Why Makinde is spending N64bn on Agodi Govt House – Commissioner

By Adeola Badru

The Oyo State Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Olawale Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, has defended the authorities government’s support of N64 cardinal for the reconstruction of the Agodi Government House, describing the task arsenic a indispensable overhaul of a decayed practice site.

In an interrogation with Saturday Vanguard, Mogbonjubola explained that the task would spell beyond renovation, insisting that the Government House had been abandoned for years and had mislaid its pridefulness of spot arsenic a humanities landmark.

“The N64 cardinal is justified arsenic it is for a full overhaul, not conscionable renovation, of the Government House which has been abandoned for years. I had the privilege of entering the Government House with His Excellency immoderate weeks ago; the contiguous statesmanlike lounge has been wholly scrapped off.”

“The task is similar starting caller construction. It includes stripping buildings to their carcass and rebuilding 22 buildings, including a caller banquet hallway and 2 helipads for landing of aircraft,” the commissioner said.

He noted that the facelift was timely arsenic Oyo State prepares to observe its 50th day adjacent year, erstwhile salient nationalist figures would beryllium hosted successful Ibadan.

“Next year, Oyo State volition beryllium celebrating her 50th anniversary. Almost everyone that matters from antithetic states, governors and adjacent the president volition beryllium successful attendance for history’s sake, this Government House was the aforesaid 1 Queen Elizabeth stayed successful erstwhile she came to Nigeria, and besides wherever Obafemi Awolowo erstwhile lodged.”

“It utilized to beryllium the pridefulness of the Southwest, but present it has go desolate, which is not befitting. So, I privation radical to warrant this,” helium said.

Mogbonjubola added that Governor Seyi Makinde had made it wide helium would not personally reside successful the Government House but was determined to sphere it arsenic portion of the state’s legacy.

“His Excellency said thing to the Deputy Governor: ‘We person travel to service the people. We are not going to enactment astatine the Government House; we volition usage our backstage residences. But the information is that if we don’t bash thing astir the Government House, our practice volition spell down,” helium quoted.

The commissioner dismissed criticisms astir the timing of the project, stressing that the existent medication had taken a bold measurement others mightiness avoid.

“It takes a bold antheral to effort this project. If His Excellency doesn’t embark connected it, 10 administrations to travel mightiness not bash it. Though we don’t person the funds readily available, posterity volition justice america 1 day,” helium argued.

The commissioner besides linked the determination to rising ostentation and speech rates, informing that further hold would worsen costs.

“As astatine the clip His Excellency came connected board, the speech complaint of a dollar was astir N300. But contiguous a dollar is astir N1,500. We don’t cognize however overmuch it volition beryllium successful the nearest future, truthful if we don’t embark connected the task today, we mightiness extremity up doing nothing.”

Mogbonjubola hinted that the task would safeguard the state’s taste and governmental heritage, adding that: “This task volition sphere the humanities practice of Oyo State and volition beryllium a bequest task for the administration.”

“We person each crushed to warrant the N64 billion. Let’s beryllium objective, let’s not beryllium biased oregon sentimental astir it.”

Vanguard News

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