In this piece, I fact check propaganda being circulated by the All Progressives Party (APC) in Oyo State under the heading “Oyo State has been sold out through unnecessary loans as Gov Seyi Makinde used plethora of phony contracts to siphon public funds”.
Claim 1:
Four Garages (Bus Terminals) were awarded to a single contractor, Planet Projects Ltd at a sum of N16b while extra N3b was later approved as the projects now cost N19b. A humongous amount of money had been wasted to prosecute a virtually non-significant project. Why would you be borrowing, to execute projects, such as Bus Terminals, and many others, that have no direct benefit to the citizens? Funds that can be deployed to create jobs for our youths; that can build many classrooms, etc.
Fact Check: The claim that the bus terminals are a waste of resources and “virtually non-significant” is at best myopic and at worst, puerile. Apart from the fact that the bus terminals are modernising the transportation system in Ibadan, they are already generating funds for the government even though they are still underutilised. Once they are operating at full capacity, more jobs will be created and more money realised from the project. Oyo State needs to take advantage of its strategic location and tourism potentials and generate revenue from the transportation sector.
Claim 2:
Gov. Seyi Makinde approved another N6.1b to purchase 270 vehicles but only 169 vehicles were delivered instead with the N6.1b being approved. Where are the remaining 101 vehicles?
Fact Check: This is false.
Claim 3:
Gov. Seyi Makinde approved Junction Improvement projects to be situated at U.I junction and Ibadan Civic Gentre/Gate, at N10.3b, awarded to the same contractor, (Planet Projects Ltd) which is yet to complete the Bus Terminals for which it has just recently been granted N3b variation.
Fact Check: The Oyo State Government awarded Phase 2 of junction improvements at 3 Junctions: Agodi Gate, Idi Ape Civic Centre, and University of Ibadan Junctions awarded to Messrs Planet Projects Ltd at the sum of N10.3 billion. Planet Projects Ltd has already completed 2 of 4 bus terminals and executed junction improvements at Challenge/Felele Idi Odo which has been in use since 2021. The government also gave details of what the project would entail here.
Claim 4:
Hey! Gov. Seyi Makinde has approved funds, running into billions of naira, at different times, merely to patch potholes, just potholes. At one particular time, N10 billion was approved to patch potholes, actual cost of which was far less than N1 billion. Another phony pipes through which Oyo State funds are being drained.
Fact Check: This is false. Because it is a completely made-upbeer parlour rumuour, there are no details. As an example of the sums spent on the rehabilitation of inner roads, in December 2022, the Oyo State Government approved the rehabilitation of 21 roads in all 5 zones of the state for N476,627,006.71 to be executed by OYSROMA through direct labour.
Claim 5:
Imagine! How do you explain a situation where Gov. Seyi Makinde is spending a whopping N1.2b to RENOVATE Oyo State Lodge in Abuja? What is the value of the whole property? Oyo State is really in deep sheet!
Fact Check: This is false. The Oyo State Government is constructing a Governor’s Lodge in Abuja not renovating it.
Claim 6:
In Oct 2019, Gov. Makinde got N7.6 billion agricultural loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN.) For Akufo/Eruwa farm project. Yet, Akufo farm has been currently encroached, redundant and under-utilised, while the farm settlers have been disengaged, turning their contributions to the food security to a mere dream.
Fact Check: This is false. The N7.6 billion loan was actually obtained by the past administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi. Governor Seyi Makinde having prevented that administration from spending the money through a court order, applied for the loan to be used to develop the Akufo and Eruwa Farm Settlements into farm estates (now agribusiness industrial hub). The government has embarked on the construction of an agribusiness industrial hub at the Fasola Farm Settlement as a pilot before the construction of the agribusiness industrial hubs at Akufo and Eruwa. Fasola is over 80% complete with agribusinesses already operating from there. According to Governor Makinde, Eruwa will commence this year and Akufo will commence afterwards.
Claim 7:
Gov. Makinde got #20bn loan in May 20th 2020 from First Bank of Nigeria, to fund and support priority projects in the state. Where are those projects? Haba!
