A former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has accused the senator representing Ogun West, Olamilekan Adeola, of project diversion.
In a statement by his media aide, Lanre Akinwale, on Monday, Amosun expressed concerns that a library project facilitated by Adeola in Abeokuta had a board tagged, ‘Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and other Facilities, Ogun State’, a project facilitated by the ex-governor.
As a result, Amosun said this connotes that there is a budget in the Federal Appropriation for the Ake Pavilion project, which is being diverted to an entirely different project.
“Our attention has been drawn to a Library construction project at the Ewang Estate Extension, Abeokuta, facilitated by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola.
“However, the project board erected at the site of the library project has a different inscription, tagged, ’Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and other Facilities, Ogun State’.
“What this simply connotes is that there is a budget in the Federal Appropriation for the Ake Pavilion project, which is being diverted to an entirely different project. Otherwise, how could the facilitator of the library project inscribe a narration, entirely different from what he facilitated?” he asked.
Setting the record straight, Amosun posited that the project in question has no connection to the ongoing construction of the Ake Pavilion project “being single-handedly funded” by him.
The statement read further: “For the avoidance of doubt, there is only one Ake Pavilion Project, and it is located at the Ake Palace Ground, Abeokuta. The project was conceptualised and designed as a tourist attraction centre by Senator Ibikunle Amosun during the twilight of his administration as Governor in 2019. The actual construction of the multi-functional Ake Pavilion started in 2020, and the project was never part of his constituency projects when he served as Ogun Central Senator (2019-2023).
“The Ake Pavilion project, which is 95 per cent completed, contains an impressive 3,000-capacity Amphitheatre with an open performance area of about 3,000sqm, 3 Nos Banquet Halls of varying capacities ranging from 100 to 500, a museum area showcasing the history of the four quarters (sections) of Abeokuta with shops for artefacts, books, Adire, administrative blocks, and other facilities, all financed by Senator Ibikunle Amosun through his personal resources.
“While Senator Amosun welcomes the facilitation of Federal Government-funded projects to Ogun State, it is essential to ensure that such projects are done with sincerity and without misrepresenting facts. We advise Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola to provide accurate information to the people of Ogun State, especially Abeokuta, regarding the library project he facilitated to Ewang Estate Extension.”
However, in a swift reaction, the Ogun West senator denied the allegation of project diversion.
Adeola’s spokesman, Kayode Odunaro, said, “There is no case of diversion of the project as insinuated based on the inscription on the signpost at the completed library project.”
He explained, “As stated in the statement of Senator Amosun, the inscription on the project is ‘Renovation of Ake Pavilion Roofing and Other Facilities, Ogun State. ’ For those not conversant with budgetary terminologies, the wordings ‘and other facilities, Ogun State’, shows that the project was not confined to Ake Pavilion alone. Indeed, it could include construction of roads, schools, library, etc in Ogun State as determined by the implementing agency and facilitator of the project in the budget based on the availability of funds.”
Odunaro conceded that there was a budget for the renovation of Ake Pavilion, which is still under construction.
He said Adeola was not informed that the project was being financed personally by Amosun.
“There was indeed a budget inclusion for the renovation of Ake Pavilion following appeals to Senator Adeola from well-meaning sons and daughters of Egbaland to complete the project that was seemingly abandoned for a period. What was not made known to Senator Adeola at the point of appeals was the fact that this was a personal project of Senator Amosun and his pledge to complete it in due course using his resources.
“On realisation of the involvement of Senator Amosun and the budget having been passed as stated in the project title, Senator Adeola shied away from taking any glory from Senator Amosun’s good gesture to his community and in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development decided on the construction of a Library in Ewang Estate Extension with the available funds released for the project.
“Finally, there is nothing untoward in the inscription at the library as that is what is contained in the ministry’s budget that was used to fund the project. It would have been otherwise if the signpost had been placed at the Ake Pavilion under construction by Sen
ator Amosun,” Odunaro said in a statement.
