Makinde Tackles Ajimobi Over N30 Billion New Contract

0
72

By Adesina Wahab

Oyo State Governor-Elect, Mr Seyi Makinde, has condemned the manner new contracts are being awarded by the outgoing governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and vowed to review such when he assumes office.

Makinde specifically frowned at the award of a new N30 billion contract by Ajimobi two weeks after the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the governorship election.

Speaking through his media aide, Dotun Oyelade, Makinde said the plan to mobilise contractors on Monday, March 25, 2019 for the jobs allegedly approved last Wednesday, amounted to depleting the resources of the state ahead of May 29, 2019 when a new administration would take over.

He noted that events of the past two weeks showed characteristics of targeted contract awards that were compiled in haste and randomly awarded to empty government purse before the May 29 handover date.

He said while the Ajimobi government remains in place till May 28, awarding a N30bn new set of contracts in one day as was the case during last Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting was curious and an aberration, especially when debts, as old as 2011, were left unpaid.

The governor-elect pointed out that information from civil servants who have the interest of the state at heart suggested a grand plan to disrupt the smooth take off of the In-coming administration by mopping up all available funds.

“In the new contracts of N30bn which money is to be paid today Monday, March 25, 2019, a large chunk of money was allocated as Consultancy fees and Design to outsiders even when the Ministry of Works and Housing has qualified engineers,” he noted.

Makinde said though he had promised not to probe the out going administration, civil servants who connive in illegal and strange contract awards would have themselves to blame in the next few weeks.

Makinde specifically charged Permanent Secretaries and the office of the Accountant General as well as banks to be wary.

According to him, there were also plans to mischievously increase the wages of tertiary Institutions’ staff for the next two months without actually paying them before May 29 thereby leaving the new administration to grapple with the burden.

LEAVE A REPLY