Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde said on Monday that the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) can only fool some people all the time but that it cannot fool all the people all the time.
The Governor, who was reacting to the management of government projects during the administration of the immediate past administration in the state, said that the manner in which many government projects were abandoned especially following bogus commissioning exercises left much to be desired.
His comments were coming on the heels of criticisms by the Oyo State APC of his plans to reconstruct Iwo Road Interchange with the sum of N8 billion.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the Governor made the statement while speaking to newsmen after inspection tour of some government installations.
The governor stated that the previous administration in the State attempted to fool the people of the State with bogus contracts and projects to the detriment of the people.
He also said that the immediate past administration moved equipment from Jericho Specialist Hospital to another centre in Olodo to stage a commissioning exercise, leaving the Jericho facility empty.
The Governor had visited Sanyo Area of Ibadan, where the State Government plans to move the Oyo Road Transport Management Agency (OYRTMA) and the Jericho Specialist Maternity Hospital, Jericho, Ibadan,
He noted that the previous administration put in lots of resources in projects and ended up abandoning the same even after some bogus commissioning exercise.
He decried the situation of the Jericho Specialist Hospital, which he said would be immediately moved to the new complex as a matter of emergency.
Governor Makinde said: “You have all seen the situation out there; it is almost like wasting the resources of the state.
“The State has put in a lot of resources but have not been able to get any value for the citizens. For me, the facility at the Jericho Hospital’s new site is at 80 per cent completion but it is already falling apart. So, it has to be occupied.
“They took all the equipment from there to do a ceremonial commissioning at Olodo. I believe you can fool some people some of the time but it is difficult to fool all of the people all the time. So, we will go back and relocate the Jericho Specialist Hospital and that would be taken as an emergency because it has to happen between now and the end of the year.
“This facility, for instance, is going to be finished up and, by then, we will take the movement of the people from Jericho Specialist to this place as an emergency. Our target is to complete the project before the end of this year.”
On the entourage of the Governor to the Jericho Specialist Centre were the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello; the Consultant on Health to the Oyo State Government, Dr. Funmi Salami; Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Health and the Hospital Management Board among other top government functionaries.
Signed:
Taiwo Adisa,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
October 21, 2019.
