road from MDS to Alekuwodo axis, that takes all vehicles coming from MDS to Alekuwodo axis without getting to Olaiya junction;
4. Adjoining road from Fakunle area to Jaleyemi area that takes vehicles coming from Ogoluwa/Fakunle area to Jaleyemi area without getting to Olaiya junction

“I made bold to state that all the four adjoining roads have taken away the majority of the vehicles away from Olaiya junction, making any assertion of traffic jam at Olaiya junction a ruse.

“On the other hand, the reverse is the case about Oke-fia junction. There’s no adjoining roads that can take away any vehicles from Oke-fia junction, so all roads lead to Oke-fia junction, with the attendant traffic jams especially early in the morning and the evening time.

“For emphasis, let me take all the roads that lead to Oke-fia junction one after the other:

1. Lameco road: All vehicles coming from Lameco to Oke-fia usually encounter traffic jam starting from the front of the State High Court and it takes time before they maneuver their way to Oke-fia junction;
2. Dada Estate road: Vehicles coming from Dada Estate area usually start meeting traffic jam around Customary Court area;
3. Dr Olu Alabi road: Vehicles coming from Olu Alabi/GRA road usually encounter traffic jams, starting from around the police pay office;
4. Old Garage/Rasco road: Vehicles coming from Old Garage usually encounter traffic jam, starting from the Rasco area;
5. Alekuwodo road: Vehicles coming from Alekuwodo going to Oke-fia usually encounter traffic jam from around the First bank.

“I repeat with emphasis and state that, vehicles from all the five major roads that meet at Oke-fia junction usually spend quality time from where they start experiencing traffic jam before they eventually get to Oke-fia junction.

“From the clear analysis above, it is crystal clear that, while there’s heavy traffic jam at Oke-fia junction, the traffic jam at Olaiya junction has been permanently resolved before the last administration built the fly over there.

“So, with greatest respect to my referred Architect Omigbodun, his assertion that, the necessity for the flyover at Olaiya junction is greater than that of Oke-fia is borne out by sentiment and is at variance with the facts on ground.

“Let no man misconstrue my position, a flyover at Olaiya junction is also desirable because of the future challenges, but it has to be a flyover that is properly designed to meet such future challenges.

“Mr Omigbodun and other critics need to know that this administration has solid team of policy experts who are crafting and delivering branch and root reform of state governance under Mr Governor. The big and small viewpoints are combined under a localisation framework for the realisation of the five point agenda.

“In conclusion, let me state that, while I still hold Architect Goke Omigbodun in high esteem. But on this issue, Architect Goke Omigbodun got it wrong again.”

Below is the full statement from Omigbodun:

. The Debacle of The Proposed Weight Bar Across Olaiya Flyover, Osogbo
-by Goke Omigbodun

I just finished listening to “Frank Talk” on Rave FM 91.7, this Thursday morning, 24th October 2024 – a very interesting session with Daniel Odeyemi playing the devil’s advocate rightly, but Osun Information Commissioner Kolapo Alimi doing his best to be as articulate as he would ordinarily be, but with very little success. Understandably, it’s a tough task defending awkward positions!

It was quite interesting listening to Hon. Kolapo Alimi, arguing fiercely, that there was never a need for the Olaiya Flyover built by the immediate past Governor Gboyega Oyetola, which to deep thinking minds is even more desirable than the ongoing ones at Oke-Fia and Ilobu Road being built by the present Governor Ademola Adeleke.

I feel justified the more now about my position all along to date, that the five flyovers embarked upon simultaneously now by the Osun State Government, are being built for ulterior motives, rather than being immediately required for the sustainable development of Osun State. I emphasize ’immediately’, against the backdrop of more pressing sustainable development issues that would ultimately lead to the volume of vehicular traffic in Osun State that would necessitate the flyovers.

Let me be clear early enough that I honestly supported and still support the introduction of the Olaiya Flyover at the time it was built, to reduce traffic blockages and accidents that were mainly head-on collision of vehicles there….there not even a roundabout there, if my memory is correct. Although it had its cosmetic undertone too as the first flyover in Osogbo City Centre, hardly could such an appeal be faulted anyway and that flyover, to some of us, is justifiable any day.

I am also emphatic in supporting a weight bar across the bridge now, by the succeeding Adeleke administration, to limit live loads climbing the flyover, irrespective of its gradient being slight enough to allow the passage of such heavy vehicles without rolling backwards. The less live load of heavy trucks on the flyover like any other, the more likelihood of its longer lifespan.

Now back to the issue of the five cosmetic flyovers now being built in the State, the volume of traffic at Aromire-Allen Avenue – Obafemi Awolowo Road junction in Ikeja, Lagos must be more than ten times all of the traffic in Osun State combined, and what you have branching off Obafemi Awolowo Road are many slip out tarred roads ahead of the big roundabout with functional traffic lights. Pray what do we need all the five flyovers embarked upon simultaneously for at the moment?

The Ademola Adeleke administration finds itself earning from the Federal Allocation now into Osun State almost five times what the Oyetola administration was earning from about ₦36 billion in 2022, to 141.6 billion in 2023 and close to ₦200 billon so far in 2024… Must all these funds be frittered on fancy flyovers?

1. Shouldn’t Osun be manifestly working on our comparative advantage and amendments to the Nigerian constitution, to be pumping development funds int Electricity generation, transmission and distribution for Osun people? Can’t Osun in fact generate additional revenue, selling electricity to neighbouring States of the federation?
2. Shouldn’t the governor have entirely cleared the backlog of accumulated unpaid salaries and pensions, from increased Osun allocation, that he openly promised to clear within six months of assumption of office as Osun Governor? And wouldn’t that be the best palliative for the Osun State serving and retired workforce?
3. Shouldn’t many rural roads be now tarred for integration into cities, for agricultural produce to move quickly, and discourage rural-urban drift?
4. Shouldn’t the leeway States have with controlling security organisations like “Amotekun” not be explored seriously to guarantee safe farms within Osun State, to launch us into the status of a food basket for Western Nigeria?
5. Shouldn’t direct intervention be felt by cash crop farmers, especially of Cocoa and Oil-palm? By the way, the same computation that makes a gallon of palm oil a little more expensive than petrol on our streets is an indication of the cost of a barrel of oil palm being higher than that of crude oil in the international commodity market…. Hasn’t anyone in the present Osun State government heard or read this from us and others before?

Must all the windfall of Federal Allocation into all States of the federation be frittered into cosmetics by the present Osun State Government?!

I have never hidden the fact from day one, that I pray for the success of the Ademola Adeleke administration in Osun State and would support good governance by anyone for Osun State, as I have no other home than in Osogbo, its capital. If I sleep anywhere else today, it would be in a Guest House or other hospitality facilities.

I am therefore writing this in constructive criticism of today’s government of Ademola Adeleke in Osun, since he still has at least two solid years for this term he is on, to make amends. Our fathers would refer to such as the sun still shinning bright enough to dry laundered apparels.

I will still not be surprised anyway if prebendalist beneficiaries would launch an all-out attack against the writer of this piece, rather than dealing with the wisdom in the message.

Let the increased revenue of Osun State today, which is almost five times what it was with Governor Oyetola, therefore be appropriated for sustainable development, and not fancies that would line pockets of politicians in government thus sustaining the vicious cycles of poverty perpetuated in our socioeconomic climes.

Goke Omigbodun
Convener: Good Governance Globally