Fact Check: The Oyo State Government listed the projects as the 4 bus terminals in Ibadan and the 65 km Moniya-Iseyin Road reconstruction. 2 of the 4 bus terminals have been completed, are in use and are already generating funds for the state. The Moniya-Iseyin Road project was completed in May 2021 and is being utilised by residents of Oyo State. Journey times were cut from 2-3 hours to 45 minutes using the road. The benefits are unquantifiable.
Claim 8:
Gov Makinde took another loan in Oct 17th 2021 to the tune of #6bn claiming to use it to finance the existing projects in the State. You can see that Oyo State has been seriously mortgaged.
Fact Check: There are numerous projects being executed by the Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration at every point in time since he assumed office in 2019. A full list can be viewed here.
Claim 9:
As if the above is not enough, the Oyo State House of Assembly, on 19th October, 2021. approved another N18,746,059,992.57 loan facility for Seyi Makinde. But why? What has been the result? He borrowed over N100 billions within his first two years in office and no concrete and beneficial result to show for it.
Fact Check: This is false. Having itemised the loans taken by Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, the propagandist throws in that Governor Makinde borrowed over N100 billion within his first 2 years in office which is a completely made-up claim and totally false. According to figures from the Debt Management Office, Oyo State’s domestic debt increased by N60 billion since June 2019 while external debt reduced by ~$20 million. Again, a full list of projects executed by Governor Makinde’s administration between 2019 and 2023 can be viewed here.
Claim 10:
June 23rd, 2022, Seyi Makinde got another N2bn loan facility from the Fidelity Bank Plc at a concessional interest rate of 12 percent per annum and a repayment period of 12 months.
Fact Check: This loan was obtained to pay counterpart funding for Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), Accelerating Nutrition Results Project in Nigeria (ANRiN), Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP), Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and the UBEC/SUBEB 2021. All projects are at various stages of progress.
Claim 11:
23rd July 2019, Oyo State House of Assembly nod Seyi Makinde to obtain N10 billion from three commercial banks. Till date, nothing to show for it.
Fact Check: This is false. As stated above, there are numerous projects being executed by Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration. A full list can be viewed here.
Claim 12:
N2.5 billion for the refurbishment of health infrastructure. What refurbishment have you noticed in our health centres? A big fraud!
Fact Check: This is false. It is very ridiculous to claim that there is no improvement in healthcare infrastructure in Oyo State. Over 200 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been renovated/constructed across Oyo State. The target by the government is at least 351, one in each ward of the state. Updates on some of these PHCs renovated can be viewed here, here, here and here. Also, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities have been upgraded in the state. A full list can be viewed here.
Claim 13:
13. Agbowo shopping leased out at N4.9billion for 50 years. Projects is dead now.
Fact Check: This is true. The Agbowo Shopping Complex project was unsuccessful and Governor Seyi Makinde has already promised that the government will partner with a different set of investors to ensure that the project is done in his second term.
Claim 14
Fashola farm project, under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACs). Now dead like other farm settlements.
Fact Check: This is totally false. As stated above, Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub is over 80% complete and 100% subscribed with big agribusinesses such as FreislandCampina WAMCO already operating from there.
Claim 15:
State roads wears out and look like a deserted village roads. Imagine! If Seyi Makinde can perpetrate all these evils in his first term, more havoc will be unleashed on the state if, God forbid, he gets second term. Seyi Makinde is using populis idea to deceive people. A green snake under green grass. He is the worst Governor ever. The fact check of an illusionary government of the Pace Setter State. Pls don’t be deceived again! #Enough is Enough# #Dont do opposition to the Federal Government again# # Vote Teslim Kolawole Folarin for Progress, Peace and Development#
Fact Check: This is false. Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration has constructed, reconstructed and rehabilitated more roads (over 500 km) in Oyo State under 4 years than the previous APC administration was able to achieve (about 40 km) in 8 years. Imagine what Governor Makinde can achieve if given another 4 years. This is despite the ruling APC at the centre! What benefit accrued to Oyo State when in 2015-2019, Governor Ajimobi was in power with an APC Federal Government?
The people of Oyo State are wise. No propaganda by APC will lure them into trusting APC with power in Oyo State. On March 18, 2023, the people will choose Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) once again so they can enjoy Omituntun 2.0.
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