By Dare Ajayi
In this piece, I will once again, be fact checking claims by Chief Bayo Adelabu, during an interview on Fresh FM 105.9 Ibadan on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Adelabu was the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2019 Oyo State governorship election.
Another election season is upon us and as usual, politicians will tell lies and make promises of what they will do if elected. It is important that the people of Oyo State ‘test all spirits’ before choosing who to elect in 2023. A word is enough for the wise.
Claim 1
Money spent on the 4 bus terminals should have been spent on healthcare. He advocated for one Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in each ward.
Fact:
The Seyi Makinde led administration is already spending on healthcare. Its plans to renovate/build and upgrade one PHC per ward is on course. So far, the government has reported that about 200 PHCs have been renovated out of a possible 351.
Verdict: This claim is baseless.
Claim 2
That the government was not employing health workers.
Fact:
Over 500 health workers have been employed by Makinde’s administration. It is important that Adelabu is up to date with what the government is doing if he truly seeks to replace Makinde so that he can know where there are gaps that he can improve on.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 3
That the current administration had done nothing in education. He also claimed Ajimobi built model schools while he was in government.
Fact:
The Makinde led-government has built more than 50 model schools within 3 years. The government has also renovated numerous classroom blocks, offices and toilets as well as providing thousands of desks and table and chairs for teachers. How many model schools did Ajimobi build in 8 years?
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 4
That the increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) under Makinde’s administration was because of exceptional revenue from the Federal Government.
Fact:
It is shocking that a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria does not know that revenue from the Federal Government does not count as IGR. In any case, the National Bureau of Statistics latest State IGR data for H1 2021 confirms that indeed Oyo State’s IGR was N25.1 billion for the first six months of 2021. That is over N3 billion every month on average which is an increase of over 50% of the monthly IGR the current government inherited.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 5
That the only crane in Oyo State for the last 2 years was the crane at his hotel. And that this shows a lack of developmental projects.
Fact:
In Ibadan alone, the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Projects (IUFMP) at the Adekile Culvert, Labo Culvert, Ogbere-Tioya Bridge etc all have cranes on site for the ongoing constructions. Of course, there are also cranes at the numerous road construction projects in the state such as the General Gas Flyover, Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road and Aiport-Ajia-New Ife Road.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 6
That Agodi Gate-Old Ife Road-Adebgayi Junction was 90% complete by May 2019.
Fact:
The project was awarded in 2016 by former Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration and ought to have been completed in 2018. By May 2019 when the current administration assumed office, it was 46% complete.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 7
That the Idi Ape-Basorun-Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Junction Road was 60-70% complete by May 2019.
Fact:
This project was awarded in May 2017 under Ajimobi and ought to have been completed by January 2019. By June 2020 when the contract was revoked by Makinde’s administration, the project was about 30% complete. It was reawarded in November 2020 and eventually completed within 15 months in January 2022.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 8
That the General Gas Flyover has been under construction for 3 years.
Fact:
The flyover construction was awarded in March 2021 and is almost complete. This is under 18 months.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 9
That the Airport-Ajia-New Ife Road with a spur to Amuloko and the Iseyin-Ogbomoso Road projects have little or no economic value to the state. And that fixing them was a misplaced priority.
Fact: Infrastructure such as road projects facilitate increased economic activities and can stem rural-urban migration if residents can commute easily to other places for business.
Verdict: This claim is baseless and unintelligent.
Claim 10
The Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA) is a deferment of liability and not a grant. The debt would be left for subsequent administrations.
Fact:
That the payment timelines for APFA projects have been disclosed by the current administration and all repayments are scheduled within the tenure of the administration and are already being made when due.
Verdict: This claim is baseless.
Claim 11
That the Security Trust Fund Headquarters in Onireke, Ibadan has been abandoned.
Fact:
The Security Trust Fund Headquarters in Onireke, Ibadan is fully functional and the 615 citizens enquiry number helpdesk is situated there.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Claim 12
That Ibadan was the dirtiest city in Nigeria until Ajimobi came and changed that, keeping Ibadan clean for 8 years.
Fact
This Guardian article from April 2019 when Ajimobi was still Governor, Ibadan in the Throes of Refuse Heaps, shows the state of Ibadan inherited by Makinde’s administration.
Verdict: This claim is false.
Bonus statements:
That the government should concentrate on the Ibadan Circular Road as a priority project instead of misplaced projects like bus terminals.
All well and good but why didn’t Adelabu give the same advice to his mentor, former Governor Abiola Ajimobi who after 8 years, couldn’t deliver more than 5% of the project?
That the ‘Light up Oyo’ was his idea which was stolen and executed by the Makinde administration.
In a previous interview, Adelabu had claimed it was Ajimobi’s project even though it only commenced in October 2019. In any case, why didn’t he advise his mentor, Ajimobi to execute the project during his 8 years in office?
