Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
Contrary to claim by a former Osun State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun, the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, has not received the sum of N48 billion from the federal government as refund on federal roads constructed within the state.
The State Commissioner for Finance, Bola Oyebamiji, who made the clarification in a statement at the weekend, described Ayedun’s claim as untrue, misleading and capable of creating disharmony, strife and bad blood within the ‘progressive family’.
He also said the total contract sum is N38billion, wondering how the federal government would make a refund that was far above the contract sum.
According to him, the total refund by the federal government to the state as at today in three tranches, stands at N11.9billon based on the project delivered by the contractors.
The commissioner revealed that the refund was expended on four road projects inherited from the previous administration as against claim by Ayedun that the refund was being used to pay full salaries to civil servants in the state.
Oyebamiji urged well-meaning Osun citizens to endeavour to verify all information before publication and dissemination to ensure a peaceful and healthy political atmosphere for everyone.
He said: “The total contract sum of all the federal road projects embarked upon by the state government, as approved by the Federal Ministry of Works, is N38 billion. It therefore stands logic on its head to claim that the sum of N48billion will be paid by the federal government for projects whose total contract sum equals N38billion.”
“The last time we checked, the federal government is not a Father Christmas.
“The projects in question, as at November 2018, on the average, was less than 35 percent completed. Available records show that the Osun State Government awarded the 29km Gbongan-Akoda dualisation project in 2013 for N29billionn while the 40km Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila Odo Kwara boundary road was awarded for N17.5billion in the same year, making both projects to amount to N46.5billion as proposed by the state government.”
