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The Osun Masterminds has expressed displeasure over the reports on the ownership of two of major contractors – Messrs. Raregeode Limited and Messrs and Acumen Forte Limited – in the award of ongoing contracts in Osun State.
The Osun Masterminds said the activities of companies are allegedly controlled by the Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Akinyode Oyewusi, and his wife.
The group said this in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, on Thursday.
It said: “Assuming without conceding that the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Akinyode Oyewusi, and his wife, indeed resigned their positions as Directors in the said companies, it is a fact that they still will hold significant control over the current Managers of the companies, who will very likely be Managers appointed by the Deputy Speaker’s family.
“The track records of both firms also call for some concern. The total value of contracts awarded to both companies linked to the Deputy Speaker is 9.7billion. What is the history of both companies that make them deserving of contracts to that tune?
“We made some findings of our own and discovered that Kimzee Global Investment, the firm awarded the Construction of 4 span bridge at Lameco intersection, Osogbo at a cost of N8,521,632,257.28 has an inactive status on the Corporate Affairs Commission Website. This will mean that the Company has not been filing Annual returns with the regulatory body.
“The only project we also found linked to Messrs. Kimzee is ‘Organization of 1-Week Special Retreat/Meeting for Establishment of Civil Security Coordination Structure for the North-East’ at a cost of 90,586,160.15, a contract it got from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in the year 2022 (Source: Open Treasury Portal).
“We cringe to imagine that just two years ago, the company that got a construction contract of over N9 billion in Osun State, was taking contracts for training not more than N9 million. This does not prove to be a sufficient track record for a State Government to base procurement on.
“We also discovered that Enginec Integrated Engineering Limited, the firm that got the contract for the Dualisation of Baptist High School – Oke Gada, Ede at a cost of 11,090,838,764 is also marked Inactive on the database of the Corporate Affairs Commission. Awarded a contract worth a whooping N11 billion, Enginec Limited’s inactive status with CAC leaves much to be desired. The story is the same for Great Enyork Tech Limited, the firm awarded the contract for Dualisation of Akoda – Baptist High School Ede at a whooping cost of 12,200,512,000.”
Speaking on the Osun State Government’s plans to resuscitate Government Technical Colleges in the state, the group commended the move and lauded Governor Ademola Adeleke for “his willingness to bring the Technical Colleges back to life”.
“The efforts at resuscitating these Colleges must be total and we must build a policy framework that ensures all current efforts are sustained, even beyond the life of the current administration,” the Osun Masterminds added.
On the ongoing recruitment of teachers in Osun State, the Osun Masterminds also commended Governor Adeleke and urged the state government to ensure that the process “remains non-partisan and fair to all concerned”.
“The selection process should be focused on true merit and the real needs of the State’s Teaching Service. We actually hope that the state government conducted a proper needs assessment before the exercise so that the recruitment will directly address the existing gaps,” it added.
Also speaking on the formation of cybercrime committee by the Osun State Government, the group said it received the news with mixed feelings.
It said, “One, it is easy to think that the formation of such committee is for the purpose of oppressing perceived enemies of government.
“Two, it is also easy to think that the formation of such committee is a waste of time and resources as all legal frameworks necessary to prosecute cybercrimes are already provided for by laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The state government needs to come clean with its intentions in this regard. The state government must also ensure that no citizen of the state is oppressed by any agent of government, using avenues created by such a committee.
“While citizens are under obligations to be responsible in their dealings and reportage of government activities, their fundamental rights as citizens must also be protected at all times.
“As we await clarifications on the true roles of the committee, we are standing watch over the conduct of the committee as a whole and its members as individuals. We will promptly criticize any wrongdoing.”
The Osun Masterminds, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to give urgent attention to the complete rehabilitation of Ibadan-Ilesa expressway, saying it has become a death trap.
The group said, “We also appeal to the Federal Government to intensify efforts at stemming the tide of food inflation in the country. The FG must find all means possible to stem the tide of inflation as the rising costs of food has put Nigerians under immeasurable pressure.
“Knowing how the cost of fuel controls the cost of other commodities, we implore the FG to expedite actions on the Nation’s refineries as local production is our only solution to affordable fuel.
“We implore the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgent National importance, to rethink the assignment of Mr. Bayo Adelabu as the Minister of Power.
“The electricity situation has worsened across the country, making life harder for the average Nigerian. The Minister, having failed to efficiently manage the power sector, has shown himself incapable of giving the sector the needed leadership and should therefore be sacked or reassigned to a different Ministry that suits his capacity.”
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