…..It’s a Public Private Partnership– Taiwo Adisa
……Makinde has not derailed from his campaign promises– Indigenous Contractors
Oyo State Government on Wednesday 22 July,2020 approved the construction of 21km Airport -Ajia -Ife Road -Amuloko. The announcement was made after the State Executive Council meeting by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatunbosun.
News had filtered various online and social media which revealed that the construction of Ajia, Airport, Ife Road, Akaran to Amuloko road project was awarded to Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited in Asaba, Delta State.
One of the top governor’s aides who spoke with GOALPOACHER NEWS correspondent on Saturday said, “if the government doesn’t build roads, the opposition will say we are not working, we got an investor to build construct road with his money and the say the contract was not awarded to indigenous contractors.”
The source spoke further, “we are building a state that is friendly to both local and foreign investors, ironically, will all the contractors and investors come from Oyo State? The source asked.
“I don’t understand the hoopla that the governor has not honoured his campaign promise that local contractors would be given utmost priority in his administration. “Let me ask you, are the investors constructing the Ibadan Inland Dry Port indigenes of Oyo State? We have to ignore some of this irrelevant argument and focus on the mandate given to His Excellency by the good people of Oyo State, by the grace of God, we will not fail to deliver on that mandate.”
On his part, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde , Mr Taiwo Adisa while reacting to the news doing round that the airport road was awarded to non-indigenous contractor, he said the project is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement inform of build, operate and transfer policy.
“It is an investor that is coming on to construct the road for Oyo State Government, it is not the Government spending its money on the contractor.” Adisa added that an investor could come from any part of the country so far he or she is bringing his money to Oyo State, it is a plus for the state. The governor’s aide claimed the contractor has assured the state government that it could raise money to fund the project.
He revealed that the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), just released over 300 contracts the agency is about to do,saying that the indigenous contractors are the ones to do that, including other road projects that were initially rolled out by the Ministry of Works.
“This particular one is an investment and so it’s a plus for us if we can get somebody’s confidence from Asaba or from Maiduguri or Rivers to come and invest in our dear state, such a contractor has crossed so many bridges and rivers.”
Meanwhile, association of indigenous contractors and Artisans in Oyo State has described as uncharitable a recent media report that the Oyo State government rescinded on its campaign promise by awarding the contract for a 21km road in Ibadan to a non-indigenous company.
The body, known as Construction Professionals Association (Local Content Group) in a press statement signed by comrade Adebisi Adejare on Saturday noted that the publication in reference criticizing the state government for awarding the contract for the Airport-Ajia road to an Asaba based construction company is laced with mischief and absolutely devoid of good faith.
“For starters, what is wrong in it if the Oyo State government awards a contract to a company that is based in Delta State? Who says that the directors of that very company are not indigenes of Oyo State? Did the publishers of that story say that there is a clause in the contract’s terms and condition that the workers that would be hired to execute the contracts would not be residents of Oyo State? Would it not be ridiculous to say that only companies that are registered in Oyo State would be considered for all public work projects in the state?
“There is no dispute about the fact that Oyo State parades highly qualified and competent engineers, but to assume that the state government would close its options of expertise to Ibadan construction firms alone would not just be preposterous, but roundly negates the principle of open bidding for government contracts,” the statement said.
The group notes further that apart from the Airport-Ajia road being mentioned in the report, the Makinde administration has undertaken several other projects which sought the patronage of local engineers and craftsmen.
According to the group, “while the Airport-Ajia road project could be one, out of several other projects in the contemplation of the state government, it is on record that the state government has widely sought the patronage of local engineers and craftsmen, thus fulfilling the local content obligations of government on all contracts.
“The governor has given so much support and patronage to indegenes within his short time. The palliatives that were procured to alleviate the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown in all the zones of the state were sourced locally.
“Nose masks production was given to local tailors in a contract that runs into millions of Naira.
“Likewise, contracts for the rehabilitation of some schools were given to local contractors, as well as all SUBEB projects.
There are other rehabilitation of roads currently on- going and being handled by local contractors.
The signature public road project of this administration which is the Moniya/iseyin Road was given to a company registered in Oyo State.”
The group therefore warns against any unsolicited campaign of calumny against the state government, asking that the government should be allowed to focus on the mandate of building infrastructure in Oyo State without any compromise.
