28th September, 2023
Former Chief Press Secretary to former governor Adegoboyga Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, has described the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration in Osun that his principal abandoned some completed Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs projects the state as an unnecessary attempt to play politics with governance.
The projects include a fully furnished Mother and Child Centre in the Dagbolu area of Osogbo, the state capital, a well-equipped skill acquisition centre in Iragbiji town and a home for abused women.
The Osun State Government recently released a video showing the Skill Acquisition Centre lying fallow, covered by weed, with claims that it was abandoned by its predecessor.
But Omipidan said the video was self-indicting of the Ademola Adeleke’s administration in the state. According to him, it is preposterous for the present administration to accuse the Oyetola government of abandoning projects that were duly completed, equipped and inaugurated weeks before the expiration of its tenure.
Omipidan noted that the Oyetola administration after the inauguration of the SDGs projects, handed over the Skills Acquisition Centres to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the hospitals to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital.
He, therefore, wondered how a government which took over in November 2022, would suddenly wake up 10 months after to say the projects were abandoned.
The former CPS said it is the present administration that should be accused of abandoning the projects, adding that a government that took delivery of hospital equipment meant for Ila Orangun in Osun Central to equip a hospital in Ede, in Osun West, would certainly not have abandoned the SDGs projects if they were sited in Ede, the country home of the governor.
While accusing the government of lacking the requisite skills and character to oversee the affairs of a state like Osun, Oyetola’s aide further said: “You took over since November last year. You did not do anything after taking over. You only woke up 10 months after to accuse us of abandoning the projects. How?
“It is on record that to ensure efficient use of the facilities, while the Skills Acquisition Centres were handed over to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the hospitals were handed over to the University of Osun Teaching Hospital management. How can an administration which took such bold steps be accused of abandoning such projects?
“The Iragbiji community especially should be commended for providing adequate security around the projects to ensure that they were not looted even when they gave the government the land free of charge to accommodate the projects.