OKEFIA FLYOVER: How Adeleke’s Govt hoodwinked residents, Built Single Lane Instead of Double Lane Dual Carriage Way Promised

By Waheed Adekunle

It is now obvious that the protracted Okefia flyover which has been under construction since 2023 is coming to limelight after so many noise and agitations from the concerned citizens particularly whose businesses and source of livelihood had been practically paralized and halted for close to three years on that corridor.

The Okefia flyover, which, according to the state government, was one of the five flyovers that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s government earmarked a whooping sum of 100billion for in 2023 is now depicting the real look far apart from what was promised by the government.

It would be recalled that many of the Governor Adeleke cabinet members notably the loquacious Information Commissioner, Barrister Kolapo Alimi, the constant lie-telling Spokesperson to the Governor, Mr. Rasheed Olawale, former Special Adviser to the Governor on Legal Matter, Barrister Hashim Abioye among others had erroneously taken a swipe and ignorantly condemned the Olaiya flyover constructed by the immediate-past state governor now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola CON, at contract sum of 2.7billion naira.

The overzealous public officials and vengeance-seeking individuals in Governor Adeleke’s government even went as far as creating unnecessary fears and anxiety in the state by warning the citizenry particularly motorists and other road users to desert the flyover.

It is in the public domain that Barrister Alimi at different fora denigrated all the Oyetola enduring legacies particularly Olaiya flyover calling it all sort of unprintable names within and outside the state for no justification. In fact, there were times the Adeleke-led PDP government issued official statements to callously prevent the residents particularly motorists and other road users from plying the flyover whereas all their substandard measures to bar vehicular movement on the same flyover proved abortive as vehicles, till tomorrow, are still moving freely and safely on the flyover without any form of hitches whatsoever.

It is in the public knowledge that since the commencement of Okefia flyover by Adeleke’s government, the construction has been facing series of malfeasance and bashing back and forth due to the unprofessionalism being displayed by its handlers. It is understandable, one cannot give what he or she doesn’t have. Despite the fact that the completion period promised the people of the state is over, it is regrettable that there is no value for money in the lie-laden structure placed at Okefia by the Adeleke government – nothing to justify the humongous resources to the tune of 10.7billion naira, incurred to build the substandard flyover.

It is disappointing and surprising that the Adeleke government that promised to build a double lane dual carriage way flyover at Okefia has practically reneged by hoodwinking the unsuspecting members of the public.

Today, what the citizens could see in place is a single lane dual carriage flyover like what his predecessor constructed at Olaiya, a gross breach of pact made to the people of the state

Despite the sophistic overhyping and empty boastfulness by the Adeleke government to turn Osogbo – the capital city to an Eldorado and southern Nigeria’s socio-economic, industrial and commercial asylum, the city has witnessed little or no development under Adeleke’s government judging by the available resources accruable to the state government in the last three years of being at the helms of affairs.

The only city that has been wearing new look every now and then in the entire Osun State is Adeleke’s country home – Ede as a sizeable number of infrastructural projects had been concentrated in his town at the expense of other towns and cities in the state.

It is a known fact that all the major roads and streets leading to Ede and its environs had been constructed and tarred. The funniest part, is the fact that, four major dual carriage ways have been constructed in Ede alone. The road from Akoda to Oke-gada Ede has been dualized, constructed and tarred; the road from Oke-gada Ede to Awo-junction is undergoing dualization vis-a-vis the road from Oke-gada to Adeleke High School is undergoing dualization, so also, the road from Osun State Government Secretariat to Muslim Grammar School, Ede is being dualized complementing several killometres of roads already tared within Ede, while many intra and inter roads in towns and notable cities in Osun are left deplorable, untouched and crying for attention.

It is on record that the Adeleke government did not only concentrate development in Ede, his administration’s nepotism is worrisome as manifested in the motive to relocate Ido-Osun Airport from the ancient town of Ido-Osun to Ede before same was halted by the ever-vigilant Federal Government.

It is not a gainsay that the current administration under Governor Adeleke has received over one trillion naira (1,000,0000,000,000) from all the sources in the last 32 months without any justification, and inspite of this humongous resources, nothing justifiable and commensurable for it. It is under the current government that the resources meant for the entire citizens of Osun State are being used to develop Ede, the governor’s hometown. What a pity!

The question agitating the minds of the right-thinking members of of the society is where lies the value for money? If a flyover of that magnitude is constructed with over 10billion naira and all we could see is a single lane instead of double lane promised. Then, questions must be asked.

If the incumbent government could award the flyover at a contract sum of 10.7 billion naira before the undisclosed variation was made, then, it shows that the government has practically failed the people of the state judging by what is being showcased as double lane dual carriage way by the government officials.

I don’t blame the media handlers of the government who have been exhibiting stark ignorance on social media lately – they are being reverie and far from reality realm.

As crusaders of good governance and advocates of accountability, we demand the state government to make public what went into construction of the over touted flyover that had already failed integrity and brain test, and competence validation.

The time has come for Governor Adeleke led-PDP government to reveal to the residents the exact cost of the ‘Gota’ called flyover at Okefia and why the administration failed to build what was promised despite the huge fund expended on the project.

We are waiting patiently for the court of the public opinion to judge as posterity awaits everyone.

May God heal our land!